Slenderverse One-shots

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow ⊗ MH

Quick warning/Note:  This is child!Tim in an au where he can see ghosts
There is also some mention of trauma/what can possibly be interpreted as child death (doesn't go into detail and isn't confirmed) 

The first time they'd met, he was hiding in the maintenance tunnel. The dark, cramped space wasn't comforting and oftentimes it was damp with water dripping from the pipes, but the tall dark figure never seemed to find him there. The doctors and nurses insisted it wasn't real but that didn't stop every fiber of his being telling him to escape that nauseating, mind-numbing static sensation that ran through his mind with its appearance.

That was why, when he saw them moving in the dark like one of the many shadowy figures that appeared in his peripherals, he lunged at them in anger. Anger that he was forced to hide, that they followed him, that these things wouldn't leave him alone no matter how much medication the doctors tried. He hated being trapped in that prison cell of a room- it was as if they were trying to trap him for the horrors in his mind to find.

The growl that ripped from his throat was like that of a feral animal. The familiar sensation of ringing was drowning his rationale. He almost let it. Almost wanted it to take over as he shoved the small figure to the ground, crushing down on them with his weight while he pulled one arm back in the slightly cramped space to throw a punch.

But then his senses kicked back in, logic seeping its way through the haze of anger. He was touching them. In the past, he'd lashed out at some of the hallucinations and while some of them would leave him feeling chilled where they'd been standing, they'd never had a physical body to hit. He lowered his fist but didn't release the shaking figure beneath him; even if they were real he was still annoyed he'd been followed down here. Irritation that this would mean he'd likely get in more trouble now for not just escaping but also attacking another patient flowed through him.

"I... I'm sorry..." Their quiet, stuttered voice was meek and flooded with fear.

For a few minutes he was silent, debating on what to do- what to say even. Finally he just let out a loud huff and let go of his tight grip, letting the stranger scramble back several feet. The two stared off in the dark before he finally spat out the question. "Why did you follow me?"

"I didn't... I, um... I didn't know anyone was down here. I was just bored and found this so I thought I'd check it out."

Bored? Casually thought they'd check this tunnel out? Well, clearly they weren't a patient, otherwise they wouldn't be exploring without a purpose to hide or run away. Unless... it was a lie.

"Why are you down here?" The question threw him off his spiraling suspicions.

He glanced in her- he assumed they were a her given their voice- general direction. For a moment he considered not answering. The silence began to stretch between them again as he debated on humoring her or not.

And then an adult's voice cut through the silence, echoing through the tunnel from somewhere outside. The girl shifted and he heard her shuffling further away. "I... I have to go... my dad-"

A sharp squeak escaped as he lunged forward and grabbed her arm, tugging her back. "Don't tell anyone about this."

She flinched before practically bolting away as he let go. He cautiously followed more slowly, curious to see what she'd do. To her credit, she knew how to keep her mouth shut- at least while in his range of hearing. His real interest however, fell on her father in the small glimpse he could get.

Tim knew him; the man worked there as a janitor. He also had this 'off' feeling about him whenever the guy was around. He told himself it was the paranoia the doctors were trying to help him with but no... He was sure of it. Certain that the guy had, at times, stared directly at the tall dark figure when it was around. Tim was also certain the man was out to get him with some of the passing looks he'd give on the rare occasions their paths crossed.