The Game
"Don't look at its face!"
Trevor sighs. "Was that supposed to be a joke?" he deadpans.
His friend, Kevin, chuckles nervously. "Sorry, buddy."
"Mmhmm." Trevor gropes around for a chocolate bar before he feels one and grabs it. "Sure you are," he says as he opens the wrapper.
"I swear I didn't mean-"
"I'm just messin' with ya," Trevor grins, taking a bite of his chocolate bar. He loves teasing people, especially when it came to his blindness.
Kevin gives him a friendly punch in the shoulder. "Man, you and Slender Man will be the death of me."
"What is happening in the game right now?" Trevor has only heard of the game Slender, but because of his blindness never played it.
A drum bangs. "Oh, God," Kevin says. Trevor can hear the tapping of keys as Kevin moves his character. "Come on, come on, come on," he mutters.
"What does that drum mean?"
"It means Slender Man is close by." A few more taps. "Phew, I think we're safe."
Trevor listens to his friend play the game for a few more minutes. Kevin manages to find three pages before he cries out, "Noooo!" A static-y noise can be heard.
"I take it you died?" Trevor says as he finishes his chocolate bar.
"Yes," Kevin fake-sobs. "My life's work down the drain." A moment of silence. "So, you wanna order pizza?"
"Sure."
Trevor feels the couch move as Kevin stands up. Trevor lounges on the couch. He tilts his head back, his eyelids slowly closing…
"Mittens!"
Trevor's eyes shoot open, though that doesn't help him much. He uses the wooden table in front of the couch as support as he rises to his feet. Grabbing the walking stick that is leaning against the couch next to him, he makes his way into what his nose detects as the kitchen. "What's wrong, Kevin?"
"My sister's cat just ran out the door! Oh, Jenna is gonna kill me if she finds out I let her cat get out!"
"How did the cat get out?"
"I was going out to dump the garbage, but I didn't realize Mittens was right behind me until I opened the door and she darted out." The frequency of Kevin's footsteps betrays his pacing. "What am I gonna do? I have to leave now if I'm gonna drive to Round Table to pick up our pizza, but the sun's going down and then there's no way we'll find Mittens before Jenna gets home!"
"I'm sure Mittens couldn't have gotten far," Trevor says. "Go get the pizza, and when you're done, if I haven't found her by then, we'll both go out and look for her."
"Wait, you're not thinking about going out by yourself, are you?"
"I'll stay close to the block."
"No, no way, Trevor. You stay here until I get back."
"I'll be fine, and I'll be quick." The two argue for a couple minutes before Kevin agrees to leave now. Trevor promises to stay within the house until Kevin gets back.
After hearing the engine of his friend's car fade in the distance, Trevor turns and makes his way through the house to the backyard. There is a fence surrounding the yard (he remembers walking into it once) and a bench near the back door. Trevor lowers himself onto the bench, breathing in the fresh scent of the forest just past the back fence.
RREEOOWWW!
Trevor's ears perk up. "Mittens?" He hears laughter – not the happy, joking kind but the mean, cruel kind. He hears a cat hiss, and it doesn't take him long to figure out some punks have Mittens and are hurting her.
"Hey!" he shouts, standing up and making his way to the fence. "Leave that cat alone!"
"What do you care about a little cat, Blind Eyes?" one of the kids sneers. The others laugh at this jeer.
Even though Trevor has heard insults like this before, it still makes his blood boil. "Give me that cat and you won't get hurt." Despite being blind, Trevor is very brave and stubborn.
The gang starts a chorus of "ooh"s. "Think you're so tough?" the kid (obviously the leader) says, pushing Trevor back.
After regaining his balance, Trevor says, "I'm warning you. If you don't listen, you will be sorry."
"Tough words for such a weak guy." His friends then goad him on in a fight. "Get ready to feel – oh my God, what is that?"
His friends stop their goading. Trevor can almost picture them all frozen in place. He wonders how poor Mittens is doing.
"Oh my God!" the leader kid says again.
"What's it doing?" another kid nearly shouts.
"That's not normal!" another whines.
Trevor can't make out any more words. They're all a jumble as they all shout at once. Their voices get softer and softer, so he thinks they've all run away. "Kevin?" he calls out. Did his friend come home early and hear the commotion outside? He knows his friend is super flexible and strong (gymnastics and tae kwon do will do that to a guy). Were the punks weirded out by him?
"Excuse me," hisses an unknown voice.
Trevor turns his head to the sound. "Sir?"
"I believe I have your cat." Trevor feels something small, warm, and furry thrust into his hand not holding his walking stick.
"Mittens!" He hugs the kitten to his face, feels the soft, warm fur against his cheek. "Thank you, sir. Do you live around here?"
The voice says, "I live in the forest. Some would call me a wanderer. Everyone avoids me because I am different."
"I understand that completely. I was born blind, so most people are afraid to come up to me. But my parents kept telling me what makes us different makes us special."
"They were right. I'm glad you, at least, are not judgmental to appearances."
"…Well, thank you for finding my friend's cat."
"You're welcome. And if you ever need help again, just call out for Mister James."
"Mister James?"
"You've got it." A chill fills the air as a fog descends.
Trevor shivers a little. "Odd. There wasn't any fog forecasted on the Weather Channel." He shrugs and turns and makes his way to the back door. Setting his stick against the wall by the door, he opens up the door enough to gently toss the cat through.
Trevor then grabs his stick and walks through, unaware that Slender Man has been watching him from behind a tree. He watches as Trevor shuts the glass door and makes his way to a couch. "Maybe," Slender says to himself, slowly turning and walking away. "Just maybe…"
