Slenderverse One-shots

Into the Woods ⊗ MH

A03 Request: Brim where Brian meets Masky for the first time

Brian hadn't thought much of the times Tim would disappear. Not at first...

But every now and then it would happen and as the summer dragged on, he began to wonder what was up. They were close and he knew Tim had some medical issues so he'd never pushed these disappearances. With Alex acting strange and Tim vanishing a lot more lately, Brian was growing worried.

"You okay?" He crouched nearby as Tim recovered from an unexpected seizure—a situation he'd been prepared for by the man lying on the ground soon after they'd first met.

Usually Tim would give some sign, verbal or otherwise once the fit wore off. This time however, the man was silent and still as he laid on his side catching his breath. Brian glanced around, finding the bottle of pills in an adjacent room before returning. Tim was slowly sitting up, though the actions seemed oddly stiff and uncertain.

"Okay... He said this happens sometimes..." He crouched down on the floor again and offered the medication. "Here, uh, maybe these will help. You should pro'ly get some rest that looked bad... Are you sure you're—"

A grunt escaped him as he was shoved back. Well that wasn't normal, Tim never acted like this. He still hadn't said anything either. "Tim?"

Dark eyes stared at him as Tim got to his feet in a zombie-like fashion. There was a coldness to the look that sent a shiver down Brian's spine and a prickling sensation itched through his skull; this wasn't the man he knew.

He watched, stunned as Tim ran off. Brian snapped out of it seconds later and scrambled to his feet, hurrying after his buddy. "Something's not right!"

Somehow, Tim was already out of sight. He looked around, trying to figure out where the shorter man might've gone. Finally he just picked the direction that headed for the woods. Brian could only assume that the less populated location would make more sense.

"Never thought this place felt creepy until now." Despite the sun shining through the leaves, the forest felt unwelcoming. "Why's it so quiet? Shouldn't there be birds or somethin'?"

A cool wind caused the branches to creak and he tugged his hood up as he continued walking down the path. For a summer day it sure felt like the temperature was getting chilly; autumn couldn't be arriving so soon, right? The light seemed to fade from the sky unusually quickly. Glancing upward, he could see clouds drifting over the sun and tried to reassure himself that was the only reason the forest was looking so much darker than it should.

"Tim!" His shout was abnormally loud in the silence. The hair raised on the back of his neck as he called out again. "Maybe he didn't go this way."

Brian decided to turn around, feeling disturbed and wanting to leave this place far behind him. But the path had vanished. His heart sank while his thoughts struggled to recall when he'd left the path. He couldn't have walked that far either... right? So why couldn't he see the parking lot through the trees? His heart was starting to pick up its pace.

"Okay... It's not weird... I just wasn't paying attention because I was so worried about Tim... I just need to walk back the way I came. I'll find the way out eventually."

It felt like something was watching him. Looking around only served to make him feel claustrophobic, as the trees felt like they were caging him in while their branches reached down to grab at him.

"Don't be silly..." He couldn't even figure out anything logical to tell himself; every nerve in his body had started screaming that something was wrong. A dull hum seemed to fill his head, though he attributed that to the adrenaline.

Brian bolted, forgetting about finding Tim. He was lost, the sun seemed to have disappeared much too early, and the whole forest felt like it had a threat waiting to attack him at any moment. Roots tripped him up and while he didn't want his friends seeing him in such a state, he desperately wished they were here right now so he wasn't alone.

Spotting a red shack, he stumbled inside and pressed against the wall as he caught his breath. Gradually, the panic faded away and he calmed himself enough to gather his thoughts. He hadn't passed by a shed on the way in, which meant he was definitely not going the right way.

Outside, a branch snapped. He jolted and turned to look at the door. It was the first sound he'd heard that hadn't been made by himself. Brian held his breath as the footsteps drew closer, his body freezing up as the masked man stepped into the doorframe and blocked the only escape.

For a moment, he couldn't find his voice. Brian stared at the stocky man, the tan coat and dark sideburns were instantly familiar to him. The mask however, was unnerving. "...T-Tim?"

Tim had never made him feel remotely uneasy, let alone threatened, in his life but the lack of response tied in with all the other weird stuff that happened certainly made Brian wonder if he was about to die. He tried to circle around the other man slowly in hopes of running out the exit but the masked man didn't give him that chance. Tim's full weight slammed into him, sending both of them to the hard ground.

Pain flared through his head as it bashed into some debris. A groan escaped as his surroundings momentarily spun. He was aware he was still pinned to the ground by the figure. "What's gotten into him?"

"Ti—mmph!" A hand clamped over his mouth.

Masky raised a finger to the painted on black lips of the mask, silently ordering Brian to keep his mouth shut. He pressed more weight down on him, fully prepared to knock him out if needed. Luckily, the light haired man got the hint.

Not long after, another set of footsteps could be heard. Brian could only stare at the man holding him down while staring at the entrance through the black sockets of the mask. The footsteps seemed to circle their hideout for a long time, neither one of them moving throughout the duration, before they finally faded away.

The masked figure released him and got to his feet, already making his way out of the shed. Fearing he'd lose Tim again, Brian did his best to follow. "Hey, wait up!"

Quiet as ever, the man in the mask glanced back briefly before motioning to follow him. A spark of relief went through him; at least that meant Tim had to be in there somewhere right? He didn't hesitate to run after him, glad to see the forest had returned to normal—had he imagined what happened? He was even happier when they reached the parking lot.

"Oh thank goodness..." Brian threw an arm around the other man's shoulders, feeling them tense momentarily and earning a side glance. Tim was tired though, even in this new state Brian could see the tells; he hoped that meant the Tim he was used to would be coming back. Maybe he could get some sort of explanation. "Come on, let's get you home."