Dangerous

Slenderman

   I released Rake and retracted my tentacles. I noticed that as soon as he was free, he covered the sides of his head with his long-clawed hands. I relaxed and allowed my static to quiet to the point it almost wasn’t there anymore. With a glance to the tall figure, I ran to the Rake and told him that the static was gone. The figure which produced the extra set of tentacles seemed to follow my lead and killed his static. I looked at Ben, who was still trying to glitch out of the prison he was in, and looked at the figure of an abnormally tall man who kept him prisoner. 

“Release him,” I demanded without any force and when nothing happened I added, “please.” The man nodded curtly at my manners and released Ben. For a split second Ben was frozen in place and then he glitched next to me—on the other side of Rake, of course. I moved towards the tall figure to get a better look at him. He was tall and very slim, with his tentacles he looked like a tree. He was wearing a full black suit and when I looked to see his face, I was met with none. All there was, was a blank, white face. So when I heard his voice once again, I wanted to know how he did it. 

“Hello child,” he said as he crouched down so that he was not much taller than me, “who might you be?” I looked back at Ben and the Rake and they nodded.

“Sir, I am Elizabeth Everest. I am almost 16 and a senior in high school. I attend Dextor High School in WaterWillows. I- I live in that cabin about a mile north from here.” I looked him in the eyes—where they would have been, at least—as I spoke to find any sign of a reaction. 

“Just- Just an average high school student?” I nodded and noticed that his muscles in his face still moved. As he said that the muscles where his eyebrows would be gave a recognition of his confusion. “Then- How- Are your parents human?” He seemed at loss of words, I could tell this didn’t happen often. With a glance at Ben’s startled face, I was able to confirm my suspicions. 

“My mother ditched me in the woods when I was 8 years and when I turned 9, Rake showed me the way out and towards a new beginning. I stayed with another boy for a year when I was almost ten and we stayed together. After a year and a half he had to go because he- he was being summoned by someone—someone powerful. When we met, there were two men whom had previously tried to rape me. They had me at gunpoint and my friend supplied me with a knife and I used that to kill the first one. The boy was supposed to deal with the other one before I realized who they were. He helped me torture the second but before I did, as I was thinking of how I was going to make him pay, a knife formed in my hand. That was when I found out I wasn’t totally normal.” I paused to read his expression. I giggled when I saw that he was even more confused than ever. “Before he left, he gave me money to take care of myself and a black locket. It’s this one here,” I paused to lift the necklace from under my shirt. “It has a picture of the two of us on one side and a mirror on the other,” I explained as I took it off and handed it to the man in black. “The mirror is supposed to be magic, but I haven’t used it since I was 11 after we parted ways. It allows us to see each other and sometimes talk to one another. Right now was the first time I let myself use magic or whatever it’s called since the first time.” I stopped to let them all process my story and then added, “Sir, what should I call you?”

“My dear, you may call me Slender. I have many names but most people in this country call me Slenderman.” He paused and asked, “May you show me this boy from your childhood?” I nodded and he handed the locket to me. 

I thought of the boy so vividly I was surprised how well I remembered him. Show him to me, I thought. The mirror darkened and then showed him to me, I thought of it showing everyone else and it showed a holographic image of the boy how I remembered him. He had the beautiful smile carved into his pale white face and the silky jet black hair that somehow always managed to look messy. Then it transformed into a teenager who was wearing a bloodied white hoodie. I gasped but then smiled because I knew it was him. He was walking through the darker side of town and when he looked over his shoulder, I saw his jet black hair and his pale skin. He still had the beautiful smile carved into his face. I knew I still loved him, there was just no way I couldn’t. I noticed the others had gone quiet and the smile fell from my face. 

“This is the boy you remember?” Slender whispered.

“Yeah, is there something wrong? Do you know who he is?” I was worried but delighted that he might know him.

“I do, but tell me, do you know who he is or what he does?”

“Yeah. His name is Jeffery Woods and he- I wouldn’t be surprised if he kills people for a living. Or even for fun. That seems like something he’d do,” I was beginning to doubt these people who seemed so interested in what I know and could do. I can tell they’re hiding something from me. “What aren’t you telling me? I demand an answer,” my voice was stern, there was no way they wouldn’t give me answers.

“Very well, child.”