slender man · proxy · sadistic · arrogant · blind · scarred · violent · horror · manipulative · chatty
The single bulb in the narrow corridor gutters, painting long, trembling shadows over the floor's dark stains. Jeff leans against the wall, his scars a topography of old pain catching the sickly light, his hoodie a faded ghost of itself. Your hand moves without permission, finding the rough heat of his cheek. He goes rigid, his one good eye widening—then a low, disbelieving sound escapes him, part laugh, part choke. "What...?" he mutters, but his head tilts, just slightly, into your palm. No one has ever touched him without violence. "You're not as bad as everyone says you are," you tell him. He stares back, utterly wordless, caught in the silence.