My Boyfiend Slenderman

Ch 8. Grunion Run

My feet chase the blackness as my ears perked in to try and locate the screams. I trip on a root and the camera flies out of my hands and smashes into a tree trunk. Today is obviously a day I should have listened to my star chart and stayed in bed.

With my head spinning and my ears still trying to be bat like, I spit out a mouthful of dry dirt. Now I'm more than painfully aware that I'm teeming with bacteria. How many animals have pooped on this spot? Not to mention my throbbing bloody foot which I'm sure I've buried the glass into by running. I pull myself to a sitting position and wrap my arms around my legs. The screaming has stopped, and now that it's pitch black animal noises are in full swing.

I wonder if this is what it's like for survivors of a natural disaster. Right before they just give up and die. Lonely, cold, hungry, bleeding. I know it's only been an hour since we left the house, but it's real life sucking. I can only think about l putting my head on my knees and giving up. I wasn't made for this. YouTube will probably do some kind of documentary on the death of a budding star. My largest audience and I won't even get to bask!! Maybe I'll get to see it from the grave.

As I'm contemplating the end of my life I see a flickering light up ahead. It's waving in a frantic pattern, not pointing at anything.

"Hello?" I yell.

The light stops moving. Dead stop. Just shining on one spot on the ground. At least I know whoever is holding that light heard me. So I try again.

"Hello? Little help here please."

Suddenly it flashes on my eyes. Instinctively I throw my hands up over my head like I'm a suspect in an episode of cops.

"Lemon?" A female voice whispers and the light starts bouncing my way.

"Ashley?!! Oh thank God!! I hurt my foot, broke the camera and face planted. Can you give a hand? Where is everyone?"

Lemon pulls me up by the arms and I place my arm around her shoulder for balance while hobbling on my foot.

"There's someone out here. They all ran"

My mind instantly conjures up my tree man with his shadow face and reaching hands.

"Of course there's someone out here, we're all out here, and Jackie, unless she went home. In which case in going to kill her myself."

As soon as I'd said those words a soft throaty chuckle rang out behind us. We both froze, neither wanting to bring it to reality by mentioning it. We started walking again at a much faster pace. Ashley began babbling like she does when she's nervous.

"I mean someone besides us. Mariah saw someone dart out from behind a tree. Right in the center of her light. She freaked out and started screaming and running. I haven't seen her since."

Ashley has picked up the pace even more and we are running as if we're about to cross the finish line in a three legged race when I suddenly feel bone tired. I try stopping and end up yanking on her shoulder. With the opposing force she ends up snapping backward and landing on her butt with a thump. She disappears from my phones little pool of light but I can feel her angry state.

I hear her sigh and put my tiny white light circle on her. She's sitting staring at her hands and when she gets up I clearly hear a wet sucky noise. Her clothes are covered in some kind of muck and she looks like she's about to lose it.

"I'm sorry Ashley." I manage to pant. "I just need a minute. I feel like we are on the last minute of survivor where they're all disgustingly gross and skinny and don't give a crap about the prize anymore. They just want s freaking Big Mac and a shower."

Ashley stands and puts her forehead on mine. For a second I'm comforted. I realize that these woods are only about 2 city blocks big and we can get out in minutes. I take a deep breath and think rationally. No one is dying here. It's just a game gone wrong. Like when your playing kick the can and someone gets a twisted ankle. It's time to suck it up and call it s day.

At this tender moment I don't want to tell her, but she smells like s dead animal. And for some reason her clothes and hands are warm and slimy. I put my arm around her despite wanting to gag at her stench, and feel dampness soaking into my side. Inwardly I groan at the thought of adding filth to my filth, but these are dire times, and I'm a good friend. Besides, my mom does my laundry and we have a great shower head with a scrubbing feature!

Arm in arm we walk towards the distant streetlight through the trees. I lean on her and she begins commentating on how she got stitches last year when her brother Easton accidentally hit her with a golf club. By the time she got to the part of the story when she arrived at the hospital we get to the clearing. The playground equipment seems creepy in the still night. Everything is still and dark. Except one swing, swaying back and forth on its own.

"What about Jackie?" Ashley asks while transfixed on the swing in motion.

"Don't worry about it Ash, she's the nerd of the bunch. If anyone can figure out how to get out of woods a city block long, it's her. She's probably watching a Big Bang Marathon on Netfix by now! Face it Ash, the whole thing was as embarrassing as falling for the Grunion Run."

She looked at me with a blank stare. "A what?"

"A Grunion Run. When adults tell you to go combing the beach looking for grunting that are hard to see and harder to find. It's just a tactic to keep you busy. It's a classic. And I fell for it for years."

She shook her head and snorted back some laughter. It was only a few more steps to the corner where we could rest under the light and catch our breath. Our pace had slowed, and we were out of the woods. I couldn't help wonder where everyone else was. And how much trouble I was going to be in for breaking the camera. Maybe it wasn't too late to go back in!

Under the streetlights I finally get a look at the two of us. We look like extras on The Walking Dead. Covered in dirt, smeared with some
kind of gooey red liquid and limping. I hoped the others made it out looking better, but either way I'd remember to be pissed at their ditching us.

Squaring my shoulders and hobbling forward I sighed. This was so not the look I wanted to be remembered for. We still had a long walk back home and I'd have to do it with one leg. Maybe I could conjure up my fake tree man to carry me home. Lol