I stared at the ruined car from the treeline. I had been staring for hours, long enough for the moon to fall and the sun to rise. I watched as the police started to clear the area, much to the anger of the drivers on the highway. Dozens of people looked over the scene. Most were police and some were detectives right now. But I saw the medics come by not too long ago and leave.

  Leave with two corpses.

  They won’t find out how those two girls died. No one would.

  Not when my…Master killed them.

  I had held out hope for the first few years. Think that somebody would figure out something was going on, something not natural, and someone more… qualified would come by. I knew that if that was the case, then I would more than likely die along with that monster. But it was better than helping him and watching as he killed those poor innocent people.

  But no one ever came.

  I had given up hope long ago. How long I wasn’t really sure; I had lost track after a few years of living in this hell. Last time I had seen a calendar, it had shown me that it had been more than a decade since I was turned into…this.

  For a moment, I looked down at my body. I could see my once tanned skin looking so pale, like I had never seen a second of sunlight in my entire life. My clothing looked ragged now, jeans dirty and torn up and a black shirt that was so faded that the only real ounce of color it had was the blood stains on it. My running shoes looked like they were seconds from falling apart and my hands looked like I had spent hours digging into the earth. I didn’t know what my face or even what my short brown hair looked like now. I could never bring myself to look at my reflection, but there was one detail I knew I would see if I ever did look into a mirror.

  My lips sewn completely shut with bloody threads.

  The mental image in my mind sent a cold and unpleasant feeling down my spine. I grimaced at it before flinching at the pain that moving my mouth caused. I settled my expression back to the blank and emotionless look that I usually had; it was the only expression that didn’t cause me pain or get uncomfortable after a minute.

  Taking a moment to breathe in deeply through my nose then slowly letting it out, I continued to look out at the highway. Despite three lanes being closed, that still didn’t stop the cars from coming, as a singular poor police officer tried his best to direct them all into a single lane. There were all kinds of cars impatiently waiting to go, many looking nothing like the cars that people drove back when I was…normal. Hell, I even saw an RV in that mess.

  But it didn’t take long for my eyes to track back to the car. Just the sight of it made me feel sick and it wasn’t just because of the death and destruction. It was for one horribly simple reason.

  It happened outside of the forest.

  Master…had never been able to leave the forest before. Neither could I for that matter, even now when I reached out my hand hit some kind of invisible wall. I had just assumed I would spend the rest of my existence wandering these woods. Just an unwilling servant for a monster that loved to use me to scare his victims.

  It wasn’t too bad, I suppose. There wasn’t as much death as you would think, considering how murder happy Master was. Most of the time Master wasn’t even physical? It was hard to describe, but most of the time me and him weren’t physically present. Just kinda a ghost that could phase through things, couldn’t fly though, which was bullshit in my opinion.

  If I focused hard enough, I could become…Physical…I needed a better word for that. Anyway, if I thought about it hard enough, I could interact with things and be seen, but it tired me out really quickly. Master though, was… different.

  He kinda spent most of the time…dormant, I guess. Just passively watching the world and not even really interacting with me. But then, after like a few months, he would just become active for like a week then go right back. I think there were rules of some kind to this but fuck me if I know. It wasn’t like there was some convenient manual when that fucker-.

  I froze as I felt a pain in my chest. It was like I was being stabbed with a large spike, starting small then slowly working its way out. Despite not needing to breathe, I felt the air was leaving my lungs as my hands grabbed at my chest. The pain grew, becoming worse and worse, and just as it was starting to get to the point that I was wishing for death, it just…stopped.

  I took in as deep of a breath as I could, air filling my useless lungs, before letting out a gasp.

  Right.

  That was what happened if I ever called or even just thought of that fuc-of my Master as any other than my Master.

  Even when he was dormant, it still happened. And despite not being near me right now, I could feel that f-my Master grinning at my pain. I could never get rid of him, no matter how far from him I was. We were…linked somehow. It's just how it had always been since he did this to me. Since he pulled my…soul from my body. Or at least I think that's what he did. He talked about as much as me, which is to say he never said shit.

  Just then, I felt a tugging sensation. Like a chain was wrapped around my neck and someone was lightly pulling it in a direction. It happened whenever my Master wanted me to come to him. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice; I knew from experience that the soft pulling was him mocking me. If he really wanted me to go to him, then he would drag me to him if he had to.

  It wasn’t a fun experience.

  Letting out a tired sigh, one I had let out countless times at this point, I gave the ruined car one last look. The implications of what it meant filled my mind as I felt the soft tugging again, this time a tad bit more forcefully. Taking in a deep breath before slowly letting it out, I turned and started to walk towards my Master. All the while, think about that car.

  Thinking about the fact that Master was now strong enough to leave the forest.

  And what that meant for me.

  I took my sweet time walking until I eventually ended up where he wanted me to be. It looked like it was noonish right now, with the sun high in the sky. Even in the middle of the day, I could still see the effects the cold weather had on the plant life, with many of the trees leafless and the foliage smaller than it usually was. I’m guessing it was winter, but it was always hard to tell since I never felt the cold or heat.

  Despite walking for a good few hours, I didn’t feel tired at all. The only time I felt tired was when I went ‘Physical’. If I were fresh, I could hold the form for a good minute or two before I felt utterly exhausted. I didn’t do it often, usually just when Master wanted me to…mess around with whatever poor sucker he was after. I hated doing it but if I didn’t then Master would…

  I paused in my stride before shaking my head of the thoughts.

  Taking a deep unnecessary breath before letting it out slowly, my eyes turned to where I was going. I found myself at the small opening of a clearing very deep into the forest. Far away from any official trails for the National Forest. Completely isolated from the outside world.

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  The clearing itself was odd. The woods around it were untamed, looking every bit like nature intended. But the clearing wasn’t wild and overgrown; it was dead. The grass was a sickly looking color with large patches of dirt and rocks all over. It looked like the entire area had been hit by some small nuke or something and was refusing to grow. It looked so unnatural in the middle of the forest, like finding a run-down store in the middle of a thriving mall.

  I found it very unsettling.

  The Cabin made it worse.

  Near the middle of the clearing sat a small wooden cabin. The type you would think some old timer hermit would make and live in all alone. It even looked like someone was actively living in it right now!

  Everything around it was dead or barren but the cabin looked in an almost perfect condition. It still had years, if not decades, of wear and tear but in the same way as the old houses I remember seeing in the little town I had grown up in. Used but loved at the same time.

  The wood logs and planks that made it up looked like they needed a few replacements here and there but were still in good condition. A large pile of firewood sat to the cabin's side, ready to be burned at any moment. The thing only had one door with a crooked handle that had a red piece of cloth wrapped around it. No windows but it did have a small chimney made up of stones held together by hardened mud and clay. It almost looked like the perfect little place to stay for a few days for a vacation.

  I just stood at the beginning of the clearing. I felt the slight tugging on my neck but my feet refused to move. I knew what he wanted me to do and every part of me wanted to do nothing but turn around and run. Run like I had run all my life, to the point that I had become so good at it that a college was willing to give me a full ride as long as I ran for them. Those days feel so faded now…

  For a second, I felt a pain in my chest and I let out a sharp grunt, doing my best not to change my expression so the stitches didn’t hurt me. The pain did not last long and I quickly forgot about it when a stronger tug on my neck almost sent me tumbling into the clearing. Instead, I just fell to my knees and let out a muffled cry.

  As I stayed on my knees, I did my best not to cry; he loved seeing me cry. I wasn’t going to give that Bast- my Master the satisfaction. But as I was gathering myself, I heard a creaking noise and looked up to see the cabin’s door slowly opening. Despite being day, no light shone through the open doorway. All I stared at was a rectangular opening of darkness about a dozen feet away from me.

  I felt a series of playful soft tugs on my neck.

  I saw its cruel smile in my head.

  It was taunting me.

  Treating me like a pet.

  Like a dog.

  I wish I could say that I could barely hold back my anger, that my rage was boiling under the surface. But this wasn't the first time he had done this. He had done this so many times, treating me like some misbehaving pet.

  One time, he had somehow pulled me upward with my invisible chains and choked me for who-knows-how-long. Another time, he had forced me to sit by his side while he…had fun with one of his victims’ corpses, all the while petting me whenever I would gag or otherwise react to what he was doing. A favorite of his was going out for a hike while tugging me along, like I was his dog he was taking out for a walk.

  That…my Master had done so much to me over the years. And I had just become so numb to it all. Even seeing him brutalize some poor bastard only gets me a sad feeling out of me nowadays. Playing tugging at my neck like a pet that didn't want to go inside?

  I didn't feel shit…

  I at least mustered up the effort to give an eye roll, some small part of me still wanting to give some sass, before getting to my feet. With only a second’s pause, I stepped forward and into the clearing. Despite there being no barrier or anything like that, I felt a slight sickness as I took that step. Like the air around the cabin was trying to warn me off. I just did my best to ignore it and continue forward.

  Each step made that sick feeling grow more and more. By the time I stood before the open door, it felt like I was about to throw up. Despite the feeling, I did my best to keep a calm and reserved expression. But I couldn't help but pause when I got to the open doorway.

  The inside was pitch black, like I was staring into the void of space. I had been inside dozens of times over the years but I could never get a good look. The most I had made out was the outline of a bed, a fireplace, a desk or table of some time, and maybe a chair or two. Even then, I felt like it could have been what was left of my mind playing tricks on me.

  I felt another playful but a bit more forceful tug.

  Swallowing the non-existent saliva in my throat, I stepped into the small building. The feeling of sickness just… disappeared. But now I felt dirty, like a layer of oil and grim was suddenly all over me. It made me incredibly uncomfortable in my own skin but I powered through it and took a few more steps inside.

  After the fourth step, I felt Master telling me to stop. He never spoke, but I could always seem to know what he wanted. For a moment, I just stood there, doing my best to ignore the unpleasant feeling. I tried to relax but that effort quickly died when I heard a sound lightly screech throughout the room.

  The grinding sound of a bladed edge being sharpened.

  The noise caused me to grit my teeth as it played in my ears. It was like the sound itself was playing with me, just like the being that I knew was in the room with me. I couldn't see Master but good Lord did I feel him. His carved smile that seemed to stretch at me uncomfortably, his hollow eyes narrowing in pleasure, and even that condescending tilt of his head.

  That mental image overcame my mind as the noise continued to be made. This lasted for what felt like hours, despite it probably only being a minute or two. Eventually, it stopped and I heard something heavy being set on wood before I heard the creak of wood and footsteps. After about three steps, the sound stopped and I knew he was beside me.

  Despite not seeing shit, I knew he was staring down at me. It’s non-existent eyes roaming over my pale and dirty body. I swear that I could feel breath on the side of my neck, which would be impossible since I didn't have a sense of touch unless I was in my Physical form.

  I waited and waited and waited…

  Then he fucking pet my head.

  He didn't say anything but I knew he was chuckling. After a few pats, he stopped and suddenly I knew what Master wanted. He wanted me to leave.

  And find new victims for him.

  I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

  And nodded my head.

  The second I felt that I had been dismissed, I turned and all but ran out of the building. I ignored the laughing I felt in the back of my head as I left the clearing. I ignored the passing trees as I ran away from that place, from HIM.

  I ignored that sick feeling that I was going to find some poor people and doom them to a bloody and painful death.

  It didn't take long to find what Master wanted.

  As much as I wanted to delay and buy some time, I knew from experience that the being that held my chains had little patience when it came to finding new prey. Considering that he was only Physical for a week or two for a year, he wanted to make the most out of his time. The second Master knew I was not doing what he had asked, then I was going to be punished.

  I looked over the small group of people. There were six of them, mostly older folks but there were two younger people, one of them a woman who looked like she was around my age…well, my age back when I was normal.

  They had about five tents set up around a fire pit and had just gotten done cooking a late lunch. Just as I had arrived, I saw two of them, a man and a woman, holding some food in a plastic container as they started walking down the dirt road. Seeing a chance to delay a bit I followed them.

  They ended up walking for a few minutes before coming up on another campsite with an RV set up in it. I saw a younger guy looking around at his site as he seemed to be making sure everything was in place. He was decently good-looking but had a bit of a bum feeling about him, like he wasn't too far off from being homeless or something.

  I listened to the conversation as best as I could but my eyes started to glaze over at the older guy’s rambling. The man, whose name I never caught, also looked like he was doing the same. The look of horror that crossed his face when he absent-mindedly agreed to join them on a hike tomorrow nearly caused me to laugh.

  Then I realized that if he did join them, then he might also be in the Master's line of fire. A feeling of unease ate at me and for a second, I felt better when the old man’s wife sent him away and gave the bum-looking man a chance out. That hope died though, when he said he would still join them.

  I let out a depressed little hum as I followed the older couple back to their camp. After a few more minutes, I knew that my time delay was up and I mentally sent the location of these poor people to my Master. I hated the excitement I felt back in return.

  As it started to turn dark, I decided to head back over to RV man. There I found him setting up a fire in the fire pit on the side of the campsite. Idly, I watched as he made an idiot of himself making s'mores without any graham crackers. It actually made me chuckle a bit but I forced myself to stop when the stitches keeping my mouth closed started to hurt.

  When he went into the RV to get something, I followed him inside and took a look around. It was decently clean and organized but looked really lived in, like really really lived in. By the time left the vehicle, I was almost certain that he actually lived in the damn thing. It would explain the bum feeling I kept getting from him.

  As the dark settled in, so did Mr Bum. He lazily sat in a cheap-looking chair and stared into the night around him. I just leaned against a tree and joined him in his laziness.

  It felt…nice.

  I did this once in a while, just hung out with a random camper. I knew that it was a bit creepy but it gave me a moment of…companionship I suppose. I didn't know how much I had enjoyed being with the rest of the track team until I couldn’t be anymore. The only other thing in this entire forest I could interact with was Master. And the less time I spent with him the better.

  The guy's eyes traveled over the barely lit trees, drifting without a care in the world. As his gaze started to look towards me, I’d like to imagine, if only for a single goddam moment, that he would see me and just say…hello.

  Then he flinched.

  His eyes shifted away and he went to rub his forehead but stopped with a confused expression. Then his eyes turned back to me and I saw the slight flinch come back. I felt my eyes widen as his eyes started to shift back and forth between me and the area to my right as his confused expression grew more.

  Then he just kept his eyes still, staring right at me like…like he saw me.

  Emotions that I had long lost filled me but the most prominent of them all was panic. Without thinking, I turned and ran off. My mind was a whirl of thoughts as I ran through the trees. By the time I came to a stop, I had run for a good five minutes.

  There…there was no way he saw me. I wasn’t Physical and now that I thought about it, he hadn’t been staring at my face or anything, just my body. But that didn’t stop my mind from allowing itself a moment of hope. Even if he didn’t seem to really see me, he seemed to at least notice something was there.

  But what did that mean?

  For him…

  …And me…