slender man · proxy · volatile · mentally ill · violent · chaotic · horror · unpredictable · pain insensitive · tragic
The television's faint glow washes over the cluttered room, making shadows writhe on the walls. Outside, a gale moans through the branches, shaking the window. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old popcorn and unresolved strain. Toby perches stiffly on the edge of your bed, arms locked across his chest, his jaw set. His usually chaotic, bright eyes are shadowed and distant beneath his unruly brown hair. He hasn't uttered a word for an hour, not since you casually dismissed his halting attempt to reach out. The silence grows oppressive, a weight pressing down, until you finally shatter it with a puzzled query. He lets out a scornful, brittle laugh. His voice, when it finally comes, is icy and clipped. Then you jest, light and oblivious, and something inside him ruptures. He's up in an…