Automated message: If I don't make it back...

Hey.  I set this up to respond if I wasn't around, a day and a few hours after Rhodes' big stupid jerk deadline.  If I make it out, I'll just take it down, if I don't...well, you're readin' it, so...Guess I'm dead.

Oh man.  I'm like a ghost now.  WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  Oooohhhhooo summon me with the essence of bad smelll, Niiiickkk~ whooooo~oooo~

Okay enough of that.  There was a reason for this.  I have a story to tell you all.  It's about Valkyrie.  And Rhodes.  And...my Dad.

My childhood wasn't Slender-free after all, it seems, and that's what I remembered the moment I saw Valkyrie's eyes.


Eight years ago...I was ten years old.  Living a happy, carefree life with my parents, my older brother Lawrence...and my older sister, Vivian.  Lawrence and I got along fine...but it was Vivian I was really close to.  She doted on me, really.  Thing is...Vivian was always a little strange.

As a kid I didn't really notice.  But...my folks kept setting her up appointments with a "therapist", and when I went for walks out in the woods...I'd find dead animals, nailed to trees.  It was years before I saw Vivian torturing a squirrel to death with an iron spike and hammer.  She nailed it to the tree, still alive, and watched it squirm until it died.

From that day on, I was scared of her.  But...her attitude towards me never changed.  She was the same, smiling, caring Vivian.  But once I hit ten years old...Things changed.  She started to get violent with more than just animals.  I saw her break a kid's arm in a fight...And she threatened his friends never to tell, with a knife.  I was watching from the forest nearby- I'd followed her when I saw her wander off the path back from school.

Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me, I turned, and saw a tall man...With a pale face, red hair, dressed in a black fedora and suit.  He gave me a smile.

"Hey now, don't be afraid.  I'm here to help you!"

I stepped back.  "Who are you?" I asked.

"You can call me Rhodes, little June.  I know your name, so it's only fair you know mine!"

I nodded slowly.  My mistrust was fading...he seemed so genuinely cheerful and sincere about wanting to help me.  and he did help me.  Over the next few weeks I stole out into the forest to talk to him.  I told him how worried I was about Vivian, how I was afraid she'd hurt my parents, or Lawrence, or me...How I wanted my sister back.  He began to tell me why he thought she was acting the way she was.

It was because of the "Slender Man."

Apparently, Vivian was seeing him in her dreams.  Being little, I never questioned HOW Rhodes knew this.  Stupid.  It was all part of the plan for them.

Slender Man was telling her to do things, Rhodes told me.  She was fighting it.  It made her angry...It made her WANT to do these horrible things, to kill those animals and to hurt those kids.  Finally, I asked Rhodes how I could help her.

He said to come back later that night.  So I did.  He led me to a clearing in the forest, and together we spied on Vivian from the bushes.  She was meeting someone.  A tall man, broad chested, with pale skin and hair.  And at his side?  A little girl, with gray hair, who hid her face behind a white mask.

Sound familiar?  The story you told me didn't really make sense until I remembered this, Rise.

The man told Vivian that Slender Man expected something of her.  To burn down our home, and kill our parents.  She swore and attacked him.  He grabbed Rise...and used her as a shield.  The bastard used his ten year old daughter as a shield.

He knocked Vivian to the ground and...then the Boss himself appeared.  Rhodes held his hand over my mouth to stop my scream.  How could I help it?  It was a real monster.  And if you think he's scary as an adult, well, he's fucking terrifying as shit as a kid, let me just say that.

He walked up to the Vivian...she finally submitted.  Rhodes led me back away, and told me to tell my Dad about what I saw.  Not my Mom.

I ran to where my father was...Back home.  I babbled out what I saw.  When I said "tall man with no face" he about flipped his shit and told me to hide in my room, before running outside.  I was about to, when I saw Rhodes through the back window, who beckoned me.  I went out to talk to him and he hit me on the back of my neck.

I woke up tied to a chair.  We were in  Rhodes was sitting there with Vivian and the broad-chested man, and Rise, who was cowering in the corner.  I cried out to Vivian to save me.  She didn't listen.

Rise spoke up then.  "If you're really his sister, don't you love him?"

Vivian responded.  "...Of course I do."

"Then why don't you help him?"

It was a brave but dumb thing to say, and her father hit her, sending her to the ground.  She started to cry softly in the corner.

I whispered to her.  "It's okay...my daddy will save us."

She looked up at me...The adults were distracted, talking about something I can't remember.  She removed her mask and looked at me with yellow eyes, wet with tears.  "That's what other kids have said...it never happens.  Anyone He wants, He takes."

I shook my head.  "My Dad's awesome.  He'll save us."

She looked at me funny.  "How do you know?"

I grinned.  "Cause I'm awesome too."

She stared, then the slightest little smile appeared on her face.

"I'm...Rae.  Rachel, but I like Rae better...but Father always says to go by Rise, so, maybe I should call myself that..?"  She looked confused.

"Geez, three names?  Pick one already and quit screwing around."  I was pretty foulmouthed as a kid, too, just so you know.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.  Rhodes grinned.  "Reynolds is here.  Come on."

Rise's father grabbed the chair I was tied to and carried me downstairs.  As it turned out, we were in an abandoned machine shop over looking a junkyard.  My father was outside, some feet away from the entrance.  The proxies all went outside, bringing me with them.  We stopped about twenty feet away from my father.

"Dad...He's calling for you.  You owe him.  You never told me." Vivian sounded resentful.  "You can't just leave.  He wants us all to join him."

My Dad shook his head.  "Vivian, he's a monster.  Please.  Come back to us."

"Thaaat won't be happening, Mr. Reynolds.  What's gonna go down here is real simple.  You walk back over that line and get back to serving the Tall Man, or...Well, your youngest here doesn't have a lot of blood to spare.  Shall we see how fast he can lose it all?" No prizes for guessing who said that.

Rise's father spoke.  "Stefan Reynolds.  Return to the Master.  How you could have fled from such glory is beyond me.  He is the future of our species.  I gladly presented my daughter to his service the moment she was born."

My Dad's eyes...they narrowed.  Dangerously, though the other didn't seem to notice.  "Even your own daughter?"

Rise's father nodded.  "And she takes to the life well, despite her conscious.  We will see how well we can stamp that out once she makes her first kill."

Rise couldn't contain a sob any longer.  Her father glared and hit her again. And my Dad...went berserk.  He ran straight at this man, this guy who made him look like a contortionist next to a bodybuilder, and starting hammering him with his fists.  Rhodes was kind of speechless, as was I.  I'd never seen my Dad do anything violent, never seen him even get into a fight.

But he was beating the hell out of this man.  I even saw Dad grab him by the scruff of his neck and HEADBUTT him.  For a finale, he lifted and bodily through him into a pile of junk.  The man was unconscious.  I can't really blame him.

Dad went over to Rise and helped her to her feet.  "Listen.  I want you to run, okay?  He's not your father.  He doesn't deserve it.  Run."  He gave her a kindly smile.  "I'll be drawing the bad men's attention, so just run!"  Rise was silent for a few moments, before she nodded.  With one last look at me, she ran off.

Rhodes was just watching, oddly enough.  He seemed amused.  "Great sense of dramatics there, Mr. Reynolds.  But there's still, erm, the matter of your son here.."

Dad was ignoring him.  And looking at Vivian.  She was shaking.  Whispering.."I don't want to.." Over and over.  Rhodes frowned and walked over to her.  "Come on, little Valkyrie.  Buck up."  He nudged her, roughly.

My Dad grabbed his outstretched arm suddenly.  His eyes were alight with anger.  It was scary, even for me.  Rhodes of all people tried to take a step back.  "Never touch my children again." Dad said softly.  And, hoisting Rhodes forward, he broke his arm and kicked him over.

Dad held out his hand to Vivian.  Slowly, but surely...She reached for it.

and that was when HE showed.  Tentacles and all.

Vivian screamed.  I heard Rhodes' pained laughter in the background.  I was crying with fear.  He went straight for her...And my Dad ran towards him, grappled with him.  It was so loud...I could hear a sort of deafening ring in my ears.  But the one thing I remember hearing was my Dad, screaming.  "You WON'T TAKE THEM!"

...and that's all I remember.  Next thing I knew, we were at home.  Life was normal.

Except Vivian was gone.  From our home...and our memories.  Even Dad forgot about her.  And we forgot about Rise and her father too.  Not to mention Rhodes...

And I didn't remember any of this until I saw Vivian's eyes again.

I know she's there now, with Rhodes.  It'll be time to finish things.  The only way I can escape from that memory...that nightmare, is to confront it head on.  So I will.  And...well, I dunno what's happened.  But if you're getting this message, I probably wasn't around to cancel it, huh?

Sooo...I already kinda gave my parting shots off in the last post I made.  But I have a few more.

Yo Spence!  Listen up.  You may be your team's leader, but they're adults.  They're competent.  They're smart.  And they know what they're doing.  You aren't responsible for them.  In the end, you're all only responsible for yourselves.  I don't want to see you going all IT IS MAH FAAAAULT if one of em bites it, okay?  We all know the risks.  And you've got nothing to atone for.  Just be yourself.  And take good care of your girlfriend.

Shaun.  Kinda unreasonable of me to ask this, but...Consider forgiving Elaine, okay, bro?  You know as well as I do that she sold those other people out to protect us.  Now, I'm as pissed about it as you are, but...You should also take that as a sign of just what you mean to her.  Just...have one of those "boyfriend/girlfriend" talks.  "Hey hun, do you mind not lying to me and sending others to their doom to ensure my safety?"  That's what ordinary couples sound like, right?

HEY WRITER, YOU'RE FAT.  OOOOOOOOOOOH SNAP!  Damn son you gonna need some ALOE for that BURN!

Elaine...I've told you how I felt, already.  Just remember to trust us more, okay?  Well, I say "us" but it's more "them" now....But, you were like...A sister to me.  Dammit why do all my sisters kill people.  Is it something about me?  Is that it?  THE POINT IS...I firmly believe that if you guys off the Slenderwhatsit you'll be able to cope in normal society fine.  You're not some maniac bitch.  You're a woman who wants to live and wants her loved ones to live too.  There's nothing wrong with that.

Nick.  It's up to you, dawg.

Rachel.  Fuck Maurice straight up the ass with a Giga Drill Break.  You're you.  It's your damn body so tell the fucking squatters to piss off or start paying rent.  They don't know what they're dealing with.  Show em.

Rise...I'm sorry.  I know what must have driven you to do what you did.  You're...not right.  It's to be expected after that childhood.  But I'm glad that you did escape him.  And I'm glad...that I got to meet you again before the end.

...Lia.  I love you.  Thanks for everything...thanks for being that light to me.  I'm sorry I've failed you.  I wanted so much more time... Heh, but no matter how much we could've gotten, it wouldn't've been enough, would it?

You keep your head upright, missy!  You better not drag yourself around moping over me the rest of your life!  Stay strong and stay safe.  You're the Lily, the light that monsters flock to, but the one they can never devour.  It's too bright, and too pure.

Hey old man.  Yeah, Lia's crazy proxy Dad.  You kinda remind me of my Dad, so I'll be easy on you.  Just...keep her safe, okay?  We cool.  You too, Dy!  Suplex them bears something fierce.

Is that it?  Think that's it.  Okay.  Time to go settle this.  If I make it back...yeah you won't be seeing this.  Way too sappy.

But if I don't...and this post appears.  Just...

All of you.  Everyone.  Even the people I've never met or talked to.  Never.  Give.  Up.  Not for a second.  Don't let him win.  Defy him to the last.

It's only impossible if you say it is.

Right.  I got some folks to save.  Let's see just what Fate's got in mind for me.

...bring it on.