The Slender Man

Chapter Three

I parked the car on the curb and popped open the trunk. I pulled out the bag which contained my Italian Manfrotto tripod. I grabbed the fully charged batteries out of my pocket and popped them into the camera hanging around my neck. I closed the trunk and proceeded into the woods. The further in I went the darker and colder it got. It probably had something to do with the lack of sunlight getting through the roof of thick branches and leaves, but it was more than that. I felt like I was being watched and with each step I took the feeling got stronger and every time I heard the cracking sound of twigs breaking under my feet a cold shiver was sent down my spine.

I tried my best to ignore my paranoia and began to get to work. I became a full time photographer shortly before Nate and I got married, but I decided to take a break once Danny was on the way. As I walked through the woods snapping pictures of the life around me I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. Photography was something I loved, don’t get me wrong, it feels great to be out here taking photos again, but it’s not like I remembered it. I used to stay out until the batteries in my camera died but at the moment I feel eager to get home.

This is stupid, I thought. I’m letting my little fears get in the way of my work. Just because I’m self-employed doesn’t mean I can slack off whenever I have a tiny issue with something. I let my digital camera hang around my neck while I pulled the old film camera out of my bag. I laughed at what seemed like an ancient tool, I held in my hand. Digital photography is my main way of art but there’s something about the process of developing the film from an old camera I loved.

After I took some photos on the old camera it was starting to get dark. I made my way back to the car and just like when I came in, I felt like I wasn’t alone here, like I was being followed. I saw something out the corner of my eye and quickly turned my head to see what it was. I only got a split second glimpse before I tripped over a loose tree branch and accidently snapped a picture in the process. I sat up from the dirty leaf covered ground and looked at my surroundings…nothing, there’s nothing here. I rolled my eyes in annoyance at my own foolishness and picked myself up off the ground. I checked all my equipment, to my relief it all survived the fall.

_*_

“I’m back.” I said as I walked through the front door.

“Hey.” Nate said looking at me from the couch.

“I’m guessing Danny is asleep?” I said as I sat down next to him.

“Yeah, just went down.”

“Great, he probably won’t be up for a while then.”

“Seth’s coming over in an hour or two.”

“You do realize I’m not cooking tonight don’t you?”

“I figured.” I never cook when I come back from taking photos. “Pizza?”

“Sure.” I agreed. “So how is Seth? I haven’t seen him for ages.”

“He’s doing alright.”

“How’s the film making business treating him?”

“Not so good, I’ve been telling him to look into something more promising but he insists this is going to set him for life.”

Seth is Nate’s brother, twin brother to be more precise, un-identical though. Everyone insists they look extremely alike but I just don’t see it, especially personality wise. They are like complete opposites. Nate is the more responsible, serious one, while Seth is loud, a joker and should probably think through his plans more often.

“Ah you never know maybe he’ll get his big break soon.” I said as more of a joke rather than a comforting piece of mind. “I’m gonna be in the dark room.”

“Okay.” Nate said kissing my forehead before letting me go. I put my digital camera on the desk by the computer and leant the tripod bag against the wall. I proceeded down the hall and into the basement which had been turned into a homemade darkroom.

I spent about an hour down there developing the photos in the near total darkness. No matter how long I spend down here I never get used to the dark, my eyes always feel funny, especially when I return to the light upstairs.

I had one more photo to develop and then I was done. I placed the photo in the tray of developer and watched as the picture slowly appeared. I’m fairly certain this was the photo I accidently took when I tripped. I was about to pick it up with the tongs and toss it in the bin but then I saw something strange appear. I wasn’t sure what it was, I couldn’t make it out yet, the photo wasn’t developed enough. I stared at the picture as it became clearer. All of a sudden the whole room was full of light and the photo I had been watching was destroyed.

“Kendra, you down here?” a familiar voice said.

“Seth it has to be dark in here! Hence the name darkroom!” I said.

“Sorry.” He said switching the light off that he had turned on when he entered the room.

“You’re lucky I just finished developing all my photos.” I said excluding the dud I was just looking at. “You can turn the light back on.” He switched it on and walked down the stairs.

“How are you?” I said greeting him with a hug.

“Not bad, yourself?”

“I’m great.”

“Seth! Kendra! Pizza’s here!” Nate called out from the top of the basement stair case. Seth and

I walked up back into the house. I didn’t get a chance to properly see what was in that photo. I want to say it’s nothing, because it properly was, but from what I did see, I wasn’t so sure it was nothing.