Eyes Open

Nate hadn’t expected his thread to be noticed for some time, and so he was surprised when he refreshed the page ten minutes later to find two pages of replies already there. He wasn’t surprised at all to find some people debating how he might have faked the pictures or the bruises or both, but there was one reply that jumped out at him. It was only short, but it left an instant messaging address and asked for Nate to get in touch as soon as he could. Nate had nothing to lose, and he didn’t feel like trying to persuade a bunch of strangers who were convinced he were hoaxing them that he was telling the truth, so he copied the IM address and opened up his messenger.

As soon as he had sent the invitation, he had a message pop up from the replier.

I believe what you’re saying, it simply said, and, although still slightly wary, Nate glanced at Troy to remind himself what was at stake, and typed a reply.

Thanks. I’m not joking – my friend’s in a state. Those bruises are real.

I know. I’ve seen them myself. I’ve had them myself. He’s grabbed me with whatever those things are as well. Look, I don’t think I need to tell you that your friend is in a lot of danger, and as you’re helping him, you are as well.

No, I get that. After the whole trying-to-kill him thing, I realized we might be in a little bit of trouble. So you’ve seen him too? You know he’s real?

Do I ever. He’s been after me since I was about sixteen. Apparently I saw him when I was a child too, but of course I don’t remember that.

So did I. I think my friend did, too. I’m not sure. He didn’t get a chance to tell me what his parents told him. He’s not talking at all. Is that normal?

Yeah, pretty much. Give him time – he’ll come round. He’s probably just really freaked out. Look, you need to get him out of there, even if it’s just for a little bit. The Slender Man isn’t the type of thing to give up. You need to keep moving, try and throw him off your trail.

Nate glanced at Troy again. He was shredding the newspaper a little slower at the moment, but he still looked incredibly shocked and ill.

Are you sure? Nate replied. My friend’s not looking too good.

Probably because Slender Man’s still nearby. I’m not sure why – no one knows – but people tend to get ill around him. Now he’s physically touched your friend he’ll be a lot more sensitive. Your friend’s health is you biggest clue as to how close the creature is.

Nate glanced at Troy again. He was pale and tense, his eyes darting around the place, but he wasn’t shaking anymore, and his breathing had returned to a normal speed.

He’s better than he was, Nate typed. So we need to get out of here?

Pretty much. I’m not saying for forever, but you don’t really want to hang around where you are for a few days. Listen, your friend freaked out at the Slender Man, didn’t he?

Yeah. I was a little bit away from them but from what I saw Troy – my friend – tried to stab him or something.

That’s why he used those tentacle things, then. Your friend really pissed him off. He’s not going to be happy at all. I can’t stress enough that you need to get out of there, as soon as possible.

All right, Nate eventually typed. But where can we go? Won’t he be able to find us?

He will find you eventually, came the reply. I’m not going to try and bullshit you. But if you keep moving, you should be OK. It won’t have to be constant – you can probably sleep somewhere overnight, but I’m talking leave as soon as you wake up. No rolling over and going back to sleep. You wake up, you drive like fuck.

This is unreal.

Nate leaned back in his computer chair, running his hands through his hair and sighing, shaking his head slowly. Behind him, Troy suddenly jumped up, pacing around briefly, before throwing himself back down on the couch. Nate watched him worriedly.

"You OK, man?" he asked. Troy nodded briefly, and then huddled up into a ball, his eyes still darting around the room wildly.

Nate looked back to the computer to see a reply had popped up.

You don’t have to tell me, it read. Listen, whereabouts are you?

Maine, Nate replied. Why?

Just wondering if I’m close by. I’ve been on the road for ten years now. I’m what they call a Runner.

A Runner?

Yeah. Someone the Slender Man is after, who’s constantly moving. I basically live out of my truck.

How do you find money?

I do odd jobs for people. When things are bad I beg. But I also stay at hostels and things, and if I’m desperate, I have to steal. But it’s worth it – I don’t ever want to see that bastard again, as long as I live.

Do you think that’ll happen to Troy?

I’m not sure yet. Listen, I’m only a few miles outside of Maine as it is. If you head South, the highway there has about a million and one diners on it. If you go to the first one you come across I’ll drive up and meet you. I might be able to help you out.

Nate paused while he looked up his location on Google Maps, before he quickly replied.

It’ll take me a couple of hours, he replied.

That’s fine. Look, I know some randomer on the internet saying to meet up is a bit sketchy at the best of times, so I understand if you don’t want to risk it. All I’m asking is that we meet just once. I’ve been doing this for a while, and what I know could help save your life or your friend’s life. So please, consider it.

To be honest, man, I’ve just faced a ten-foot tall, tentacled creature trying to strangle my best friend. Meeting some random guy from the internet sounds like a vacation right now.

Well, I promise you I’m average height and tentacle-free. I suggest you leave as soon as you can. Bring some supplies with you, and if you need to contact me, here’s my cell number.

Nate quickly saved the number to his own cell phone, and then they were both confirming the meeting place and setting off. Troy was still huddled up on the couch, but he wasn’t staring blankly anymore, and his eyes followed Nate around the room as he grabbed his laptop case and set it on the chair, before heading into the kitchen to grab some food and water. Troy padded in after him, following Nate around the house like a curious child.

"We’re leaving for a while, Troy," Nate explained. "Just to be on the safe side. We’re meeting with someone who’s been through this before. He could be able to give us some advice."

Troy nodded, and although he still didn’t speak, he was thinking clearly enough to help Nate load the car up with their few supplies. Nate made sure Troy was settled in the passenger seat, and then locked up the house and jogged back to the car. Getting into the driver’s side, he noticed Troy was huddled up again, starting to tremble, and it was with great paranoia that Nate backed out of the drive and on to the street, heading south.

It was still quite dark as they left the lights of the town behind, the headlights lighting up an empty road ahead of them. Troy stared out of the front of the car silently, his eyes darting around occasionally, and even Nate was finding it hard to remain focused on just the road ahead. Every time they passed a tree, both men would glance at it worriedly, as though expecting it to walk out in front of them. The fact that there were a lot of trees beside this particular road didn’t do anything for either man’s nerves, and so it was with much relief that the road opened up slightly, with less trees to make them so paranoid.

Nate swapped from glancing quickly at trees to glancing at Troy every so often, to make sure he was still as calm and well as he could be. The other man was still slumped in the seat, staring ahead, his eyes moving slightly slower now, but he was still visibly tense. Gradually, the silence began to be broken by Troy coughing, at first randomly, but growing ever the more consistent.

The words of the person Nate had been speaking to before he set off ran through his mind. Your friend’s health is your biggest clue as to how close the creature is.

Nate glanced at Troy again, deeply unnerved to see that he was gradually getting more and more pale. The strange grey-white colour had returned to his face and he was starting to shake again. Of course, Troy didn’t know what his worsening health meant, but he must have known something was up as Nate slammed his foot down on the gas. The dark landscape outside whipped past in a blur, and then Troy suddenly groaned and coughed even more violently. To Nate’s complete horror, he saw little red spots appearing on Troy’s hand as he did so.

"Jesus," Nate muttered, alternating his gaze from the road to Troy and back again rapidly. "What the Hell, man? You need a doctor."

Troy only shook his head violently, before coughing again. This time there was a lot more blood, and even after Troy had stopped coughing, it still continued to trickle out of the corner of his mouth. His breathing was laboured and wheezy again, and Nate became terrified that his friend was going to die right there in the car.

"Hang in there, man," he told him softly. "We’re going to get you out of here, all right?"

Troy nodded, gasping slightly, and still coughing up blood periodically. Nate’s foot was still pressed the gas pedal, and he was relieved that the roads were empty, as he was now pushing one hundred miles an hour. He knew it was more than dangerous, but with his friend violently coughing up blood beside him, it was the least of his worries.

By this point, Troy was jumping periodically, glancing wildly around himself and trembling even more violently.

"Calm down, man," Nate told him. "You need to chill. You’re not very well, you can’t let yourself get stressed out."

Troy looked at Nate with wide eyes, and Nate saw something in them that instinctively told him that something was terribly wrong. Trusting his instincts, even though they went against what his brain was telling him, Nate slowed the car down to a safer speed, and would be forever thankful that he did so.

It happened in a split second. In the brief time it took for Nate to see Troy’s look and then turn back to the road, the tall, faceless figure was directly in front of them. Nate yelled a swearword, swerving on instinct, and the car skidded on the road, no doubt hitting a patch of ice. The back of the car left the road completely, clipping against a tree, and Nate remembered the world turning upside down before it went black.