Uninvited

The sound of a vehicle alerted us to the fact that someone was approaching. Hart took position at one of the windows with a “borrowed” rifle as a minivan came to a halt just outside the building. I stepped out to greet them with Fell following close behind me. I could see the driver nervously staring at us. He kept the engine running as the man who sat beside him opened the front passenger door and stepped out. He looked exhausted and afraid, but he still walked forward, like a lamb to the slaughter, before falling to his knees.

Knew that we were going to have uninvited guests eventually. We are squatting in a proxy hideout, after all. I am a little surprised it took this long for someone to come sniffing around. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was to be met with an act of submission.

“Knitwolf, we know that you have risen from the dead with the power to kill the Slender Man.” His eyes which had been fixed on the ground, rose to meet my gaze. “We offer our service to you in exchange for protection and a place to stay.”

I found myself shocked into a momentary silence, before erupting into laughter at the absurdity of the situation. Once I managed to regain composure, I stepped closer to the man while analysing him. His face now bore a look of confusion and annoyance.

“Poor dear, you must truly be desperate to come to me. What service could you offer?” I smirked

“We can fight for you. The proxies will come for you and if they don’t, some other servants will. We can help you fight them” he replied

I took in a breath. With it, came a familiar scent. I leaned down towards him and sniffed again, confirming it was coming from him. He leaned away as much as his kneeling position would allow, clearly uncomfortable

“Forgive me” I straightened back up. “Heh, it is interesting that you bring up proxies, as you are one yourself. I can smell it on you. Ritter’s scent. Are your friends also proxies?”

His eyes widened as he decided how to respond “One other is, the rest are runners- but we only served because we had to! With you, we have a real shot at getting out, just like her!” He said with a glance at Fell “Please… I know you’ve helped people before, even as a proxy. With you, we have a chance to survive.”

Fell snickered. My smile widened into a grin “Yes… I have helped them. I take care of my friends and family. You, however, are neither. You are a stranger who has arrived without a word between us. You say you only served because you had to, then you come here offering me the same ‘loyalty’. You are a coward; too weak to survive on your own, so you seek to use me as a shield. Nothing but a stupid sheep who has come to hide among the wolves.”

He started to get to his feet but let out a gasp and fell back down. The same molten energy that had burned Ritter, I directed towards him. As his body twisted and spasmed, another door was flung open by one of his friends in the minivan. This one proceeded to lean out with a gun at the ready, only to be shot, himself. Well done Hart

The driver sent the vehicle into reverse as the would-be hero fell out.

Leaving the spokesman in a pained heap, I sent tendrils into the ground to thrust myself forward. I sent another tendril ahead, through the windshield and impaling the driver. I landed on the ground as the escape attempt came to a slow halt.

It was then that I noticed a noise, above the sound of the engine and the panic of the remaining passengers. The unmistakable wailing of an infant. My grin faded at this unexpected and unwelcome turn, but I quickly recovered.

“Where are you going?” I called out “You came looking for a place to stay and now you are trying to leave!” I stepped closer; gesturing to the snow-covered ground. “It is very cold out here. Much too cold for a baby. Why don’t you come out of there, so we can bring the little one inside?”

The sounds of a struggle drew my attention back to their spokesman. He now lay on his stomach with Fell perched on top of him, relieving him of a knife. Thank you, love.

Sudden movement in the minivan returned my attention to the passengers as a woman burst forth and attempted to run; carrying a crying bundle in her arms. I swiftly caught her around the middle with a tendril and dragged her back.

With mother and child in my grasp, I called to last three. Demanded that they should stop being rude and come out, lest they be forced to watch me tear the little one in half. The mother started wailing to match the infant, begging for its life.

This was enough for the three- another woman and two men- to stop stalling and emerge. As they drew closer, I caught the scent of Ritter again. This time it was coming from the woman. I smirked at her, before calling for Hart to join us and asking Fell to move from the spokesman’s back.

With Fell and Hart keeping watch on our guests, I decided to finish what I started with their spokesman. There were no distractions to save him this time, as boiling blood and Azoth started leaking from his nose, eyes, ears and mouth. His friends begged and screamed on his behalf. He no longer had that luxury as his flesh appeared to bulge. Had started to wonder if his flesh would rupture, when he gave one last gargling retch and died.

My curiosity sated, for the moment, I turned my gaze to his horrified friends.

“It’s cold out here. Let’s step inside.”

Despite my earlier… misgivings… I have given the uninvited exactly what they asked for. They have a place to stay where they are protected from Ritter. In exchange, they will serve as food and entertainment for a while.

In the meantime, I just need to decide what to do with that baby.