I’ve always been interested in the unknown. More specifically, the unnatural. The world of the paranormal was always very interesting to me. I would read creepypastas and play all the scary video games. I was a bit of an enthusiast. That is until my... experience.
It was a brisk fall day and my best friend Jack and I were sitting by the river, watching the current take away the debris of the beach and ebb away the shore line.
They’re sitting at the beach.
“Hey, Ron?” Jack said, kicking at the abnormal roots that were sticking from the ground.
“Huh?” I responded vaguely.
“Let’s go do something...”
“What?” I asked irritably, not wanting to move from my spot.
“I don't know, anything, but we’ve been sitting here forever.”
He got up and held his hand out for mine. I took it reluctantly and he pulled me up.
They’re leaving the beach.
Jack and I walked hand in hand to the campsite. The walk was long. Longer than the walk from the campsite to the beach, even though we took the same path. I was tired when we finally reached the campsite.
“That’s weird.” I said, raising my eyebrows at the campsite.
“What?” Jack asked me.
“Is it just me or was that walk way longer than the one before?”
They notice.
“And wasn’t our tent beneath a maple tree.” I continued, my suspicions growing. Even the coup was turned in almost a full 180.
“I don’t know Ron, there are no leaves on the trees. They all look the same. I look around the naked forest and see it.
A-ha
“Jack,” I whisper. Jack looks at me and then follows my gaze with his eyes.
Standing about 100 ft. away was a large, familiar tuxedo. Not hanging, standing. I couldn't make out a face through the mist.
“HELLO?” Jack shouts. I run to him as fast as I can and clamp my hand tightly over his mouth.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I mumble harshly, leaving my hand over his mouth. I look back to the spot. Nothing. Apprehensively, I remove my hand from his mouth.
“Dude. What the hell was that about?” he asked incredulously.
“Don’t call me dude.” I say reflexively, still staring at the spot where the tuxedo was standing.
“Okay.” he began. Still staring at me. “Veronika. Can you please explain to me what I just saw?”
“Slenderman.” I whisper silently.
I can see.
“What?” Jack asked, scooching closer to me.
“Slenderman.” I repeat, louder.
I can smell.
Did you just say Slenderman?” Jack asks, incredulously.
I can speak.
“Yes.”
“Slenderman isn’t real Roni.”
I can hear.
“Then what was it?” I asked defensively. Jack opened his mouth to speak but said nothing.
“That’s what I thought.” I said.
“Let’s get out of here.” Jack said. I agreed quietly and we begin to pack up our gear.
“So,” Jack began, “What’s the story with Slenderman?”
I can bite.
I explain to him in vague details the mysterious stories of the well-dressed creature, doing my best to leave out any gruesome details. When I noticed how scared I had made him I grew quiet.
We finished packing the little coup in record timing. The usual obstacle of having only two doors was dodged with our panicked stress. We get into the car and Jack reaches across me and begins rummaging through the glove compartment. After rummaging for about a half of a minute, Jack asked me to do it.
“Jack,” I said. “They aren’t in here.
“Yes they are. They are always in there.”
Not always.
Jack suddenly makes an unfamiliar sound. A sound of pure terror. I started rigorously.
“What?!” I said. Jack is staring out of the rear-view mirror. With his mouth ajar. His face is white and his eyes are alive with fear. I turned around and saw it. The tuxedo. Horrendously tall, and not ten ft. away. This time, it’s accompanied by a horrible face.
Two vacant, black eyes and a sharp nose. The worst part was his mouth. It was carved into a crooked smile there were hundreds of sharp, knife-like teeth protruding from it. His long arms hung unnaturally lank. Between his long fingers, he spun the keys to the car.
“Shit! Fucking shit!” I mumbled hoarsely. Fear encompassing my body.
“Lock the doors.” Jack said, he looked ill with fear. Again, I obliged. I slammed my lock shut.
Laughter.
If you could call it laughter, resounded. Everywhere. So loud that my vision went blurry. Using the keys, he unlocked the doors. We quickly pushed our locks back down, this time leaving our hands pressed against the door, ensuring they would stay down.
“What are we going to do?” Jask asked me frantically. He was pale and his hands were shaking fiercely.
“I don’t know,” I replied unable to bring my voice to anything over a whisper.
“What do you mean you don’t know Veronika? You’re the expert on this kind of shit.”
“Okay,” I said, thinking. “Well, every Slender story I’ve read ends with people dying. It doesn’t say how, just that he takes them.”
Jack looked as though he would throw up, and I felt how he looked.
I looked at the smiling creature through the rearview mirror again. His aberrant smile widened and he took three long strides. He then stood inches from my window. He was so tall I could see only his midsection. Jack threw up.
“Oh fuck...” He mumbled, eyes closed tightly.
I watched the creature’s knees bend in grotesque angles until he was short enough to put his face right next to the window, his yellowing teeth wet with what looked like black slime. He licked his pointed teeth with a black sluggish thing that must have been his tongue and the slime thickened.
I screamed loudly and pushed myself as far from the window as I could without removing my hand from the lock.
His empty eyes widened with pleasure. Jack fainted, hitting his head hard against his window.
A large, pale hand laid against my window, then another. I began shaking Jack awake with one hand. He didn’t move. I slapped him hard on the face and his eyes fluttered open.
“STAY WITH ME!” I screeched. Panic had fully taken over me and I was now trying hard not to vomit.
Suddenly a horrendous scraping sound emitted, like nails on a chalkboard. Filling the car. I turned back to my window slowly and threw up thickly. Jack fainted again.
Slenderman’s long teeth were scraping long streaks into the glass. His black tongues squirming like a tentacle removed from it’s body. I watched in paralyzing fear as he slowly shaved away at my only defense.
“JACK!” I screamed when Slenderman finally broke through the glass and was now picking away at the window with a skeletal hand, his face alive with glee. He knew he had me.
Jack woke up and screamed louder than I’ve ever heard anyone scream. The kind of scream you remember even in death. I couldn’t look at Jack.
The window was gone.
I was trying to scream but nothing would come out. The pain was unbearable. It felt like four large needles had sunk into the back of my neck. Looking down I saw Slenderman’s fingers sticking out beneath my chin, covered in my blood.
I looked at the creature, who was no longer smiling. My eyes were wide with realization. I was watching myself be murdered. And my bestfriend was next.
I watched as the creature yanked his arm backwards. Taking my esophagus with him. His tux was drenched in my blood.
My head drooped down and I listened to myself die.
I’m writing you this in the forest I died in.
Jack must have gotten away because when I woke up he was gone and his body is nowhere. I pray that he’s safe somewhere. I hope that if he ever reads this he knows that I loved him dearly.
After I died something very strange happened, but at least now I know what happens when Slenderman gets you.
You see, Slenderman isn’t just one person. Well it is just one person at a time. After he killed me I felt myself breathe. And I could feel. I could even see. Though when I touched my face I felt nothing. I watched the creature that killed me disintegrate into nothing. I got out of the now tiny car, being careful not to wrinkle my new tuxedo, and wrote you this.
But I must be going. New campers have just arrived and I’m already sick of this job.
Forgive me for passing it on.
-Slenderman
