*IT'S A FACKIN MIRACLE. I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED! OH MY FACKIN GAAAAAAAAAWWWWWD. IT'S BEEN SOOOOOO LONG, JESUS CHRISTO ALLMIGHTY JOHN CENA. I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS WAIT THOUGH I'M HUMBLED BY THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THEIR TOES WAITING FOR THIS UPDATE. YOU'RE AWESOME, DID YOU KNOW THAT? I'LL TRY TO UPDATE MORE REGULARLY LIKE BEFORE. I'LL TRY FOR WEEKENDS. LAUGHTER SENPAI HAS SCHOOL TOO AND SO FAR IT'S SHIT. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, IT'S BEEN SO LONG, I FORGOT THE ONES I PLANNED TO USE. BUT I WON'T BOTHER YOU WITH QUESTIONS AFTER WAITING FOR SO LONG. SO GET RIGHT INTO THE CHAPTER. YOU ALL DESERVE IT. (Also shout out to my waifu ScarletLeCreepy for helping me out so much over the course of these past weeks. Without her, you all may not have gotten this update for a LONG time. Give 'r some love.)*

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 44

Ao's POV

The small practice room was only occupied by me. It would be quiet if I weren't nearly slicing at my violin strings with my bow.

A-Ao you need to calm down a bit..

Sam sounded hesitant to even talk to me. I didn't adhere to his meek demand. I was too focused on practicing to stop. "Just a few more measures and I'll stop," I murmured.

You said that five minutes ago.

"I wasn't done yet," I dead-panned.

Seriously?

I frowned. "I just have to make it to measure twenty for today, okay? Please let me do this."

But, Ao, you can't do measure twenty! Every time you get there you always--!

I reached measure twenty for about the hundredth time and prepared myself to finally get through it. Unfortunately, the big jump and reset of my bow was too much for my injured shoulder to handle. "Dammit!!" I cursed and ended up dropping my bow. Gritting my teeth, I sat down on a chair and held my shoulder as I hugged my violin with my other arm.

Ao, please stop. You've been working yourself to get the lift but it's not going to happen!

"This is stupid," I grumbled, "I can't let some little bite keep me from playing..."

'Little'? What's with you today?

The pain in my shoulder calmed down and I leaned back against the chair. "I just have a lot on my mind," I sighed.

Like, what?

I stared down at the floor and replied, "Well, for one I'm going to start combat training with Jack today. I'm nervous about it. Also..."

What?

Gently, I placed my hand back onto my shoulder where the brutal bite mark was. "I can't stop thinking about what could've happened to me. I can't remember anything and it's bothering me," I muttered, "That's why I'm doing everything I can to keep my mind off of it, no matter how badly I want to figure things out."

Well, pushing yourself like this won't exactly help.

I sighed and said, "I know but I'm feeling desperate."

I know...

I bit the inside of my cheek, knowing exactly what he meant.

There was sudden knocking on the door. I looked up and saw Craig opening the door. "Hey, everyone's already packing up. Bell rings in one minute," he stated.

"Crap," I grumbled and quickly got up to pack up my violin and bow and music. Once everything was ready, I ran back into the orchestra room and put my violin in my locker for today. The bell had already rung so everyone was filing out of the class. Craig was waiting for me by the front door. I slung my backpack over my other shoulder and met up with him.

"Are you feeling okay, Blue?," he asked me.

"I'm fine," I answered. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, "You just seem antsy. It bothers me. Especially since you went missing for a couple of days." Craig paused for a moment and whispered, "Did something happen...?" His eyes were full of concern and horror.

I saved him a heart attack and said, "No, not that I know of."

"Not that you know of...?!"

I grabbed onto his arm and started leading him out of the orchestra room. "I'll explain everything at lunch," I said, "For now, let's just get to class." Even though Craig said nothing, I knew he wanted to. I'm already dreading the conversation I'll have in lunch. I don't even know what I could say since I can't remember a single thing from that time. Deep down, I may not want to.

...

"First you go missing and then you're grounded afterwards? That sounds like a load of bull to me," Kayla muttered. Everyone was at the booth, including Xavier, who doesn't usually hang out with us. He was just as worried for me as Kayla and Craig, and I found that to be sweet. Though, he still sports the poker face.

"Well, what's done is done," I said, "I'm grounded, which means no hanging out and...no homecoming."

Kayla was in the middle of drinking and she suddenly choked at my statement. Craig was sitting next to her and he patted her back. She coughed and flailed her hands in the air while we watched. Some other students in other booths glanced over to see what the commotion was. Kayla eventually calmed down but had the most grief-stricken face I had ever seen.

"Are you kidding me? You can't go?," she exclaimed. I shook my head. She gaped and said, "That's not fair! Do you know how long I've been looking for the perfect dress for you to wear? I was going to invite you to go shopping with me next week! We could've gotten new shoes too!"

"I'm sorry, Kayla," I murmured.

"You were going to look so beautiful," she cried out. "Dammit, I even wanted to go to Pizza Hut after the dance too! Craig could've eaten a whole pizza again!"

"Aw," Craig whined.

"I was going to make sure you had so much fun," Kayla murmured, "Especially now, after everything that's happened to you."

I smiled and said, "I know, Kayla. But, I have to respect my parents' wishes."

With a rough sigh, Kayla muttered, "Okay. I understand."

"We'll still get pizza though, right?" Craig chimed in. Xavier kicked him under the table and Craig yelped.

Me being grounded isn't the real reason why I won't go to the dance with the gang. Yes, I'm grounded, but I'll also be training with Jack. I won't have time to attend a dance, which happens pretty much every school year. My focus for the rest of the month is school and training, with the addition of trying not to get myself in trouble again.

"You know," I started. Kayla looked up at me and I continued, "I'm sure my birthday party isn't out of the question." Her lips shifted into a smile and her eyes lit up. I smiled back and took a sip of my water. At least that's one problem solved.

I still haven't forgotten about the tension between Craig and Xavier. Craig seems normal but Xavier's vibe seems off. I can tell Craig's secret meetings with that Aaron guy are still happening. Craig explained to me in our previous class that Xavier has been acting distant and that bothers him. Watching him closely, I could see that Xavier refuses to look at Craig. To think that this has been going on for a week. I wonder what else has happened here since I went missing.

Everything looks and feels the same as before, the only difference being students and teachers telling me that they're glad I'm back. Looks like more than my friends were worried about me. I think I overheard a conversation in the lunch line awhile ago about me and how so many weird things keep happening to me. I have a feeling there are more things to come from here on out.

...

The library was decently quiet and that set me at ease. I took a seat at one of the computers and set my bag down. I'm glad my teacher allowed me to go to the library. Now would be the perfect time to do something I've had nagging at me in the back of my mind.

I opened up the computer's search engine and typed in a name: Emily Mason.

Can't believe you still remember the name. It feels like so long ago.

"Well, it's an important name for me," I whispered, "it may give me more answers on this 'proxy' thing." I clicked search and there were several links regarding 'Emily Mason'. Looking at them now, I'm not too sure that any of them are what I'm looking for. Unfortunately I have no other key words to go by. It's just the name. I checked the time at the bottom of the screen and then checked how many pages of links there were. 10 pages. I have about 35 minutes left until my next class. "Oh boy," I sighed and did some digging.

Click after click after click. It was seemingly an endless cycle of clicks. I scanned the pages the links would take me multiple times. I was growing impatient. I rested my head in my hand for a while, then slumped over the desk, then leaned back against the chair like a rag doll while I kept on clicking, and clicking, and clicking...

"C'mon," I muttered.

Maybe you should take a break...

"No," I said, "I'm sure I'll find something in one of these god forsaken links...!"

Click after click. Page after page. Link after link. It was awful until, finally, I came upon something that interested me. It was a page talking about notorious criminals during the 1700 period. There was a list of people, including the crimes they committed and the punishment they may or may not have received.

Some criminals were expert pick-pocketers, con-men, and thieves. There were even pimps and madams on the list. But, after reading up on all of their crimes, all of them combined were not as heinous as Emily Mason's.

"Oh my god," I said under my breath as I read on her crimes.

A thief, witch, mass murderer. Emily Mason was born in the Americas in a Virginian colony. She destroyed two whole colonies between the ages of 8-13. She was accused of being a witch and possessing the influence of the Devil himself. Her mother died at birth, her father was a doctor and raised her until he met his demise. After losing her father, Emily soon found a black couple who took her in. Months later, the couple was murdered and it was after this event that Emily set fire to her first colony and murdered every single resident. Eventually, her reign of terror ended once she was captured and put to burn at the stake at the peak of her teen years, inevitably taking her life.

"My god, she was only a kid," I commented. I scrolled further down until there was a picture given.

My blood ran cold and I flinched back into my seat. It was a wanted photo, a sketch of Emily Mason. A chill ran up my spine the more I stared at her photo. The shape of her eyes, her nose, her lips, the frame of her face, everything. It was identical to my features. Despite it being a sketch it was hauntingly accurate. She looks so much like me.

There was a throbbing pain at my temple and I winced. I hunched over in my seat and held my head until I was met with a blinding white light. Suddenly images flashed across my vision. Not images; memories. At least that's what they seemed to be. I caught flashes of forest; a brunette haired man with a beard and glasses; angry people with torches and muskets; people being murdered; rushing scenery as I ran; a sweet looking black woman and a hardy, lovable black man; a gallant, beautiful horse; a lot of death; a man with piercing red eyes and a beguiling grin; a red and white mask; fire, fire and more fire. Everything rushed at me too quickly and my head felt like it would explode.

Finally, it stopped and I found myself on the floor, sitting on my knees while I hunched over into a ball. I gasped and sat up. Students around me gave me funny looks and I awkwardly got back into my chair. "What the hell was that," I hissed, holding my head in my hands. "I'm friggin' losing it...," I murmured with a distressed whimper.

I sat in my seat for a while, trying to relax my mind after the ordeal it suffered. While I sat there, I noticed the computer screen flickering out of the corner of my eye. I looked up only to see it was normal. Just as I was about to turn away, it flickered again and I could've sworn I saw a hand for one brief moment.

Suddenly, the hand popped out of the screen and I almost would've screamed aloud if it hadn't slapped something on my mouth. The hand gave me a quick thumbs up before returning back into the static filled computer screen. Once it was gone the computer went back to normal.

Well, that was...strange..

I stared at the screen, sorta feeling less surprised than I usually would be. My god, I've come to the point where things barely faze me anymore.

I grabbed what was on my mouth and removed it. It was a post-it note saying:

Come to the football field. There's something waiting for you under the left-side bleachers.

There was no indication of who wrote it but I had a feeling it wasn't anyone I should avoid. I sincerely hope it's not.

I turned the computer off and got up from my seat. Lifting my bag up onto my shoulder, I walked towards the library doors to go see what the note was talking about.

...

I snuck into the football field and made my way to the bleachers on the left, like the note said. I ducked under metal beams and stood in the very middle. Feeling nervous, I looked around me to see if there were any teachers or students around. I'm not supposed to be here at all...

"Do you see anything for me, Sam?," I whispered.

There isn't anything around.

I bit my lip and waited patiently for a while. "Maybe the note was talking about the other bleachers," I murmured.

Pretty sure it said left-side.

"Maybe it was referring to the other left," I retorted.

I waited a little more under the bleachers. The metal structures groaned above me and I grimaced at the thought of them losing their support. "I swear, if something doesn't happen within the next minute I'm going to--."

"Boo!"

Hands grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I screamed, whirled around and landed a hard slap across the face of my attacker. Panting, I stared down at the figure as they whined and held their face. My gasped and exclaimed, "Ben? Oh my god, are you okay?!"

There was laughing behind me and I turned to see Jeff hunched over and holding his side with Elizabeth beside him. She only shook her head with a disappointed expression plastered on her face. I turned back around to look at Ben, who still held his face.

"Don't scare me like that," I scolded.

"I was just teasing," he whined.

"You're lucky I didn't land a kick to your baby maker," I muttered.

He chuckled, "Baby maker? That's what you call it?"

"Yes. So?," I murmured.

"What's wrong with d--?"

I raised my foot and Ben frantically scrambled away from me, covering his "baby-maker". I huffed and set my foot back down onto the ground.

"Are you two done messing around yet," Elizabeth dead-panned behind me. I turned and was surprised to see her right next to me. I scanned her up and down and saw she was wearing a cast on her right arm. What happened to her? Meanwhile, Jeff was chuckling lightly behind her. She flashed him a look which ceased his laughing. Jeff scoffed and said, "Uh, we have some important news to share with you."

"What is it?" I asked.

Jeff looked at me and answered, "We are leaving Gracewood and going on a little trip."

I blinked and looked at all three of them. Then, I murmured, "How come...? Did something happen?"

Jeff shook his head. "It's nothing you need to be concerned about. We're just leaving to get Elizabeth's arm repaired since it's pretty beat up."

"What happened?" I looked over at Elizabeth's casted arm.

"Long, long story," Jeff grumbled. "We don't have a lot of time to explain. We plan on leaving today."

"When will you guys be back," I inquired.

Jeff shrugged. "We don't know for sure. Hopefully we don't take too long. Although, Ben will be dropping by to check in on you and Jack to see how everything is going."

"Jack said he would train you so we're a bit worried about you," Ben added in. What's that supposed to mean...?

"Well, who's going to be making the repairs," I asked.

Jeff opened his mouth to answer but Elizabeth beat him to the punch and said, "My caretakers."

It took me a few moments to realize who she was referring to. Once it clicked, I gave Jeff a wide-eyed look. I could see the recognition in his dark eyes. He's finally going to meet the people who took Elizabeth away. I'm not sure whether to be happy for Jeff or worried for the caretakers. Jeff won't exactly be happy-go-lucky towards the people who stole his girlfriend and kept her away for two years. It's surprising enough that Elizabeth is even allowing this to happen.

"I hope you guys have a safe trip, then," I replied.

"We'll try to be careful," Jeff responded with a gentle nod.

"I won't make promises," Ben remarked. We all gave him the same look. He raised his hands up and said, "Relax! I can't die so it's cool!" Jeff rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"We don't have much time to chat," Jeff started, "but we couldn't leave without saying good-bye. Jack will be taking care of you while we're away. Since we can't be there for your training, I wish you the best of luck."

"You'll need it," Ben coughed. Jeff smacked him on the shoulder and the blonde boy groaned.

"We'll see you, hopefully, soon," Jeff continued. He stuck his hand out for a handshake but I hadn't noticed it before I went in for a hug.

"Come back safely," I said. Jeff stood still for a moment, before patting my back in return for the hug. I let go of him and hugged Ben next. He wasn't shy to squeezing back and he even said, "Take care of Jack for us, okay Sheba? Don't be afraid to try a little 'something something' while we're away." Ben gave me a sly wink and I blushed. He pulled away from our hug as he added, "Though, seriously, take care of him. He needs you more than you know..." The blonde boy flashed me a tender smile before backing away.

I turned away from him to face Elizabeth next. She gave me this taken aback expression then looked away from me. Despite her unwelcoming vibe, I gave her a hug anyway. She groaned, both from surprise and annoyance. "I hope you get better," I told her. I took a glance up at her to see her scowling with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Whatever," she grumbled.

Before I pulled away from our hug, I felt her free hand reach into the back pocket of my jeans. As if the action hadn't confused me enough, she whispered, "Read this once you're alone. It's something you should see." I made a puzzled frown. Then, she suddenly slipped out of my embrace and bellowed, "We should get going. We need to stay in daylight as much as possible." Elizabeth began walking away without another word. Jeff sighed before looking at me. "See you around, Blueberry," he said.

"You too," I beamed. Jeff followed after Elizabeth and Ben did the same.

I watched the three of them leave and felt this sense of concern in the pit of my stomach. "I really hope they'll be okay," I claimed.

I'm sure they'll be just fine, Ao.

I pressed my lips and looked down at the concrete below me. I reached for my back pocket to see what Elizabeth had given me but then I remembered her order. Even though there was no one around, I felt compelled to listen to her demand and wait until I was completely alone.

The bell suddenly rang and my heart dropped for a split second. "Crap, I'm going to be late for class!," I cried out, before racing off back inside the school, hoping I wouldn't get counted as tardy.

...

"Thanks for the ride, Craig," I chimed as I hopped out of his truck and onto the sidewalk. I looked back in and saw my smiling best friend.

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself," he asked me.

I nodded and assured him, "I'll be okay. I can handle being alone for a while. No biggie."

He gave me a quizzical stare before nodding back and replying, "Alright then. Text me, okay?"

"Craig, I don't have a phone," I reminded him.

"Then, send me a carrier pigeon," he chuckled.

"Bye, Craig," I giggled. I shut the passenger door and walked to the gate to unlock it. Once I was inside and locked up, Craig's truck jerked and cruised forward. He was out of sight as soon as I made it to the front door. I stepped inside and locked up again. The house was bathed in silence and I felt myself relax. I leaned on the door for a while, just resting, before I trekked up stairs to my bedroom.

My room is a great place because it always makes me feel safe and content. I especially need it now to get my bearings before I see Jack. I'm pretty excited to train with him but that doesn't mean I'm not nervous.

"I should do my homework already," I sighed. "What do I have again?"

One worksheet on chemistry.

"Right, that's the only homework I have," I murmured. I flung my backpack onto my bed and opened it up to find my homework. I pulled out the worksheet and delved inside a smaller pocket for a pencil. Just as I found one, I remembered something important.

Cautiously I checked outside of my windows and my bedroom door, before reaching into my back pocket to finally see what Elizabeth gave me. It was a folded piece of paper. I opened it, trying my best to smooth out the creases. I narrowed my eyes, puzzled by the words on the page.

SCP-•••
Object class: Keter
Subject has very prominent aggression and continues to expel a guttural roar whenever it catches sight of humans. The research team is required to wear ear plugs at all times, to ensure no hearing damage.
The specimen's build nearly resembles a bird-like build and DNA tests have shown signs of avian genetics. No signs of flight have been discovered and may not exist.
Subject has attempted to attack and seemingly devour scientist Elli Hoffman. The MTF on scene were able to neutralize the subject and sedate it. Dr. Hoffman only sustained minor injuries.
It also appears that the subject's "mask" is -somewhat- a part of its face as it never falls off or shifts.
Subject is also known as: Seedeater
Further experiments shall be conducted-- WITH CAUTION.

"What is this," I murmured. I focused on the top of the page as there was an organization logo printed on the top left corner. The SCP Foundation. I've never heard of that. "What kind of organization is this," I questioned.

That creature description sure doesn't sound appealing.

"I wonder what it is...," I awed. Why would Elizabeth give this to me? Is there some sort of clue about the animal this paper talks about? Is this some sort of warning? How did she even get her hands -hand- on this anyway? "Maybe I can ask ChiChi about this when I get the time. I'm sure he'll know something," I murmured. I folded up the paper and placed it on my nightstand next to my alarm clock.

As soon as I looked up, I saw something small hit my window. Frowning, I walked forward and peeked outside. Down below I saw none other than Jack. I opened the window and poked my head out.

"Hey, are you ready," he hollered up at me.

"Well, hello to you too, kind sir," I drawled.

I heard him sigh and he quipped, "Good afternoon, my Lady. Now, are you ready?"

"Uh..." I looked down at my clothing, knowing full well that these were not acceptable to something such as combat training. "Give me a moment to change! I'll meet you in the backyard."

I spotted Jack shaking his head and walking away as I closed the window. Turning towards my closet, I took in a deep breath and exhaled steadily. "Let's do this," I exclaimed to myself, then began to gather up the appropriate clothing for training.

After I finished up and raced to the backyard, I found Jack patiently standing in wait for me on the patio. I jogged up to him, sporting workout clothes, and said, "Okay, I'm here! I'm ready!"

"You seem awfully cheery," he remarked.

My expression faltered. "Is that a bad thing...?"

"That's all up to you," he said.

Jack took a step back and reached for the hem of his hoodie. Before I knew it the black hoodie was off, followed by his shoes. I did the same with mine. Jack then faced me and ordered, "Punch me." He patted the center of his chest and I gave him a wide-eyed look. "As hard as you can," he added. I gulped and raised my fists. Then, after building up some force, I threw my right fist forward and hit him. Jack barely moved an inch.

"Again," he said. I twisted my lips and repeated my punch in the same area. Jack demanded another and I listened to him. My knuckles rattled from my effort yet no matter how hard I punched Jack he wouldn't move. He asked for one more punch and I gave him one.

"Switch hands," he ordered. I huffed and shifted my position so that I had more leverage to my left hand. I punched as hard as I could four times, like I did before, until Jack told me to stop.

Jack crossed his arms and started, "Your left hand isn't as strong as your right. You tend to falter your hit which doesn't allow your full force to follow through. In addition, your fingers are dainty, the skin on your knuckles is thin. Good for playing your violin, of course, but not an advantage in combat. Overall, your strength is good."

I smiled.

"But, it's not good enough."

I stopped smiling.

Jack continued, "I'll make sure you build up on that until you get it right."

"How will I know it's enough?," I asked.

"Until I say it is and until you manage to make me take a step back when you punch me. I barely moved at all," he stated.

Gulping down my disappointment, I nodded.

"From this day forward," he proclaimed, "you will train to reach the potential of the proxy and you will be treated as so. It's not an easy roll which is why this training will not be easy. You will listen to my teachings and do as I say until the day I deem your training complete. After that you can develop your combat morals and techniques to your desire. Until then, you follow my lead. Try not to get yourself killed in the process."

I stared at him with slightly fearful eyes, realizing now why Jeff and Ben wished me good luck. Even so, I kept quiet, trying not to let the pressure of expectation get the better of me.

"How long do we have until your parents come home," he asked.

Shrugging, I answered, "Maybe about two hours..."

"Good enough. Now, do you exercise?," Jack asked me.

I nodded and murmured, "Yeah. I jog."

"How long can you usually run without stopping?"

I thought about it for a few moments. "I don't know... Probably sixteen miles per hour? Possibly fifteen."

"Makes sense, you're more stamina than strength," he stated.

"Is that bad?"

He shook his head. "Not necessarily. It just means your body can hold out during a fight for a longer period of time at its max. You could probably exhaust an enemy with your endurance. Though, of course you can't execute heavy attacks as well. For example, Elizabeth is more strength than stamina and you can probably notice if you've ever seen her fight. The build of her body also shows that. She goes for heavier attacks but the con of strength is using up your energy. Stamina keeps you going."

"This may be out of context," I chuckled, "but I used to take ballet classes when I was younger."

"That's actually some helpful information," he said, which made me smile. "You're more lean and flexible though you're fuller than the usual ballerina body. Perfect, I know exactly what to do."

"You do..?" I murmured.

"Yes. And, now that I have a game plan for you, we'll start off with some simple exercises," he claimed.

"I'm ready!," I said.

"Good. Twenty push-ups--."

"Wait."

"Go."

"Aw fu--," I scrambled and dropped down to the ground. Jack and I did push-ups together though it wasn't so easy for me since my shoulder stung the entire time. Still, I pulled through, in hopes that the sensation would dull over the course of the next two hours. After the push-ups were crunches. Squats, criss-cross, lunges. The works. It felt awkward for me at first but I eventually grew comfortable with making a fool of myself in front of Jack. Also, I wasn't the only one dealing with discomfort. I would catch Jack hesitating on a couple of moves, mostly the leg based actions. His leg still isn't completely healed. Even so, he's still pulling through to train me. This made me feel a little better about my injury too.

We finally started on some basic combat moves after the first hour. The interesting thing about it though was that Jack not only showed me the moves but the easiest way to execute them without hurting myself and the points in the body where the move affects. He told me the dos and don'ts of basic hand-to-hand combat. He would adjust my body accordingly to the way it should be. I learned from my little mistakes and moved on. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was actually quite intent with the way things were going. Jack isn't such a bad instructor. I was only overthinking.

"You have to make sure that when you punch or kick, you don't stop at the point where you connect with your opponent," Jack was explaining, "You keep that force going straight through for greater effect."

"Got it," I panted.

"Well," he sighed, clearly not winded after our workout, "I say that's enough training for today. Time is almost up anyway."

"That was great," I chimed.

"Oh really?"

I nodded, a tired smile stuck on my face. "I'm looking forward to more!"

"You're more enthusiastic than I thought you'd be," Jack admitted. "Then again, it's only the first day... Either way, it's good that you're so willing to train."

"Thank you," I said.

Jack nodded. "I'll meet you tomorrow at the same time. We'll go over basics and exercise again. By the end of the week, I'll put you through a little test so keep that in mind."

My heart pounded at the mention of a test. What kind of test will it be? Whatever it is I'll be prepared for it.

Jack put his shoes back on and picked up his hoodie. "Meet you tomorrow," he said.

I gave him a little wave and said, "Bye, Jack."

He left the garden and I was left alone on the patio, sweaty, hot and tired. Sighing, I remarked, "That wasn't so bad..!"

I'm glad you're happy about that. It's good to be optimistic, even as you look like a mess.

"Gee, thanks," I chuckled. I picked up my shoes from the ground and made my way back inside the house.

The training session went well. I can't wait to tell Ben all about it whenever he drops by. I'm sure he and Jeff will be happy to hear that I accomplished my first session. I'm not sure why they were so worried for me. Everything went perfectly! I could've done better at some points but either way I did fine. They have nothing to worry about, as do I. I'll be as skilled of a proxy as Elizabeth before I know it. Maybe she'll be proud of me too, though I kind of doubt she would be interested in my training. Whatever the case, I'll be happy to improve and spend time with Jack. Things are going to be just fine. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

...

"Ooooooowwwwww..." I moaned languidly.

Craig sat beside me, Kayla was across from me and Xavier sat next to her. I was left lying down in our lunch booth, howling woefully. Craig and Kayla went about eating their food but Xavier had this strange expression on his face. "Is she...okay," he finally asked.

"She's been like this all day," Craig answered.

"She's perfectly fine," Kayla added, "just sore."

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh..." I groaned.

"Um.." Xavier murmured.

"C'mon, Ao," Craig called, "Sit up and eat your food."

"NoooooooooOOOOOOOAAAAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!" Craig had suddenly tapped my leg and it burned from my soreness. I smacked his arm in return but that also hurt my bicep in the process. "Just let me dieeeeeee..." I moaned.

"You can die all you want once you get home," he stated.

"Uuuuhhhhhhhhh..." I managed to sit up in my spot and reach for my lunch tray. I finally started eating my food which made me feel a little better. I hadn't expected to be so friggin' sore in the morning. As soon as I woke up this morning I felt the aftermath of Jack's training. When I got out of bed I fell over and lied on the floor for a good five minutes, just basking in the utterly painful soreness that lingered on every limb of mine...! I'm surprised I even managed to get to school at all.

"You know," Kayla started, "the trick to not being sore is to move around more."

I flashed her a look and shook my head. I know moving around helps but god damn it hurts sooooo much.

"What the hell did you do anyway?" Xavier asked me.

"Combat exercise," I responded.

He furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"Because why not?"

He stared at me for a moment before shrugging and taking a sip of his drink.

"Well, the bright side is," Craig remarked, "if you keep the exercise up, you'll become a badass with a rad body."

"Extremely rad," Kayla jutted in with a smirk.

"I'm not really looking for physical results but I suppose that's an added bonus," I laughed lightly.

"That's the spirit! You can handle this," Craig said with a smile. I returned the expression and continued eating my lunch.

I sure hope so.

...

Craig dropped me off at home again later on that day. I struggled to hop down from his truck without sending a shockwave of pain through my body, though the task proved fruitless.

"Hope you feel better, Blue," Craig said.

"Me too," I muttered.

The both of us said and waved goodbye and I watched Craig's truck drive away from the curb. I opened up the gate, locked it and then headed inside. Once I was in I immediately went for the backdoor to check if Jack was already outside waiting for me. Sure enough I found him sitting on the swinging bench. I smiled at how relaxed he looked as he gently pushed the swing back and forth with his foot.

"Well," I murmured, "time to screw myself up again...!"

You'll be fine. Remember what Kayla said. This'll help. Eventually you'll get used to it until you're not sore anymore!

"I'm looking forward to that glorious day," I sighed as I made my way towards the staircase. There was some struggle as I ascended but I made it up to my room, changed, and made an equally uncomfortable descent. I walked outside through the backdoor and Jack stood up from the swing as soon as it closed behind me. He walked over to me and I gave him a little smile. "I'm ready for today's training," I said, secretly dreading to even move at all.

"There's been a change of plans," he said. I stared at him, both confused and slightly relieved. Is he giving me a break today? Jack answered my silent question and added, "You'll be training on something else instead."

I cocked an eyebrow. "What will it be?," I asked.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest and replied, "You'll be working on your magic."

Magic?

"Huh..." I murmured.

Jack nodded. "Believe it or not," he started, "you have magic. Every proxy does. In order to achieve your full potential as the proxy you must hone both your combat and magic skills. They are vital key attributes that will help in the long run."

"Wait," I interjected, "...do you know magic..?"

Jack scoffed. "Of course not."

I frowned. "Then, how will I learn? I'm not exactly an expert on this 'proxy' thing."

"Don't worry," he assured me, "I know someone who will help. Two someones, actually. You'll be seeing them regularly, I guarantee that. Two days out of the week, at least."

"Great," I jibed, "who are these people?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he muttered, making my stomach twist with anticipation and nervousness. He made it worse by commenting, "Seems like they're here already. That was quick."

"Wh-What?" I stuttered. Confused, I looked around but saw no one, until a second passed and a column of black smoke was conjured seemingly out of thin air. I leaped away from it and watched with wide eyes as the smoke grew thicker and thicker, tumbles of blackness spilling out over the patio and grass. It had a strange scent but it wasn't rancid. Finally, it began clearing up and, to my surprise, a figure stood in its place.

It was a woman whose piercing red eyes looked straight at me yet her alabaster face showed no signs of eminent threat. In fact, she had a big, friendly smile on her black painted lips. A lot of her attire was black. Actually, all of it was. She garnered a black sundress with a waist belt of a slightly lesser shade. Her black, shiny heels made her taller than she actually was and I could deduce that she was pretty tall. She was very thin, slim, almost gaunt. I noticed that her neck was a bit longer than the average neck. I can't exactly tell because her shoulder-length, raven dark hair was in the way.

With a loud, excited gasp, she marveled in a rich British accent, "My, you're the new proxy! So beautiful!"

I couldn't find the words to tell her. Instead, I looked to Jack, who was calm and collected. He soon explained. "Ao, I would like you to meet Ms. Pencilneck, one of your instructors."

"Call me Ms. P, darling," she said. I turned to find her right next to me and I gasped. She gave me a sweet smile and held out her hand. Hesitantly, I shook it in greeting. "Pleasure to finally meet you," she chimed in such an upbeat voice, one that did not correspond with her appearance.

"H-Hi," I started, "my name is Ao Matsukochi."

"Japanese. How charming," she said. She stared at me for a moment before chuckling and clapping her hands together. "This will be exciting! I can't wait to teach you!" Her voice dropped and she gave a glare down to the ground. "Now, if only that pinstriped bloke would get here, then maybe we could get started...!"

Right, there's another person coming.

Wonder who it is.

There was a sudden shift in the air around us. It seemed as if every particle became electrified. I could feel this pressure on my head and my stomach twisted. Behind Ms. P, there was a ripple in the air behind her. Like heat coming off a road. She sighed and beamed, "Speak of the devil...!"

I watched as the ripple in the air disappeared behind a short flash of white. Once it subsided and my vision adjusted, I looked to see what had happened.

My heart dropped into my stomach, my breath was caught in my throat. My eyes were wide with awe as I looked at another figure. But, this one was much, much taller than Ms. P, Jack and I. The body structure was male but I wasn't sure what it was at all. Pale, skeletal hands fixed the buttons on the well-kept, black suit. My eyes traveled further up the creature until I came to the "face". There was no face at all. Just whiteness. Pure nothingness. Despite how unsettling this "person" was, I couldn't look away. There was something mesmerizing about it and, oddly enough, something familiar.

"You should've arrived along with me," Ms. P scolded gently.

"My apologies," the tall creature answered, startling me even more with its unearthly voice, "Sally was being a bit difficult."

"Well, at least you're not super late," Ms. P chuckled.

The tall creature turned to Jack and said, "Hello, Jack. It's been a while."

"Yes, it has, Sir," the masked man responded.

"I'm glad to see you're still alive," the tall man said.

Then, it turned towards me. My blood went cold. I was stuck in place, unable to speak or make a sound. I was too hypnotized by this beings very presence.

"I would like for you to meet Miss Ao Matsukochi," Ms. P told the tall creature as she gestured towards me, "the new proxy."

The tall creature leaned down and held out a slim hand towards me. "A pleasure," it greeted, "I am known as the Slenderman. But, Slender is acceptable. I'm looking forward to working with you, Miss Matsu--."

The creature didn't get to finish the sentence, or, more correctly, I hadn't heard the rest of it. The pressure on my head, the lack of breath, the electrified air, the anxiety. It all became too much for me to bear all at once and my vision blacked out. I felt myself falling but I never felt the ground as I was already unconscious before then. The last thing I heard was the creature's voice grumbling, "God dammit, not again."