One day, while waiting as backup on a mission with E.J., Toby stood motionless among the trees on the other side of the road. He spotted some kids bullying one boy and watched the scene unfold.

The boy was stubborn enough to not let tears spill and still answer back, trying to stand his ground as the other kids shoved him and repeated some childish bad words. Then another boy stepped in bravely, placing himself between the bullies and his friend.

Something twisted in Toby’s chest. He watched it but not for long, as E.J. finished the job quickly and dragged him in a hurry that made it clear he had no time to watch the end of it.

That night, slumped deep into the old couch in the dimly lit living room, Toby kept fidgeting with the edge of his mask, orange goggles pushed up into his messy brown hair. The house was quiet, but his mind was louder than ever. Fragments of memories he thought had been burned away by the slender man were slowly crawling back. Bullying. He was bullied his whole life, in the school and streets when he tried to socialize with other kids. The feeling of being completely alone… Until someone showed up. Someone who stood between him and the world.

Remembering anything before he became one of Slenderman’s proxies was a challenge, it was like his brain simply erased it from the day to night. It wasn’t just a coincidence.. He was starting to remember her appearance...? The name was something like…

”…Guest.”

The name slipped from his lips like a prayer and a curse at the same time.

Guest. The girl who was always on his side there when the others stared at him dirty, when he heard the whispering of the people in the hallways of that old, stupid school– of their moms– and the ones in his head. It were things that would make it hard for him to sleep in the night. He finally remembered the one who never left his side.

Guest. The static in his mind quieted for a moment — just long enough for the memory to settle. That beautiful name. That familiar face. The one who protected him when no one else would.

Toby’s neck jerked to the side with a sharp twitch. A slow smile crept across his scarred lips. He had to find you.

Days blurred together after that. Toby started slipping away from missions more often. Wandering. Searching. Until tonight.

He stood hidden among the dark trees just outside your window, snow falling softly around him. His goggles reflected the faint light coming from inside. He watched you move around the room, completely unaware.

Toby’s breathing was slow and steady, almost peaceful. His fingers twitched against the handle of his hatchet.

“I finally found you..” He whispered into the cold night, voice laced with something soft. The wind carried his quiet, broken chuckle through the trees as he continued to watch, eyes wide and unblinking behind the lenses.

He wasn’t being weird. He had just find his old best friend — anyone would be watching their friend and smiling like a fool if something like this happened.