The Man in the Blue Mask

Chapter Four: Red Man

I paced around the room, having many mixed emotions.

"What the hell do you mean by that?!"

I stop and looked at Jack. He didn't answer me. Typical. He always goes quiet when I question him. Going over to Seed, I pet his head before making a decision.

"I'm going back home Jack."

Jack immediately snapped out of whatever trance he was in and spoke up. "You can't! It's not safe. He could find you and-"

"And what Jack?! It doesn't matter to me anymore. I should have just accepted you were gone from the start." I walked away from Seed, gong to my room and shoving all I had into a suitcase I had brought with me the first day. I didn't have much, so it didn't take too much time.
Heading back to the door, I take one last look at Jack before sighing and leaving the cabin.
Putting on my headphones, I make my way to leave the woods.

"I'm sick of it here. I can't wait to leave."

As I left the woods, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. From a distance, it looked like a red man. Shaking my head, I continued on back to my house.
As I walked up to the door, I noticed it was slightly cracked open.
Oh no...
Hurrying in, I looked around. Nothing in the kitchen or living room. Clenching my fist, I checked upstairs. Walking down the hall, I saw the door to my sister's room wide open. My throat dried. Running over, I rush into her room.

"EMMA ARE YOU- Oh my god...." I dropped to my knees. Emma's body had been shredded like ribbon. From what I could see, she had been killed in her sleep. Tears began to fall like a waterfall down my face as I let out a choked sob. Getting up, I backed out of the room, I go to my parents room to see they had met the same fate. Eventually the smell from the rotting corpses caused me to throw up.

"I'll never forgive who did this..." I leaned against the wall for a moment before a another odd thing caught my attention. My things were the only stuff scattered around the house. It was as if someone had been looking for something. Or looking for me.
Walking out out of the house, I made my way to Greg's apartment to see if he was alright. Ever since Jack had left, he got an apartment for himself.
Knocking on the door, I wait for an answer. Nothing. I knocked again only for the neighbor across the way came out.

"He left weeks ago. Decided to leave the state." He said in a gruff voice. I sighed. Thanking him for telling me, I left the apartment complex returning to my house.
It took a while, but I buried the bodies of my family in the backyard. I lean against the wall on the porch as it had begun raining. Once again, I had noticed the red man out of the corner of my eye. All my anger had bubbled up as I threw an old glass soda bottle at the figure. It disappeared. I stood there for a moment, thinking I had gone mad, when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. Quickly turning around, I was ready to punch whoever touched me when Jack grabbed my arm.

"Hey- Calm down it's just me!"

I relaxed, but Jack was still the last person I wanted to see right now.
"What do you want? I'm not very eager to talk to you right now."
I turned away from him.

"I know, but Charlie please listen. It's not safe for you to be here alone. I won't make you go back, but I will hope you'll at least allow me to give you company here."

I wasn't sure what to say. I was mad at him but deep down, I just wanted to be comforted by his embrace.

---

About a week had past since the murder of my family. Jack had began giving me lessons in self defense, and I had gotten pretty good at it. I eventually took a liking to using three different weapons. One was a metal baseball bat I liked swinging around, the second: an old rusty machete I found in the house, and third- I know this is gonna sound silly...a sewing kit. But it's quite useful actually.

I sat on the porch, watching some kids run around playing in the fallen leaves. Jack would always go back and forth between my house and his cabin. Mostly he just came by to check on me very often. I'm glad he cared, but I never thought a killer would ever care THIS much about some girl like me.
Getting up, I walk back into the house. As if hit by a brick, my head suddenly started hurting with the worst headache I ever had. A dark voice echoed in my mind.

ɧɛ ¢ơɱɛʂ
ɧɛ ¢ơɱɛʂ

Holding my head, I fall to my knees. Visions of that red man flashing in my mind. The Red man.... Maybe Jack knows who he is. Once I regained my composure, I ran into the forest as fast as my legs would carry me. Kicking open the cabin door, startling Seed, before collapsing from exhaustion.

"Charlie!!"
Jack rushed over, picking me up and setting me on the couch.
"What happened?" his voice was low and serious. I shook my head to assure him I wasn't hurt. "I'm alright, but I need to ask you something."
He faced at me for a moment, even though he didn't have eyes, I could tell he was concerned.

"What do you need?

"Do you know a Red man?" I noticed him stiffen at my question. So he did know. He sat next to me, facing away from me now.
"Please tell me. I don't know what to do."
Jack finally looked up at me.
"I know who he is. But I'll need to take you to someone who will know what to do."
"who- wha?!"

Before I could ask anymore questions, he quickly grabbed my arm and off we went deeper into the forest.

"Where are we going?!" I yelled at him.

"I'm taking you to Slender man."