Faceless Man

It was a nice day. Fresh, light, warm. A most harmless of days. Until I heard my mother scream so loud it would've woken the devil. I found her standing in the garden in hysterics, pacing back and forth, looking in bushes and over fences. I grabbed her and tried to speak, but she just kept screaming. I gave her a slap, and it actually worked.
"What happened, what's wrong?"
My mother's pale face replied, "Your sister, she's gone. I was watching her play with the flowers, and when I blinked a man was standing behind her. I blinked again, and she had vanished...."
The empty black hole feeling filled my stomach. It was impossible what she had just described, but the look on her face and the shaking of her hands told the truth.
"Was there enough time to see what he looked like?" She looked like she was going to throw up. "I did. But you, nor any one would believe me."
"I know you are not mad. She is gone, and you saw who took her. I will believe you. Please!" She grabbed my hands with hers and held tightly.
"He was tall. So tall. He was looming over her. His hands were thin and long like twigs. He himself was thin. Skeletal almost. But he wore a suit. A well fitted black suit, with a black tie..." She burst into tears and buried her head into my shoulders.
"It's okay. We will find her. Did you see his face? Any strong features which would make him stand out?" I carried on holding her, feeling the tears soak through my jumper and shirt. She began to whisper something which I couldn't make out.
"I will believe you no matter what. What did his face look like?" She pulled back and looked right into my eyes.
"He had no face... No eyes, no mouth, no nose. It was blank. Pure whi... te..." She began to cry again. I felt terrified. An unknown person with no face had just taken my little sister, her daughter. I brought my Mother into the house and sat her down. I told her that I will call the police, I will deal with this.
"911 what's your emergency?"
"My little sister, she has just been kidnapped! Please send police over! He might still be walking round with her, we have a description of the man."
"Okay. What is your address and please give the description of the man," I gave my address and began to explain.
"He is tall. Extremely tall. And deathly thin, but in a black suit. And he is white. Not in race. But in pure white. And he has no face. I know it sounds insane, but this is what was seen. Please." The man on the other end went silent. I thought I had been cut off.
"We will send someone out. They will be there in five minutes," and he hung up.
One hour went by. No one had turned up. My mother's friend had come around and was comforting her. But no police or investigators.
"This is fucking stupid. I refuse to sit here. I am going down to the police station myself. I can't sit by while she is out there!" I ran out of the house, down the busy street, and all the way to the police station. The lady at the front desk gave me a funny look as I ran in panting.
"Are you alright, miss?"
"No... I... shit... No. My little sister... was taken... and I called 911 for you, and no one fucking came. I called one hour ago. Where have you been?!" She looked shocked.
"We've had no call about a kidnapping in the past hour, or day." I now felt sick. "I will call one of our guys in, you can talk to him."
A brief moment later I was in a room with two officers answering questions about my sister, where I live, what my mother was doing, what I was doing. I then gave the description once again. And once again, I got blank looks with no voice. The idea of this man who took my sister was becoming more and more insane.
"He had no face...?"
"No face. I have already told you. Tall, thin, black suit, white faceless face. I am not sure why I need to repeat myself. Can we go out and find him now?!" They gave each other a horrified look.
"No. We can't. I'm sorry, we, nor anyone can help you or your sister. Just hope he doesn't come back. I'd move if I was you. Now leave." Leave?! A young child was kidnapped, and I had been told to get on with it.
"No. I won't leave. You will help me find her. What are you scared of? Imagine how scared she is! She must be terrified. How will you be able to sleep knowing you won't help me! I can't do this alone! But I will if I must! If you are too much of a pussy." I got swiftly thrown out. I had only a description of this man, and no help. The best I thought, was to perhaps Google this. So I began to walk home. I only got down the street from the police station when a police car pulled up next to me. It was one of the officers I had just spoken to. No doubt asking for forgiveness so he can sleep happy tonight.
"I am so sorry. If you get in the car, I will explain more. I will tell you what you need to know." I had no choice. I needed help, and here it was. I got in the car and he began to drive.
"You are not the first to describe this man. Children, adults, elderly, have been taken by this man. There is no certain target for him. Doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, female or male, sane or insane. As long as you are alive, you are at risk. We have tried countless times to hunt him down. And anytime someone gets close, they slowly start going insane.
"Coming to work sleepless, saying that they saw him in their sleep, in their house, garden, even when they go food shopping. They either kill themselves or vanish. This is why we can't help anyone. If you start getting involved, he will come after you. It will start off small. Maybe you will notice him in a crowd, but think nothing of it, and then it grows. We can't keep giving our good men and women to him. We would have no police left! I am warning you. If you try finding him and your sister, he will get to you. He will change you. I know she is important, but your mother doesn't want two of her daughters gone." I was stunned and lost. If I try to find her, there is a big chance that I will go too, and leave my mother. But...
"If you guys can't find him, or stop him, maybe I can. And I will. My self preservation is not important anymore here. People are vanishing because of this man. And everyone has become selfish, and keeping away. He knows he can do it. If I go insane but stop him, imagine how many people can stay in their loving families. The children who can experience life. This is not about my life or soul. I thank you for the warning. But it is not just for my sister. But everyone now. I am afraid, but so were all the others. I will stop him." My heart was racing so fast I thought it was going to crack its way out of my chest. I gave the officer a strong look into his eyes through the rear view mirror. He sighed loudly and stopped outside of my house.
"It's noble what you are doing. But don't act stupid, or act like a hero. Because this is no time or place for a hero. Here..." He pulled out from under the car seat a gun. "You might need this. God knows if a gun can actually hurt him!" I froze from that quote.
"A gun... might not hurt him. What am I dealing with?!" Then everything he had said, the description sunk in like a bullet. No face. A no faced man. "Sorry. I. It has just sunk in. Thanks. I will see if it does hurt him, or at least scare him off." He pointed to a little switch on the gun and flicked it. I presumed this was the safety. I hid the gun in my trousers and got out of the car.
"You won't hear from me again. I can't get involved. Try not to go mad," and with that, he drove off. I felt empty inside, not knowing what to do now. I had no leads. I looked down the ground and sighed, thinking of anything I could do, and the best I could think of was Google. I looked up. This was my first sighting of him. He was across the road standing behind a car which was being washed. My head throbbed as I looked at him. I looked away and rubbed my eyes till I saw the multicolored stars. When my vision came back, he was gone. I knew the timer of my sanity had begun.
For a couple of months, I spent time researching this man. Putting up questions on local forums, finding pictures, anything. Any scraps. I would see him whenever I would leave the house, and sometimes in my dreams. But it was manageable. My life was not being destroyed by him yet. My mother was in therapy over my sister, it seemed to help. But every couple of days she would come in my room and give me a long hard hug. I couldn't imagine how tough it was for her. I never told her what I was doing, I didn't want him to come for her. As long as he was focused on me, I could work. Many forum replies said, "Stop," "You are a monster trying to get us involved," "Leave the demon alone."
However, I got one reply from a new user. He sent me an inbox message: "I know the man you are searching for. He took my father five years ago. I saw him once and never again. I have spent the years finding out what I can. He has appeared throughout history. There are many paintings showing him and poems talking about a faceless man. He hasn't always been in this area, he seems to move from place to place, and even to different countries. Forests seem to be the number one place he looms, but as the world progresses and forests vanish, he is having to come out into the urban environment.
"Even his clothes change with the times, even though they give him no disguise. The only relations his targets have in that they are human and alive. Not everyone he stalks is taken. But nearly all stories you have heard of ghosts and ghouls will be related to him driving people mad. Staring at him causing intense headaches, but I have no clue as to why. There have been reports of people cutting holes into their heads to release the pressures caused by these headaches. People refusing to sleep, people refusing to wake. I have never read about madness like this.
"Yet it seems all he does is appear. There is no talking from him or action. He just stands there staring at you with no eyes. My father was a well built man, not someone who could be taken down easily, and yet he vanished before my very eyes while clutching his head and eyes. And I couldn't run after him because the pain of looking stopped me in my tracks. You are dealing with something which is ungodly and unworldly.
"He will never be scared of you. And as you draw closer he will become more frightening. The best advice I can give you is to not look at him for too long. To stay away from the local woods. Stay at home, wait for him to leave you alone, because he will if you leave you him alone, your sister is gone. No one knows where the people get taken to. I can tell you a symbol which appears constantly around him. It's a circle with an X through it. If you are certain you want to hunt for him, then search for that. I can't tell you any more. My searching has left me... In a state and I am being taken away tomorrow. I pray for your safety."
The more I delved in, the more scared and confused I became. But now I had something. The local forest and a symbol. It's enough to start this. I kept dreaming of my little sister playing happily, and it was every night. I saved the message and re-read it a few times. I didn't reply to it, there was no point saying I hope you get better, it was far too late, but perhaps where he was going is some form of safety. I had my start.
That night the faceless man appeared in my sleep. He was standing at the end of a long hallway, not moving. He just looked at me. I awoke to an un-easy feeling, but I was able to function, yet I knew this would not last. I waited a few days before I would investigate the woods so I could calm my head some-what. It was a half hour walk to the forest. I brought food, water, my phone with a map on along with pen and paper. I was good at sketching what I see fast, and I preferred it to a photo.
It was mid day when I entered the woods. The only thing I knew I was searching for was that symbol. I kept an eye open for it on trees, the ground or even a fence. I kept checking my phone to see how far in I was. For an hour I searched for anything and came across nothing. If anything, it was just a pleasant walk in the forest. A calm cool breeze blew across my face taking the suns hot rays away from me.
Thinking this was enough for today I chose to head back, it was enough searching for now. I was following the route my phone had made back when it started to flicker and buzz, changing the path. At one point it flashed that symbol I was looking for. I was starting to panic badly, I was aware of the empty woods around me. But they now felt filled with evil and eyes.
I wanted to claw eyes into the back of my head. My head began to hurt. I looked around for him, as this was a sure sign, but I couldn't see him anywhere. I walked a bit farther away guessing my way back but the headache was more focused and the phone more broken. I heard rustling from a far away. I froze. I stared with gaping eyes waiting to be pounced on by him, to simply blink my eyes and he be there over me. The seconds stood still in a hell torture way. I couldn't breathe.
A final rustle. A dog ran out, straight towards me, jumping up and licking my face. I almost passed out from relief. I looked at my phone and the map was back working fine along with my head. My head felt like a window had opened letting the hot air out. A couple came over saying sorry for their dog. I told them not to worry, it was a thankful surprise. I stumbled home and threw myself on my bed. I had very little energy, but I understood the madness now which comes from this man. What it does. What it feels like. I under estimated it. I drifted off into a deep sleep.
My dream this night was different. I was in the woods at night with nothing on me. The moon was bright enough to light the whole forest in a dim blue light. There was no breeze, no resulting or cold air. The forest was dead and silent. I tried walking forward, but I couldn't. My feet had roots wrapped around them. The more I pulled the tighter and deep they sunk into the ground. I looked up and he was there right in front of me. My eyes met with his chest. I avoided his face, forcing my head to look down.
He didn't move. He just stood in front of me like a statue. I could feel his lost eyes baring down into my skull. It wasn't physically painful, but knowing that he was doing it was, that is what was hurting. It was teasing, abusive. But I kept looking down. I imagined there was a weight hanging from my chin pulling my whole head down. I kept imagining it. But as I did, I could feel a weight on the back of my head pulling it back. I focused on my weight, not the one he was putting on me. The harder I tried, the harder he tried. It became too much and my head swung up and looked at him. I screamed from the pain.
I awoke but wouldn't open my eyes. They were forced shut. They were screwed up tight, like when you were a child and saw something terrible. After a while, my eyes loosed, but I did not in any sense feel safe. I barely opened my eyes, and there he was in my room. Not in the corner, but once again over me. I could feel his hand on my head. I wanted to die and scream while doing it. I closed my eyes and the feeling on my head went. My safe feeling came back and I knew he was gone. I opened my eyes fully and put the light on. It was 6am. A cold dinner was on my desk. My eyes though, my eyes cried as if I had stared into the sun. I clambered to my mirror and looked. My eyes were red, completely. All the little blood vessels had blown. I could barely look as the light hurt. My eyes had to stay closed, so I felt my way to my mother's room. I heard my mother on the way.
"Dear, what happened, are you okay?"
"My eyes mum. Gah, my eyes! The blood vessels, they have all burst! We need to go to the hospital!" I opened my eyes slightly to look at her. She grabbed my arm and threw her warm coat over my and my head.
"What on earth did you do?! Look into the sun? Into a laser pen? You are damn lucky you aren't blind!"
The doctor was not impressed, and when I said I woke up like it he wouldn't believe me.
"Maybe you drunk a lot and hurt yourself. I don't know. But the pain should go by the end of the day, your eyes are dry which is why they hurt. Just keep them closed and enjoy the radio".
He sounded like a dick. But I did as he said. I was also prescribed some eyes drops. I spent the day helpless, but not thinking about him. I was more scared about my red eyes. A couple days later I began recalling what happened, and how I felt. The pure fear, and loss of control. How he did nothing in my dream but look. Did he know that was all he needed? Was this a matter of wits? The control and power of a mind. To appear in my room and in my dream seemed extreme compared to before, where he would be in the distance barely visible. Perhaps I was close to something in the woods which I couldn't see.
My gut was telling me that this was true. I was close, and he acted extremely to keep me away. But why keep me away? Surely he would want me to find whatever it was, catch me. I realized that I had to go back. I had saved the route on the way back last time. I reached over my eyes drops as my eyes began to sting. I read on the box 'Please read instructions'. I had never seen please on a label before. Pulling out the little folded up instructions I saw these weren't instructions, we didn't need them, he already told me how to use them. I opened it up and flattened it a bit.
Typed out on it was 'I have seen this a few times before. For all that is Holy, keep away from the suited man. I don't want another cover up. I can't take it anymore.' This would explain why he was so hard on me. I screwed it up and threw it in the bin. I was already cursed and targeted by him, stopping would not cure me. So I might as well keep going.
I could see in the corner of my eye, him, standing at my window. I walked over, but was looking away. I drew the curtains. I felt angry at what this thing had done, and I certainly wasn't going to give up yet. He was going to get harsher and more torturous to me, but I would get tougher. As I reminded of myself when I felt crazy and depressed from this, it is not just for my sister, it's for everyone.
A week later I was back in the forest. He had been in every dream that week staring at me and I was tired from it, but I still came out. I was back at the location where he began to attack last time. Nothing was happening. I was here at the same time with the same items. I must've been wrong. I wasn't close. But to fuck was I going to let that dishearten me. I found something, I came close to something and I made him freak. So I pushed on, if I felt a headache I knew I was closer than before. I felt more anger and determination, pushing forward and deeper in the forest.
I was losing track of myself, I could only see finding what 'it' was. I was hypnotized until on the tree besides me I saw the symbol. I almost walked straight by it. There carved in the tree was a circle with an X through it. I felt it with my hands. It seemed unreal almost. It was a rough carving, done quickly by the look of it. I carried on, guessing I was on the right track. I tried not to get too focused this time, I kept my mind open so I could see any more symbols and I did.
They become more frequent. Almost on every tree until it was on every tree. I was surrounded by this symbol. Carved at different heights and sizes. There was just a small area where no trees stood. I was in the middle and looked all round. I couldn't believe the sight. Hundreds of these symbols, all focused in this area. I began to look around me. 'There must be something here!' I said to myself, barely recognizing the headache which was forming. I was rubbing my hand on the ground when I whacked it on something. I moved what plants I could of the way and saw a small handle. I went to grab it when my phone began to vibrate violent, and my head screamed. I had forgotten about being careful. I looked up and before I could register seeing him, I was flung back and knocked out.
The cold wind biting my nose and hands woke me. It was dark now, and I was alarmed. My phone was dead and I wasn't sure of the way back. All of the symbols on the trees had gone. He was screwing with me and doing it well. I fumbled on the ground making sure that handle was real. Upon finding, I found a few stones and place them around the handle, so I could find it another day. Then I ran back a guesstimated way home. I had no light, so trying to be as careful as I could afford not to trip over. But rocks and roots were the least of my problems. My head would randomly pound.
It felt like my skull was being punched. I couldn't see him, but you didn't need to. I kept going best I could. But the urge to look behind was growing strong. I gave a quick glance and he was right behind me. I yelled from the pain in my head. But I kept looking back. And I didn't know what to do. I looked back again, but as I ran a tree got in front of him. The pain lightened, and I didn't want to look back. So I kept him behind the tree for as long as I could. I would look forward and he would be there again, but I would do the same thing as before and get a blasted tree in front of him.
A fair few times I did this till I tripped up. I landed flat on my face. I had lost my lead and my pattern to keep him away. I went to get up when I was lifted up. I squeezed my eyes shut. I knew he was lifting me up. Yet my eyes began to open. And they opened to horror. It wasn't his arm lifting me, but tentacles. 8 of them. Each limb being held apart. And my eyes locked his lost eyes.
I could feel anger from him, it was in the air. I had gotten too close. How do I get out? How do you get away from something which has no fear, which knows he can get away with anything, fear was his friend, if not himself. My mind turned into a blur as I kept trying to catch ideas. He was in my head. And pulling my limbs further apart. Muscles pulling. It was more than desperate now. I grabbed one thought, pushed myself and used the only part of my body which wasn't held, my head, and headbutted him. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced upon impact. Yet I knew it wasn't the impact which hurt, but touching him which did it. But it fucking worked!
I was dropped. I don't think he was expecting it. I almost threw up from the pain, but knew I had just bought some time. I got up and limped through the forest. I looked back but he was far back, which a small smear of blood on his head from me. I had actually done something which shocked a being which had no feelings. I felt a small sense of achievement. I got you you bastard now. I've got you I said to myself, knowing that I could do this, and not get killed from it.
I leaned in and pushed myself off trees to get me to the edge of the forest. I could see some lights from a car park. I wasn't sure where I would end up, but it will be better than in here. I gave a last look back but couldn't see him. I threw myself into the tall car park lights and took in the deepest of breathes. It felt like I had just come up for air after swimming from the bottom of the sea. There was a single car in the car park. I was going to knock, but fell to my knees. I let out a quick scream, and the fogged up cars door opened with a couple running out while putting clothes. I quickly said sorry for ruining their time before blacking out.
"Love... Love! You're waking! Yes! How are you feeling?" The room was dimly lit. I was laying in my mothers bed with many pillows and blankets covering me.
"Like someone skull fucked me."
"EXCUSE ME!?!"
"Sorry. So I am guessing you know that I was found in a car park by the woods?"
"Yes. The couple used your phone and called me, saying they would meet at the hospital. But... Well.. The doctor wouldn't treat you. Said you brought this on yourself and he wasn't going to get involved, and the police brought you home. The couple stayed here a bit, even invited us to their wedding. The hospital gave me some supplies to fix you up with. Why won't they treat you? What have you done?"
"I can't tell you. Otherwise you will get involved and I dare not get you involved. I will just rest for now okay?"
"Okay dear. But, you know you've been acting funny. It's not the going for lots more walks, it's how you're not eating, and I catch you talking to yourself, and all the curtains and blinds like something is looking in. You're not a bit mad are you? You haven't been doing drugs?"
"No mother. I am sorry that I have been acting odd. I didn't even know I have been acting that way. I don't remember talking to myself... I just need rest. I think after the kidnapping...it's just got to me..." She gave me a deep loving hug.
"I know, it has gotten to me too. We have got to stay strong, Have a drink and go back to sleep. You will be back up in no time."
I kept getting night terrors. The situation in the woods kept repeating, each time making me feel worse. I would wake up to feeling sick, and sometimes wetting the bed. I explained to mother that it is the bump I got on my head causing the problems. It took a month to recover. But I would see him in the house, sometimes standing behind my mother, in the bath as I pissed, in my wardrobe when I opened it, everywhere. He was not letting up one bit. I was exhausted from all of this. I was falling apart, and loosing myself. I was unsure if I wanted to go on, but I kept going in my sisters room which was being packed away slowly and seeing her little face playing with the toys, and that would hurt more than anything. I would die trying to find at least something. I had to go back one last time. And fight through everything he could give.
I packed my bag like before, and brought my phone even though there was a far chance it would cut out when I got close. In my trousers was the gun the officer gave me. It might be useless, but it might scare him. My door opened slowly and he was standing there. I stared right at him, knowing that I might not coming back from this, but I had no fear of death. He vanished before my eyes. I walked through my door and he was at the end of the hallway. I got close and then he was then downstairs.
He was leading me back to the forest, he knew this would be a fight. I wasn't scared of following him, though my stomach gave a different story. I followed him to the woods were he vanished. I could hear my heartbeat now. I turned to my phone and began to follow the path. I kept looking at my phone. It took me straight to where the trees with the symbols were. This time every tree was completely covered by the symbols. I shone my phone on the damp ground looking for the rocks I left. Nothing had been moved. I grabbed the handle trying to pull.
It refused to pull up. I gave it a wiggle and the hatch slid open. I was staring into a dark hole. Every single fiber in me began to riot and protest about going down. I cried a little. I was scared. As I sobbed I heard a little voice in the darkness. Just faintly. I stopped sobbing to make sure it wasn't an echo. I couldn't make out what the sound was, it was just small and light. It was enough to bring me in.
I reached the bottom of the ladder. It was dry and warm down here, I shone my phone in front of me only to see a hallway. It was slightly mucky down here with what looked like dried blood. It wasn't everywhere, but it was noticeable. I walked down the hallway trying to be as quiet as possible. I heard a little moan in the distance. It could have been him for all I know. I trusted nothing right now. A few steps more and a couple of lights flicked on. Some were white, and some turned things red from blood on them. At the end of the hall was a large room. It was split into different sections by sheets of metal. I heard the whimper a bit louder this time. I stepped into the large room. It stank and felt damp. My shoes made a light click noise.
"Is anyone there?" My God. The voice. It was her voice. The voice of all love and joy in the world to me. My sister. I thanked as many Gods I could think of for this and almost cried.
"Hayley. Hayley yes. Yes I'm here."
"Help me..." She began to cry lightly. I followed the sound down one of the splittings to her. She was on the ground in the corner barely keeping herself up. But her limbs looked pulled and lifeless. I grabbed her face my hands, she was ice cold. I looked into her eyes, thanking the Gods once again that she had them.
"He keeps trying to pull me, too look like him I think. I hurt. I want mum. I want to go home. Please. Take me home". I held her tight. I looked back into her eyes and smiled. She should've been dead. Knowing what powers he had though, he could no doubt keep people alive for as long as needed. I went to pick her up when she screamed.
I turned round and he slammed into the far wall. He was very tall now, and his tentacles were failing. I actually saw him walk through my haze. I pulled my gun out of my trousers and shot at him. He vanished. Hayley was crying and I hobbled over to her.
"It's going to be okay, I will get you out!" I picked her up and began to run away. I heard the moans of other people, even saw arms with distorted hands reach from the darkness. He appeared in front of us in the hallway when I shot again. I threw Hayley over my shoulders and tied the ropes from my backpack round her waist and began to climb.
"The gun won't hurt him. I've seen others try. Here, this might work." As I climbed Hayley pulled a sharpened bone from under her top.
"Hold onto it till we are at the top. You sure it will work?"
"No. But I have a gut feeling it will. It is what I have been doing when he has been gone. I am not sure what is special about it."
"If you say it is special and your gut tells you it will work, then I will use it."
I kept climbing. It was a lot longer up than down. I trusted my sisters judgement with this weapon. The person whose bone this was could have had a special illness, or maybe it was the fact that it was a bone from someone he had killed. I wasn't sure of much. I was rushing too much to think. The hatch was still open. I put Hayley on the floor and made sure she was okay. She handed me the sharpened bone, which looked like a femur, and an elongated one at that. As I grabbed it my hair was pulled back down the hatch. I didn't hit the floor hard. The hallway looked miles longer than before with barely any lights. And at the end was the Suited man in all his power. My head pounded and my body screamed of a thousand tortures. I could barely stand up.
He flashed forwards. Again. And again. Coming closer and closer. I fell to one knee from the pain. My nerves were splitting. I thought I was dying. Again. And again he flashed forward down the impossibly long hallway. He was getting terribly close, and I focused on the weapon in my hand, ready to hurt him when he got close enough. He shot right in front me. Time slowed completely down. He was reaching out to grab me. I was standing up moving the bone to strike. He saw with his lost eyes the weapon I held and began to turn away. I shoved it through his ribcage and out through the other shoulder.
I screamed at him as I did it, letting all the pain fly out. I gave it a long deep twist. If he had a mouth, I know he would be using it to scream. I held it there for a while till I pulled it out at an angle, grabbed his suit, pulled his chest towards me and shoved it in again. He gave me one last look and I gave him one last scream. He touched my face and became limp. I stood there holding his body on this bone. I tore it out of him. There was no blood on the bone. I looked down at him, he was disappearing into nothingness before my eyes. I had killed him. The impossible man. I called up to Hayley making sure she was okay. I climbed up and gave her my phone, telling her to call the police saying that we had found some kidnapped people, but to not mention the faceless man.
The police took us to the hospital. I was right in the fact that all of my sisters limbs were dislocated. Some of the other people down there died when they were moved, or as soon as they got to hospital. Seemed his magic wasn't keeping them alive anymore. Some however did survive. The quick treatment kept them going and life returned to them. The police officer who gave me the gun came to my sisters room. He stood at the door in amazement. I walked over to him and gave him the gun back.
"It scared him enough. Thanks." He grabbed me and began to cry.
"You saved the love of my life. He was taken 6 months ago. And I never told him that I loved him. And I was killing myself everyday knowing I couldn't go after him. And he is here. You saved him. I... I can't thank you enough." I began to cry with him. "Go and see him. Tell him. And stay with him." The officer pulled away from me, nodded and walked to one of the other doors.
A couple weeks passed. Everyone was doing well in recovery. My mother had calmed down enough that she didn't give my sister 200 kisses and hugs when we saw her. The officer told me how thankful he was again, and that he was now in a relationship with a man I helped rescue. It all seemed sweet. But I didn't feel any better. I felt worse. Worse than ever before.
I dreamt of nothing but blackness, and I had barely any thoughts. Hayley would mention how I would just stare at her with no expression or life in me. I wasn't sure what was wrong, it wasn't stress. I wasn't sure until a night where I stayed at the hospital with my sister. I awoke from my black dream, and stood. But I stood tall. A few feet taller than my real height. I would hold my arms out to see that they were long and thin. My skin was pale and my clothes were tiny on me. I sat back down and got up again, and I was fine. The worse sicken feeling filled me. I ran to the bathroom and threw up. It looked like blood. But I didn't feel any pain. I washed my face and looked in the mirror. I just looked ill. Something unknown was now happening to me.
It kept happening. A couple more weeks passed, The situation became dire when I was sat in the hospital room with my sister, mother and a nurse. I was looking out the window at the sunshine. My name was called and when I turned round they all screamed. They just looked at me in horror.
"Where did your face go...?"
My throat tightened up.
"It's back now, but.. It vanished... what's happening. You look like the man who took....What have you done..."
I ran down the hall to where the officers boyfriend was. They were both in there.
"Can I please talk to you? Now!" He came rushing out.
"Sheesh, you don't look so good. What's wrong?"
"I'm...I'm turning into him."
"What?!"
"Yes. You heard it. My face, it just disappeared in front of my sister mother and a nurse then reappeared. Sometimes when I stand up, I stand at least 7ft. You got to help me. Throw me in jail. In confinement forever. Please!" He looked down at his feet, shaking his head, rubbing his eyes.
"Okay. Okay. I know what we can do. When we kept getting reports of kidnappings from the faceless man a company, well organization contacted us. Said if we ever captured him, or something of his, we were to contact them. Secure, Contain, and Protect. SCP they are called. They deal in all strange fuckery like this. I will call them. Just wait with your family." He gave me a pitied look which I deserved. I walked back to my sister and mother. I looked at them in shame for what was happening. My mother came over and hugged me. My sister who now walked hugged me too. We held each other for an endless time.
A couple hours passed when the officer walked in with a few large men in suits and a man in a lab suit. The lab suit read "SCP - to Secure, Contain, and Protect". My ride was here. I explained everything to them. Everything which happened while he took notes. Then he just looked at me with a broken look.
"It's time you came with us. For yours, but mostly everyone elses safety. Say goodbye to everyone. You don't need anything. We will arrange it all."
I turned to my family. I had worked hard and pushed far to get Hayley back. And I got her, and more. Mother was more than happy that she was home. Hayley started to sob. I held her hand.
"I know. This is going to suck. And it's not okay. But I have to go. Be angry at me if you have to. But please don't let this stop your life from being beautiful. I told myself I would do anything to get you back, and that is what has happened. Cry for a while, but not forever. You can have everything in my room, even the things I told you not to play with, you can have."
"But I don't want you to go."
"I don't want to. But I have to. You saw what was is wrong with me. I don't want to hurt anyone. You will grow up to be a wonderful woman. When you are older, maybe write about what has happened. I will always, always love you". I grabbed her and kissed her forehead tightly. She nodded as I kissed her, understanding what was happening. I turned to my mother. She had only small tears rolling down her cheeks. She gave me a light hug.
"You don't need to explain any of it. You need to go. I understand. I will always remember you as who you are really. You will always be alive to me. Be safe." I replied saying that I loved her and walked over to the SCP men and left.
It's been one year since it all happened. It's nice here. I have my own room for now, I got therapists to help me through this, and anything I ask for. I help out on maintaining computers, and even cleaning out other SCP cages, as they won't attack me. The changes are becoming stronger though. I have been seen fully changed. Standing in a hallway, with no face, tall and thin. They are getting my containment ready for when I change, and don't come back. I am enjoying myself while I still can. It's hard knowing what you are turning into. I have been told this is fascinating. It explains how the faceless man has lasted for so many centuries. I am just next in queue. But they have given me a nickname now which I think fits. Slender. They call me Slender.
Please be aware that the SCP Foundation and all associated concepts and terms are released under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
Category:Historical Archive
Category:Beings
Category:Memes
Category:Crime