Slender

Chapter 9

I open my eyes slightly to the morning light but immediately close them not wanting to wake up just yet.

A terrible scream that sounds more like a screech echos in head loudly jolting me upright. I look around my room frantically in search of the boy only to realize I was in my room. His scream still haunts me. I turn to my clock to see it was 7:42. I let out an annoyed groan as I fall back on my bed still uneasy.

Since I stayed up until three last night then woke up again because of my parents I got only about... four hours of sleep? I lay the back of my hand on my forehead, utterly exhausted. ...I feel weird about Slenderman. From anyone's perspective you'd think I should stay away from someone like that but, now that I know he's out there, how can I? I mean, even after all that's happened shouldn't I just leave him alone? And with that last thought in mind I slowly fall back to sleep.

In a grey and white scene fog surrounds me. I'm where the leafless tree should be standing. I look around to see no such tree. A couple more turns in search of the path home and I see Slenderman appear in the distance so I walk over to him. "Slenderman I think I'm lost, I can't seem to find my way back." I feel woozy and unable to stand straight up. He doesn't respond. I wave my hand up in front of him but trip forward. It was only paper for I had fallen through him into a dark endless room. I want to get a grip on everything around me but I feel so lost and confused. A man holds his oddly pale hand out in front of me in order to help me up. I take the offer as I'm pulled up into his arms. "I have to get back home." I say softly pushing away from him but, he holds onto my arms tightly refusing to let go. I struggle now rather frightened. "Let me go!" I look up to see that it was Slenderman holding me so desperately.

"Blaye." A deep voice echoes in the endless room ringing in my ears and getting louder with each second. I was officially terrified. Eventually pushing him away I stumble back and bump against a tree. I look up at Slenderman, calm and collected as usual.

"What the hell Slen-!" I yell attempting to take a step forward but I'm oddly pinned back by my stomach. I look down in terror. One of Slenderman's black tentacles was being impaled into me and threw the tree. Blood starting to soak my shirt.

I wake up.

Staring intently up at my white ceiling I sit up quickly. Far more shaken up than the last time I hold my stomach feeling that it was still intact. Panting I breath in and out slowly to try and calm myself down. I then peer over at my clock. 12:20. That was the worst dream I've ever had.

At that moment I hear a small gentle knock on my window. I turn my head to see the dark Slenderman standing there making me flinch.

"What- What are you doing here?" I ask still breathing heavily.

"I felt a disturbance-... in you." He says slowly. "You seemed..." He thinks for a moment "Uneasy."

"How did you know?"

"I just knew." What kind of answer is that? Actually wait. Maybe this is a good time to get some questions out of the way.

"Um. Can I ask you something?" I ask bending my legs under the thick blankets holding them close to my chest.

"And what might that be?"

"Do you normally kill people...? Like, is it nothing to you?" He takes a moment to answer as usual. This question is kind of dump but, I don't care right now I just want to get the obvious out of the way.

"...Yes. You could say that killing people for me is like painting a picture is for you. It's enjoyable and fun." A little speechless I look at him in fright. That's why he was so angry when I 'interfered' last night. I wouldn't want someone stopping me from painting but, that's just... "You lied didn't you? When you said you weren't scared of me." He asks as I lower my gaze in defeat.

"Yeah." I breath knowing I can't deny it no matter how much I want to.

"It's alright, I don't blame you. After all, I've been lying to you too." I look back up in confusion and almost fear. "I've actually never been human once in my life." He sits down on my arm chair that had been behind him. "In fact, I don't know what I am. I tend to put myself in a fantasy world where I was once a human and that I've been cursed." He rips open his mouth and puts on a genuinely wicked smile. "I'd be delighted if you also played along."

"O-Okay." I stutter feeling strangely nervous. So he's always been this way... Now I'm just more curious.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" He rests his jaw on his knuckles. The atmosphere was kinda of nice. I do want to ask something else.

"Um...That- That time you visited me in my room... Why did-" No, no, no, I can't. I stop myself feeling flustered.

"What is it?" He tilts his head slightly.

"Well-" I put my head down with embarrassment. "You tried to kiss me and-"

"Oh, sorry." I flinch from his immediate response. "It's just... you remind me of someone I knew." My eyes widen. ...So that was toward someone else. How much of a fantasy world is he in? I lift my head up a little. Why do I feel so disappointed? shouldn't I be relieved? Wait a second.

"Is that why you didn't kill us five years ago?" I raise my head to hear if I'm correct.

"Yes." He smiles answering with ease unlike last time. And to think... If I wasn't born with this face I wouldn't be here right now. I stare up at him feeling thankful. But who should I thank?

"Thank you." His smile disappears.

"There's nothing to be thankful for really." He adjusts his head on his knuckles making the way he was at that very moment utterly- I felt a desire.

"Wait-" He slightly turns his head to me. "Can I draw you?" I ask in anticipation. His smile returns.

"Of course." I quickly grab my sketchbook and pencil that was stored under my bed. He closes his mouth up and rests back in the chair. And just like that, I started sketching my obsession that I feared so dearly. Roughly forty minutes pass as he asked simple questions about myself while I drew him. In which I would then ask the same ones back or other notions that came to me.

I ended up learning that this was the first forest he's stepped into and that's why he treasures it so much. I've learned that he was beat in school and bullied regularly. And for me, he learned that I have no friends and that my parents plan to put me into a professional art school soon. He found out that I was actually adopted as well as off topically that my favorite color was green... But what made that forty minutes so valuable with him was when I asked what his favorite color was. And he said it was also green.