The watcher - A Slenderman story

Chapter II, 68 years later, present day

Ash. That's all that detective Richard Tracy, nicknamed "The Duke" can see at the scene of this crime. He picks up a sample in his gloved hand and watches as it falls through his fingers. He doesn't know what or who caused this fire but it definitely didn't happen by accident. Duke walks a bit deeper into the charred tree line and finds a bloody hatchet lodged into a tree. He raises his eyebrows in shock at the sight of it and yells for the evidence team. The team expertly handles it and marks it as evidence. Richard straightens back up, happy of his find, and walks back to his squad car to report to his partner Garret Yates. "So whatcha got for me Duke." Gary asks him as he sits in the front seat of the car. "Well for starters, no way this is an unintentional fire, this is definitely arson." Gary takes down notes using his phone's notes app as Duke speaks. "Okay what else?" He asks. Duke can't wait to tell him the news of the weapon. "So when I was looking a bit into the tree line- I found a hatchet. Small little one with a pretty good amount of blood on it, lodged into a tree trunk." Gary's ears peek up and straightens up in his seat. "Damn. So possible murder weapon also?" Rich nods his head and looks down at his badge. "Not many people live round here so this would be a perfect place for someone to pop someone they wanted gone." Gary nods and takes down more notes. "You think the state might need to get involved if we got a serial on our hands?" Richard thinks about it for a bit. "Nah I don't think a serial is too likely...but only time will tell." Duke leans against the side of the squad car and pulls out a cigarette.  As he smokes, Vera Kelley, chief of police walks over to talk to him. 

"Heard about your find" she says as she shakes his hand. "Yeah- hope there's still some fingerprints on it but we'll see." He responds and looks over at her. Vera nods and looks down at the ground. "You think this might have anything to do with the legend going on around the kids?" Vera asks him in a monotone voice. "Nah I doubt it, a tall guy with no eyes and a black suit who lives in the woods? C'mon now. But teenagers will believe anything nowadays." Vera looks over at the crime scene and then back at Richard. "I don't know Rich, I'm not really superstitious- but my Grandma will swear it's true. Her best friend Dinah went missing in 43' in the woods, no one heard from her since." Duke scoffs a bit and finishes his cig. "Let's stick to facts, I'll start interviewing the people in the area, see if they know anything." Vera nods and walks back to her car, seemingly getting ready to leave. 

Duke thinks he should pack it up also because what little light they have is fading. Richard walks back to his quad car where Gary is still taking notes in the passenger seat. Duke taps the top of the car and says "Alright Garret, let's get going soon yeah?" Gary nods and buckles his seatbelt "Yeah let's get going" he says as he puts his phone in his jacket pocket. Rich walks to the other side of the squad car and he swears he can see something among the charred remains of the trees. A kid, with blood stained pants, a mask, and goggles. Duke blinks and the kid is gone. "I've been watching too many fucking horror movies-" he says as he steps into the driver seat and starts the car. A few minutes later, the entire crime scene is deserted as a ghost town except for a young man with dark brown hair and a dark brown hoodie, with a hatchet in his right hand, standing ominously among the trees.