Disappearances

Part 13

One day the visits stopped. No one dared enter the room. Little stories came from those who had tried to visit me and made the others give the locked door a wide berth.
Slender had decided to shackle my hands after my hundredth attempt at escape. I gave up on the concept of leaving that room two days ago.
I might have been forcefully separated from all the people I knew twice before but I had always been put into another group of people I cared for. I went from my family to the cabin and it's psychopaths and then to Sam and a simple way of life.
I was back in the cabin but no one bothered to stay with me. I couldn't blame them. I had tried to kill everyone who tried to do just that. Slender boarded up the windows and the door. My food came from a slot in the bottom of the door from the scarred hands of Toby.
One day I was pleasantly surprised to see another face. Jeff had decided that it was time to get revenge for the kick to his head. At least that's what I assumed he wanted.
My face was still scratched and I'm sure I was mess. He chuckled at my appearance.
"I never thought you'd make it this far kid. Well, I don't know if I should call you kid anymore. We lose that title once we deserve it. You deserve it." He smirked. Why did destiny have to throw Jeff into the already aggravating situation.
"Did you know that I was the one who went back to the house with Toby after he came to us saying that you were dead?" He waited for a moment just to see my reaction. He noticed the hatred in my gaze as he mentioned Toby.
"Ah! He didn't tell you. Well, I might as well explain while I'm here. He kept his promise and went back for you once he had alerted E. J. You weren't breathing and that was enough to send them back to us. We all went back to clean up the scene and get what was left of you. When Toby didn't find you he started to search. He searched until Slender demanded that he stopped. You have a memorial right by the trail that we first found you by. Pointless now that you're back from the dead." I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.
"You all searched for me?"
"Yeah. Slender sent us all out of town to see if you had gotten away from the house. Toby searched the longest out of all of us. He cares about you. You know that right? I don't like Toby that much but you shouldn't continue to blame him." Jeff explanation left me feeling empty. My heart felt broken as old feelings that had existed for Toby and the others came back. I felt like I knew everything. That's why there was no one at the cabin. They were all searching. Even Jeff and Ben!!
"Can you get Slender for me?" He nodded and stalked to the door. He paused and walked back to me. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the shackle on my wrist. He nodded to me with a new kind of respect. He left the room and left the door cracked open.
The blank white face that I had felt so much hatred for not even a full hour ago was now a welcome sight. He didn't speak. I didn't speak. I stood up and hugged him.
"You never lost faith in me. Thank you." I let him go and stared up at him. I tried to imagine him smiling. The memory of my laughing fit a year before at the same thought made me giggle.
     It is good to have you back. Toby will be glad to see you. That is if you have forgiven him.
"I forgave him a long time ago. I just didn't want to admit it." He gave me his hand and lead me out of the room. A warm, fuzzy feeling entered the emptiness in my heart.
The warm atmosphere of the living room didn't necessarily die but it paused. I searched the faces until I spotted Toby. His eyes shifted and darted to avoid mine. He seemed so sad and my heart dropped as I remembered that it was me that had made him so.
I decided that there was no good way to formally forgive him so instead I would be informal. I ran to him and gave him a breath stopping hug. He froze and stood rigid until he realized that I wasn't attacking him. His muscles relaxed and he hugged me back.
"Friends!?" I didn't release him from the hug as I asked the question even though I did loosen my arms. My insides squeezed as I waited for a response. He grinned and the playful sparkle returned to his eyes.
"Friends!!" He squeezed me in his signature bone breaking hug. I returned the hug and buried my head into his shoulder. I took great pleasure in the moment. I hadn't known how much I missed him. Life just isn't the same without a best friend.
    "Aaaawwww!! You guys are so cute." It was Jeff. This was an odd change of behavior. Had he ever been so weird before? Everyone else noticed the odd outburst from Jeff, paused to stare at him for a solid minute, and then shrugged it off. Except for E. J who walked over to Jeff and patted him on the shoulder while offering an awkward smile.
    I let go of Toby right as Sally and Lulu arrived to bless me with a long needed girl hug. Masky and Hoodie welcomed me back with much less enthusiasm. Not surprising! E. J gave me an awkward hug that lasted longer than either of us would have liked. Even Ben welcomed me back. I guess that a year without having to deal with each other had changed the way that Ben, Jeff, and I thought about each other. We weren't exactly enemies any more. I knew that there would always be that competitive spirit among us but there would never again be hate.
     This is where we belong. They may all be stupid lunatics but they are family. If they're stupid lunatics than so are we. This is where we can be ourselves.
     For the first time in my life all of the voices in my head agreed with me. This is where I belonged.

         -The end of Disappearances-

(A/N: It has been a pleasure to write this story for you all. Thank you to the people who supported me and helped the story be the best it could be. You know who you are!! Thank you to the people who stuck with the story till the end.)