Dexter Morgenstern - The Slender Man

What would happen if I cut the tree down though? If that’s the fiend’s totem, his portal, then if it’s destroyed he should go away, or at least slow him down right? Or maybe a new one will pop up in its place. How would I cut it down? I can use a chainsaw, but we don’t have one. In fact I don’t think there’s anything at my disposal I can use to cut down the tree. I can at least bother to check though. I can go out back into the shed. Chances are there’s something of use there.

I stop in my room and change first. If I’m going to be out in the cold night air I will need a jacket, and some shoes. I put my hoodie over my pajama shirt and throw on some athletic pants over my shorts. I put on some socks and running shoes and then creep downstairs. I hear a stirring coming from my parents’ room and freeze. I’ll be damned if my parents don’t wake up when I fall down the stairs, but do when I creep down them. After I hear the sound of running water coming from the master bathroom I quickly but quietly escape the house and shut the front door behind me.

As soon as I’m outside, I look around to make sure the monster hasn’t returned. After doing so, I run around the side of the house and to the back. In our backyard is a shed, but it’s never locked. I don’t even think there’s much in here. Come to think of it, I don’t recall ever being in there at all. I open the shed and wince as it creaks loudly the whole way. I want to sneak in and shut the door but it’s so dark in here, and with no windows I’ll need the moonlight to show me the way. I wish I’d thought to grab a flashlight, but that would involve scouring the whole house for one and probably waking everyone up. Inside the shed sits a big lawnmower. It’s dirty and covered with dead grass. Next to the lawnmower are items useless to me like rakes, a tire iron- a toolbox.

There must be something in there right? I go over to the toolbox and am surprised at how heavy it is. It’s big and rectangular, and it takes me a few tries to get the clasps open. After I finally open it a bunch of lazily piled tools fall out and clang loudly. I put my hands to my ears reflexively although it’s not what I hear that what matters.

After a long pause to make sure my parents aren’t rushing out to catch me I sort through the tools and find nothing but wrenches, and wrench-like thingies that I don’t even know the name for. None of them so much as have a blade. After a huff and a puff I take one last look around the shed and then leave. I might not be able to cut down the tree after all.

Standing outside the shed I look around with disappointment before something catches my eye. You can see the neighbor’s yards all the way down the street as the fences are chain-link, but a few houses down I see a pile of chopped wood. They aren’t in plastic packages or with anything to hint that they were bought, so that must imply that the people- I’m not sure who they are, we aren’t very social with our neighbors- chopped it themselves. I am about ready to hop the fence into the adjacent yard but then I catch sight of their doghouse. It’s not particularly big, but I know I’ve heard dogs barking here before, and they aren’t Chihuahuas.

I go around the front way, hoping no one in this neighborhood has a five A.M. appointment. When I reach the house with the woodpile, I sneak around back and am relieved to see no doghouse next to their wood pile. I’m not a thief, but for the sake of trying to save a life- or prevent further kidnappings- I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I borrow-without-asking one of their tools. I try and hop the fence with my normal dexterity, but my bruises flash with pain and I stumble at the top, cutting my thigh on the top of the fence. It’s not deep, but it stings and will probably bleed. I don’t want to delay though, so I limp over to their shed with one hand on my thigh.

When I reach the doors, I see that they are padlocked, great. I sigh and am about to give up when I see just what I need. There is a large woodcutting axe lazily propped against the pile of wood. I almost laugh when I remember I’m trying to be discreet. I snatch the axe, toss it over the fence and- carefully this time- hop back over. I stick as much of the axe as I can into my jacket. The head is fully concealed, but there are a good six inches of the handle sticking out from underneath.

I reach the edge of the sidewalk, my usual stretch point. Well, I was always careful to stretch before running through the woods, so why not stretch before trying to defeat a monster from another dimension? I do stretch as best as I can with the pain and trying to conceal the axe. I feel like I’m finally ready, but when I’m about to battle-charge into the woods, a little voice inside my head reminds me of what I’m about to do. As I think about my mission, I suddenly feel like it’s not such a good idea. I am about to venture over a mile into the woods alone so early in the morning that it’s pretty much night. These woods are the playground for a shadow entity that’s been kidnapping people, and I’m going in based on the hunch that if I cut down an eerie tree everyone will be okay.

I take a step back, but then Shana’s screams echo in my head. I have to try otherwise I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting it and wondering if I could have saved her. She would do the same for me. I look and see the sun rising. At least I’ll have light. I jog off into the woods, doing the best I can to keep the axe from falling out or disemboweling me, but once I get about fifty yards in, I lose the urge to run. I can still hardly see, and I get the feeling that I’m not alone.

I begin walking, slowly but steadily. I listen for any sound that differs from the sound of leaves and twigs crunching beneath me. I still have the axe tucked into my jacket, and I contemplate bringing it out so I will be ready to swing if something jumps out at me. Is the monster even corporeal enough to be hurt by an axe?

I climb the first slope. By now, the sun is casting an orange and pink glow. Another twenty minutes must have passed since I first entered the woods. The forest is still unusually dark though. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been in the woods this early before, but I don’t like the idea of not being able to see far ahead of me. I keep feeling like I’m back in the nightmare, and at times I feel like I’ve taken a wrong turn. I’m used to looking far ahead of me to determine my path to the clearing, not from tree to tree.

I hear leaves rustling in response to a gust of wind. The wind blows past me and I shudder, not because of any kind of chill, but because of the static wave that passes through me. I tremble and let out a tiny squeak in response. He knows I’m here. I keep walking. I can’t stop now. I feel like he’s behind me, but I don’t dare turn around. Another gust hits me and I close my eyes. I don’t want to open them for fear of what I might see. I begin taking very deep and controlled breaths to calm myself. I try and make them as quiet as possible because I don’t want him to hear how scared I am if he can’t already sense it.

I don’t hear any footsteps to signal him following me, but every few seconds another wave of static passes through me, reminding me that he’s watching me. I look at the ground, guiding myself forward by memory. I don’t know where he is, or how close he is, but he’s stalking me. Why isn’t it attacking me? Maybe he’s having fun toying with me. Maybe he’s confused as to why I would come here of my own will and is waiting to find out. If that’s the case then it’s best I keep the axe hidden under my jacket. Or maybe he needs to wear me down before he can strike.

Whatever it is, I can’t show any signs of fear or panic. I can’t run. I have to ignore him. I have to pretend he’s not there. If I run, scream, or stop, he will know I’m scared. It’s harder than it sounds, and with every step I take, with every static wave that pulses through me, I find it harder to keep my wits. Panicky thoughts flood my mind. What have I gotten myself into? Why didn’t I call the police department and have them cut the tree down. Or why didn’t I have some other adult come out and do it. Why didn’t I at least bring an escort?