Slender

Chapter 12

Everything has felt more like a dream then usual. Sometimes it's hard to believe everything is really the way that it is right now, or at least has come to be. And to think I actually believed that my parents weren't going to find out about him. No wait, it could have stayed this way. Since I already leave the house on a regular basis, it's nothing new to them. But things moving on there own, is. As well as any type of electrical disturbance in the house.

"Is that so...?" I answer bluntly for my mother had just said that they plan to call a psychic.

"Yes." She continues eyeing at all my paintings in a daze. "If there really is a chance that the house is perhaps, a little haunted, then it be best to get rid of whoever it is as soon as possible. Just in case."

"Yeah..."

"That is, unless you have something you want to say." She still thinks it's me.

"No." I state. She's give out a sigh and lowers her shoulders.

"Blaye," She starts. "Who is the faceless man in your paintings?" Her voice sounds worried.

"He's just a character I made up mom." I never thought I'd have to lie this much in my life.

"You didn't see him in a dream-...? Or in the house?"

"No." I say reassuringly. My mother gives me one last worried gaze.

"Alright then." She leaves the room without another word.

Dammit... This is all Slender's fault. Why'd he even do that? His words are suddenly replayed in my head:

"...I've always wanted to kill your parents..." No wonder he's messing with them. I'm sure he's just angry, like me. But now my mom's calling a psychic so what am I supposed to do? ...Maybe just nothing? And just sit back and watch how it all plays out? I wonder if the psychic... will be able to see Slender.

I woke up the next morning to a cold breeze coming from my window and... my father's yelling. Just two more days until the cycle is over. Then the silence will occur and eventually they'll makeup. But then, it'll just start all over again. I feel like they'll be getting a divorce soon but as always, I turn out to be wrong. Which means more months of hell for me. It's always the same in the morning on days like these. I rush over to plug in my earphones while I shakily start to get dressed into something warm. But it's different now. I'm not as alone as I used to be. I turn around to look at my window where sun peeked in. Oh, what I would give for him to pop up right now. Even if it was just for a second, just a small exchange of meaningless words would be enough to get me to stop shaking.

As soon as I finish lacing up my shoes and zipping up my jacket I head down the hallway. They sounded closer to the door than usual so I had no choice but to make a dash for it. No bike today. I feel like showing up with a bike would be somewhat uninviting.

The trees in this forest are very thick indicating they've been here for a long time. And luckily they're grown very close together so the moment I enter the forest I'm immediately hidden like behind curtains on a stage. I dash until I can't hear their awful words any longer when I'm suddenly encountered with another problem. Where am I headed...? Exactly that is, since... Well would it be rude go searching for him right off the bat? Would it be uncalled for to me walk until I'm all the way in the fenced area? My walking pace slows more and more as my doubts continue to gnaw at me.

I do my best to recall all of the sincere things he said last night. Who am I kidding, he would love to see me, right? Right...? I stop. Just thinking about how he acted last time I showed up in the gated area... makes me doubt myself even more. No, no, no, stop doing that to yourself Blaye. Slenderman likes you and cares about you and he would never ever hurt you. Why else would he have done... all those things? I start walking again.

"Slender," I mumble to myself but just loud enough to where someone around could hear. "My parents plan to call a psychic... and I was wondering... If she'll be able to see you or not." I look around but there's no sign of him. I speak a little louder. "Why couldn't my parents see you? Did you make it so that they couldn't or is there more to it than that?" I search again. Yeah... I don't think he's listening to me.

I grip onto the wired fence peering into the identical forest within. It's cold, just like Slender. I wait a couple seconds for him to show up and do something unexpected. But I'm left with nothing. I take a deep breath and climb over the fence. Heading straight like last time, I soon find myself standing in front of the leafless tree once again. But there was something different this time. The note on the tree instead was the word "No" in capital letters six times along each side. And in the middle was a drawing of... Slenderman? Why do all these look like a kid drew them...? I eye around at the other trees hoping to see Slender in between them. Once again, I'm still alone. I decide to abandon the path and head in a random direction different from my last two. As I walked and walked a fear grew in me. This fenced area might be a bit larger than I thought. I don't think I'll get lost just... Why does it make me more scared of Slender for some reason?

Soon and oddly enough, I walk into something I was not expecting to find here of all places. In another open area connected to the path was a red truck. It seems like it's been here for a long time. I go over immediately to open the door but its locked. How disappointing, I would have loved to use this as a back up "bed" to sleep in when my parents fight through the night. I'm sure I could get comfortable enough in the passenger seat to catch a few Z's. I'm sure Slender wouldn't mind... I think. I walk around to the back of the truck to find yet again, another note. "Don't look or it takes you." Again, all in caps. Okay that's just terrifying. And there's another stick figure in the corner representing Slenderman, but not as well drawn. Why did those two teens even want these awful notes!?

I attempt to open the trunk, locked again. Damn... On my tippy toes I peek into the trunk. And there, right in the middle were the keys. I try to reach for them from all sides of the truck but I barely even come close to scratching them. Taking hold of the edge I try to jump in by balancing myself on my stomach but slide off right away. An Idea comes when I quickly look under the truck for a box of any sort.

"Blaye." I flinch from hearing my name all of a sudden. I turn and look up at Slenderman who stood a few feet away. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, oh... I was looking for- uh..." Come on now, I don't need to be so nervous. "I was um-... I can't reach the keys."

"Keys?"

"Yeah." I stand up, tippy toeing to look into the trunk again. "I can't reach." He walks up next to me seeing as the keys glistened in the sun. Slender, and with ease, reaches into the truck and hands me the pair of rusted keys. Slender is so nice. "Thank you." I dash around him to the passenger side and try out the first key. It opened. Success. With a grin on my face I start to look about the inside. Bare. "How long has this truck been here?" I ask.

"Longer than you can imagine." He walks over to me.

"Wow. How'd it get here?"

"Blaye."

"Hm?"

"Why are you so interested in this truck?"

"Uh-" I stop my search for anything in between the seats. "Oh, Actually I was wondering, I don't know if this is too rude of me or not but... if it's okay with you... Can I sleep here?"

"What?"

"Like-" I sit down and fiddle with the levers on the side. "When my parent's fight late at night again; if it's okay that I come here to sleep instead." I pull down the flip mirror on the ceiling when something falls out onto my lap. It was a small black and white photo of a bunch of schoolkids. Just by looking at it you could tell it was taken a really long time ago. Wait- my eyes widen. Slender was in this picture. "Slender... Is this you?" In the picture out of everyone there was a single boy... without a face. But then something else catches my eye. I gasp and throw the photograph onto the dashboard. No way, that's impossible! I'm suddenly shaking and my heartbeat is racing. The girl...! The little girl next to Slender! It's me!