Chapter Text
four weeks after Lexi
I told them I didn't want it. I didn't want to be involved.
It was hard not to care when so many of them were either half or all gone, but I still persisted and shoved Vincent's camera away whenever he showed up at my place, begging for help. But he knew it well, too, that it would only make things worse if I tried to be a part of it.
But one day, it just became too much for him.
I remember his email. It came with no subject line and an invisible sender.
M,
I know you don't want to help me, and I've tried my best to respect that for the past three years. But at this point, you are one of the only ones left.
Evan is detaining me. Or rather, not Evan, but HABIT. Whatever the hell it is. He says that I can leave whenever I want, but I don't believe him and I need someone from the outside to keep me posted. He's probably intercepted this already and tried to keep it away from you.
HABIT keeps bringing people into the house. I heard Noah Maxwell, that kid who lost his cousin Milo, come by the other night. HABIT was talking to him about a journal or something. And also that sign that shows up on all of his accounts. Or at least, I think. I haven't left my room.
Please respond. I don't know what I need you to do quite yet, but it's best if you try not to show up at where-ever we are. I think it's still Jersey, but somewhere I'm not familiar with.
I hope to talk to you soon.
V
I didn't reply for a while. I knew that I was still at home, which is my protective parents' turf. Classes were starting the week after Christmas. I couldn't get caught up in Vinny and Evan's psycho Slender Man bullshit, but this was a thing that was taking over both of their lives and killing everyone they held dear.
I had to do it, whether I liked it or not. So, after a few days, I emailed Vincent back. I had valuable information that he probably needed. I may have not been helping the boys directly, but I had been doing research about their predicament. Here's how it went:
V,
Good to hear that you're alive. I've seen about you and Evan on that godforsaken YouTube channel.
My parents would most definitely would kill me, but not unless I come to where you are. And even if it does result in me having to save both your asses, I don't care if I'm grounded for eternity as long as any of you are safe. I'll do some more research about HABIT, but considering how elusive it is, it may be very hard to deduct reasoning unless you can try to get more information from HABIT itself. Stay strong and try to remain neutral whenever it's around; it will pick up your attempts to be traitorous and... probably become progressively hostile. Be safe, Vin. I miss you.
M
His reply came that same night.
M,
I miss you, too. I got a good look at the house while HABIT was out this afternoon. The address is 2593 W. Credence Avenue; it sounds familiar. If you could look up where I am, it would be great, but don't come here unless I tell you to. HABIT is getting less and less stable as we go through the week, so I'm trying to become less and less involved as time goes by. I keep hearing little rustles outside the window; I have a funny feeling I might know what it is. I'll investigate further as I go.
V
I sent back as soon as I could, and also pinpointed his location.
V,
It looks like you're still somewhere in the neighborhood, not very far from Evan's old place. Which means it's not very far from me, either. I still have my house key to Evan's if you want me to check it out... or come and get as close to where you are as possible. Maybe I could scope out the situation from the outside? Just give me the word.
I think I know what thing you're talking about. Some people call it an experiment, others think it's a Native-American spirit. Either way, I haven't found anything that could possibly connect it to HABIT or Slender Man. Sorry.
It's common sense, but stay the fuck away from HABIT. It sounds like he's a ticking time bomb.
M
I heard my computer beep at around 2 in the morning, and did not hesitate to fly across the room.
M,
It's that thing. I saw it. It was hanging around HABIT. The scary thing is that... it had more human characteristics than not. I wish so much that we knew where the bastard came from.
I'm really beginning to wonder if I can handle this any more.
If you really find the need to, I guess you can go to Evan's. Be unreasonably careful, though. He's so unpredictable. Please, please send me back anything you find that could be at least a little bit consequential. Stay safe there, Meryse. HABIT likes to go out a lot.
V
Almost as soon as I sent the email, I got another one from an invisible sender, so I thought it would be Vinny again. I was wrong.
I was dead wrong.
AH, MERYSE.
I KNOW YOU FROM EVAN'S HISTORY. THE BASTARD DOESN'T REALLY LIKE THINKING ABOUT YOU VERY MUCH; I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT.
YOU HAVE A NICE NAME.
PLEASE STOP SENDING MESSAGES TO MY PRISONER. I FIND IT INCREDIBLY IRRITATING, AND IT USES UP ALL THE WIFI HERE.
REALLY FUCKING IRRITATING.
IF YOU DO HAPPEN TO GO TO EVAN'S HOUSE TOMORROW, I WILL BE THERE. JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT, I GUESS.
IT IS ALL IN YOUR HANDS NOW, LITTLE GIRL.
LOVE AND REGARDS,
I didn't sleep for the rest of the night. I just sat there and thought about the fact that now HABIT knew about me, and there was no way I was getting out of this god-damned situation.