Deathly Silent

Only darkness; utter silence.

Shapes drift among the trees. What is real, and what is imagined? There is no way of knowing until it is too late. A word to the wise: do not turn around, because the only thing that could be there is a phantom of the night.

A living nightmare walks the earth. He drifts between the seen and unseen; between this reality and perhaps another dimension.

He always watches. Yet he has no eyes.

How did this being come into existence? There are many rumors, different stories of what hides in the shadows. Some are truer than others. But who is to say what is truth? Most who would know do not exist on this earth any longer. There is only one left to tell the story of a slender man.

In the forest at night, innocent shadows mutate into gruesome monsters. Exploring the woods might be a fatal mistake. For those foolhardy enough to walk willingly into the hands of death, it presents a sort of eerie challenge. Who will last the longest without screaming and running away? Little do they know that they will literally be running for their lives.

Only darkness; utter silence.

An unnatural feeling settles over the group as they intrude the boundaries of the forest. Their leader wields a camera, ready to take proof of what he is sure does not exist. His confidence will be his downfall; little does he know that he is only a target. In the blackness of night, some begin to realize that this is a mistake. But it is too late to turn back now. They press onward, not knowing what watches and lies in wait.

There are no noises from small critters of the forest. They know what is coming, and have no desire to be near. One of the members of this group notices. In a shaky whisper she points it out to the rest, trying to stifle a cough. Those who were uncertain before are now sure of it; something is watching.

A dark shadow moves among the trees. The group freezes when they hear the static from their camera. Slowly, they back away from where they saw the movement. In a flash of white, the camera clicks. This angers the phantom, but he waits.

The one holding the camera steps forward. He calls out into the night, “Show yourself!”

Only darkness; utter silence.

The children move onward again, this time more cautiously. Every single member feels the menacing presence. Leaves and pebbles crunch underfoot as they walk further into the forest. The half moon drifts out from behind a layer of clouds, shedding more light than their flashlight can.

The friends stop in a clearing illuminated by moonlight to set up tents and build a fire. Soon, warmth and light bring a burst of bravery back into their hearts.

The one who watches knows that they cannot stay still. He waits for the perfect opportunity. It does not take long.

The camera holder once again speaks.

“Slender Man doesn’t even exist. I told you guys this was stupid.” He calls mockingly into the woods, “Come out, Slender Man!”

It is time to instill some fear in their hearts. Terror makes the kill even sweeter. There is no escape now; they are in his domain.

The moon falls behind a cloud. Only the flickering fire lights the clearing, bringing a small measure of reassurance to the group as they crowd around its warmth. Nothing can hurt them in the firelight.

But they are mistaken.

The clearing fills with the sound of static as what hides in the shadows moves closer. Every electronic device recognizes him and wails in fear the only way they know how. The bold one once again steps forward with the protesting camera, ready to snap the shutter as the inhuman form steps forward.

Another burst of white with a small click enrages the malevolent being. He moves menacingly towards the group that has frozen in terror. His long arms reach for them. The one with the camera has fallen under the spell of the darkness and slowly begins to move ever closer to the unnaturally tall form with many misshapen arms and no face.

The man would grin if it had a mouth. They are all his now.

The moment his long, stick-like arms close around the group’s leader, the spell is broken. One of the children stumbles backward and falls, screaming in pain and fright as his arm lands in the fire. The others scramble to try and help, but it is too late. In his attempts to put out the flames, the boy causes much of the surrounding area to catch on fire. The tent begins to smolder as the grass around it singes the rough fabric.

Everything happens in only a matter of seconds before most of the group flees the clearing, running from both the fire and the tall man as fast as they can. But they cannot stop the destruction that has already been set in motion. The fire that brought them comfort only minutes before chases at their heels with a scorching rage. Flames blaze in the night, burning through large portions of forest with unnatural speed before dying out and leaving behind a burned wasteland with no survivors.

Only darkness. Utter silence. 

And the shadow of the night moves onward, searching for its next victim.

Do not turn around; I always watch, yet I have no eyes.