Death by Slender Man

I didn't believe in monsters. I never believed the stories I read. I dismissed everything as urban legends, fake, a poor attempt to strike fear. Jeff the Killer didn't scare me at night, the Boogieman didn't make me behave. I was immune to the stories. All except one. When I realized that it was true.

It was a cold November night when I was waking home from my girlfriend's house. It was 11 at night. I decided to take my traditional shortcut through some woods that sprawled over an area of about 15 acres, two blocks away from my house. It was pitch black and I was using the moonlight as my guide, hoping not to get lost. It wouldn't be the first time.

It was 2010. A young boy about 13 was walking through these very woods late at night in April. It was in the newspaper about two weeks later. His parents had reported him missing and said he frequently walked through the woods alone. That's when the search party was sent out and his body was finally recovered. Completely mangled. His stomach had been ripped open, his entrails strewn around like the aftermath of a pinata at a child's birthday party. One eye was missing and the other had been popped out of its socket and the corpse was laying in a pool of blood. The authorities ruled the boys death accidental, most likely caused by a bear that was known to inhabit the far South Western corner of the woods.

Of course my parents had warned me about walking through the woods after this event but how many 16 year olds actually listen to the parents? Anyways, I was deep enough in the woods where I couldn't be seen from the road so I was truly alone. At least, I thought I was alone. Until I felt weird. Like someone, or something, was watching me. I tried to put the idea in the back of my head but I could shake the feeling. It was late and I'd never seen anyone else in the woods, especially not at 11. I was scared. The only thing I could think of was to run. So I did. Until I got a phone call. Thinking it would be my parents or maybe even the police I answered. And I heard a voice on the end. Very calm, but also menacing. And it said:

&quot;I have seen you running. Are you scared?&quot;

&quot;Who are you?&quot; I asked in response.

There was no answer. Then the phone disconnected. I was even more scared now. I began to run again. And again I received another phone call.

&quot;You continue to run from me. Why? I've been following you for two years. Why do you choose now to run?&quot;

&quot;What the fuck!? Who are you!??!&quot; I practically screamed into my cellphone's receiver. But again, there was no answer before the call disconnected. By this time I was in hysterics and started sprinting through the woods shouting and screaming for help.

No response. I was totally alone.

Normally it would only take me about 20 minutes to get through the woods, but because I wasn't thinking straight, and possibly running in circles, I was stuck there for well over an hour. And after running around, scared and tired, I decided to sit down in a small clearing. I cried. And that was when the phone call came. This time however, I spoke first.

&quot;Sir, I don't know who you are or what you want, but please leave me alone. Please. I can't keep doing this...&quot;

&quot;But you do know who I am. Remember the story you read? About the man in the suit?&quot; the voice replied.

I gasped, because I now knew exactly who he was. I hit &quot;End Call&quot; and was now determined to get home. Keeping an eye on the moon above me, I ran as fast as I could. And I no longer felt like I was being watched. But I knew that wasn't the case. Because I heard the laughter, the loud menacing laughter, I started to cry. I ran faster, and faster until I could finally see the street in the foreground. I was almost free. But the laughter had continued to get louder, and louder until finally I saw it. It stepped out from behind a tree and I knew exactly what I was staring at.

He was about 10 feet tall and was wearing a black suit and red tie. He had long legs and arms, each looking to be about three-four feet in length. He was bald and had a featureless face, almost looking completely blank. And probably the scariest part was the fact that he had eight long, black tentacles protruding from his back. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My heart started to beat faster and I was having trouble breathing. And I knew this had to be the end.

Death by Slender Man.