Friday, March 4, 2011

Fallen Hero

As you must know by now, Ron Foster has fallen. Another light in the vast night sky extinguishes disappearing in that darkness. The Herald of Darkness wraps His dark arms around the fallen Fighter now. A moment of silence for dear Ronald Foster.

He did not fail entirely. Quite the contrary, for in my arms is my love, Clarice. I'll now let her take over typing to tell you what happened in The Ruins: (her prose is in blue)

Hello,

He saved me. I've been trapped in a deep, dark place with this horrible monster and with men and women no less so. The one called Blake shielded me from being driven into the same madness I saw take others that were dragged into that abysmal place as I was.
At first, I was kept at his house. I read up on the horrible things he did to Ron from his computer. Yet he would be so kind and protective of me when he returned.
I know it's because he's Clyde's friend, and he was looking out for me even though this other man continually berated him for convincing that...thing not to hurt me.
Eventually, the other man ceased control from Blake and I was sent into The Ruins, closely guarded as time passed without hour. I had no watch and it was always dark down there.
Then, yesterday evening, I heard a struggling in the dark just outside my cell. I dared a look through the bars and saw a figure strike another in the head with a metal baseball bat before turning his attention to me. At first, I was frightened, but the man introduced himself as Ron, the one I originally had urged Clyde to help. He convinced me that he was there to help while he unlocked the cell door and let me out. His eyes were those of a kind person and I could see a humanity in them not shared with others in that dark place.
I allowed him to place a tragedy mask over my mask and then lead me out by the head through the uneven streets of The Ruins. I don't know how long we traversed, but on the last leg of the journey, we were discovered.
A voice cried out from behind us. We turned to see a man wearing a Comedy Mask pointing at us. He had recognized my pink jacket. With that, the chase was on as Ron lead me through the streets. No matter where we turned, they pursued us and tried to block us, and did, a number of times. Ron held them off by either striking the nearest oppoents with his bat or by taking out lighters, I think they were, and throwing them. He'd light some kind of string they were wrapped in before throwing them, though. They then burst into flame upon impact with the ground or wall.
Finally, we were attacked by a mere two proxies but Ron overpowered one with the bat he while I took a rock and bashed the other's head in. We forced our way through and before long we were in the home stretch again, but almost immediately after we entered the yard where the gate is located...
....It appeared.
It stared rght at us and we stared right back. I turned to Ron, but he appeared as if lost in paralyzing terror. He then almost broke down and let out a sob as tears streamed down his face. As 'it' began its advance, Ron then swallowed his courage and I could see something change in his eyes. His expression turned from fearful despair to calm resoluteness.
He shoved me towards the entrance. "Go. Run." He then sprinted off the opposite direction from the gate shouting taunts at the creature. From a backpack he carried, he produced what I now know to be The Brand and waved it in the air while still shouting at the monster. It didn't even hesitate to pursue Ron. It was as if I held no worth to the beast compared to Ron's quarry.
It chased that poor young man down and was right behind him even as he ran as fast as he could away from it. Finally, Ron turned to face the beast, bat in hand and at the ready.
I didn't know what to do, but my decision was made for me when the mob also made their reappearance. I ran the last stretch to the Gate. As I passed from that hell back to the human world, I turned back to glance at my rescuer one last time. He... he was on his knees before the monster. It didn't look like it was doing anything to him, and yet...he started bleeding. He looked my way as I vanished through the gate with pleading eyes. Then he passed from my view along with The Ruins and all turned to darkness. I came out the other side into the edge of an alley in Charleston.
Clyde and a cab awaited me and we were soon safely away.

I didn't understand why Ron would throw away his chance of freedom and fleeing this wretched town completely at first. Now I do. That horrible Mark. He must have known it was over for him when the 'Slenderman' appeared. It would have undoubtedly caught us both had he tried to reach the gate with me. It would never let its intended 'prey' escape, let alone get away with The Brand, and I would have been an additional victim. He gave everything he had fought for up...for me.
That poor, poor man. That...that poor, poor man. I wish there was something I could do for him. Is there anything anyone can do for him now? i don't want him to die

Thank you, dear. I'll take over from here. Clarice can't bear to finish this. Well, that's what happened. It was 6:08 PM when Clarice emerged from the Gateway and we hopped into the cab as the mob also appeared from the Gate. I couldn't close it. Another force held it open, but we were able to get away all the same.

In our short time together Ron expressed that he tiring of running all the time and wished to taken direct action against the Slender Man. Yet he also spoke of his childhood. He spoke of his childhood enjoyment of Superman, and of his grandfather, who was a police officer, a "real hero" who was "[Ron's] Superman" he called him. He always said he admired his grandfather above all else and wished to be like him, able to dive into a fray to save someone else.
God rest Ron, brave soul who found his courage.
May a flight of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Ronald Foster (May 1985-March 3rd 2011)

We've left Boston. We were basically chased out by the barking dogs of He That Is every step of the way up until he boarded the Amtrak. If we didn't escape, then what did Ron sacrifice himself for? We're not in a station at another town, deciding where to Run to next.
Clarice wants to go back for Ron, but if He That Is was harming him with an attack incomprehensible to man, then I don't know what hope remains.
We are going to put much thought into this before making another move. We would also appreciate your insights.

4 comments:

  1. NO! You're. LYING. He's FINE. HE'S FINE. HE'S RON. HE'S ALWAYS OKAY.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Clyde, how hurt is your leg still? What can you do right now?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Do not come back. As if stands, you pursuit is out of my hands, but if you do return I will be ordered to further hunt you down and The Lone Hunter will be deployed this time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It really doesn't matter where you do, it will end all the same, Clyde.
    If you want your love's rescuer back, then by all means just come back and try to claim him.

    ReplyDelete