“It might, but at any rate he didn’t take your voice did he?” she asks. I shake my head.
“I think if you play your heart out on your guitar and sing your brother that song- I think that might be the only joy and life that passes through to his shadow world.”
I feel my stomach churn as the memories of the last time I was there come to me. I keep dwelling on the idea that I won’t succeed, and that I won’t even make it there, but now he’s practically- no he’s literally invited me to come in. He’s insisted that I come of my own accord. I bet now I could walk up with a chainsaw and he wouldn’t hurt me till I reach the tree. I doubt it would do me any good though. “When, when do I do it?” I ask.
She looks out her window at the night sky.
“I don’t think he’s going to let you sleep through the night,” she says, brutally honest.
“Alright then,” I say, voice cracking. I hate the idea of going back out there, but not as much as I hate the idea of leaving Adam there to suffer. I hate everything right now, and I especially hate the fact that I can’t even cry it out, because that will only help him. His static presence rings through my ears. He’s probably overheard our entire conversation. He probably hears every thought coursing through my mind right now.
Bubbe stands up and I feel her hand on my shoulder. I look down and see she’s holding something in her other hand, something I haven’t seen until now.
“I found this thrown on your floor,” she says. My eyes widen in shame as I see what’s in her hand. It’s the Star of David necklace she gave me, the one that’s practically ancient treasure. She didn’t even pass it down to Mom and here I am throwing it in the floor.
“I’m sorry, I-” I say, trying to apologize, but I silence myself as she clasps the necklace around my neck and hugs me. I hug her back tightly.
“I’m sorry you have to do this. I feel like it’s my job to stop you, but I know there’s no other way. I wish I could go in your stead, but just promise me something,” she says.
“What?” I ask, crying.
“Don’t make me lose both of my grandchildren,” she orders. I nod.
“Alright good-”
“Don’t say goodbye either, because you’re coming back with Adam in your arms,” she says.
I nod again. Right-O.
“What about Mom?” I ask.
“Didn’t I say you were coming back?” she says. I laugh a bit.
“Go get your guitar.”
I let go and slowly walk to my room, planning out my actions. Surely I’ll at least get to see Adam while I’m in there, and all I should have to do is escape with Adam in my arms. If he wants me so badly, then he’ll probably try to attack me instead of Adam if we run together. Last time I felt that he could only take one of us at a time, and he and I both know that I’m the one he wants. I pick up my guitar and take one long look at it. It’s worn, but the light brown body is still very shiny, despite being completely covered in finger prints and smudges. I’ve only ever had to change the strings once.
I sling the guitar around my back and slowly creep downstairs. I can see Dad is still on his chair, and I see Mom’s legs from around the corner, and a big blanket dangling to the floor. She must have crawled in with him, lights on and everything. I blow them a silent kiss and creep out the door. I shut it as quietly as I can behind me.
I walk down to the end of the driveway and turn around. This might be the last time I see my house. I take in the beige coloring and look up to see my broken window, but with the curtain you can’t see inside my room. I guess that’s how I didn’t know it was broken until now.
I turn around and head straight for the woods. I only stop to go through my routine of stretches at the end of the sidewalk. I’m not planning on running in, but I bet there will be a lot of running involved in getting back out, and now would be the worst time of all to twist an ankle, although my stretches haven’t prevented me from stumbling before. I take my time, and I can feel Slender’s impatience with me. I get my hamstrings, quadriceps, and even my arms in twenty second counts. I wish I hadn’t pick jeans to wear, because they will really limit my flexibility. It’s not too late to go back and change, I think but shake it off. That’s just a way to delay the inevitable.
I march into the woods, as confident as I can be. I’m not in very deep before the woods begin to get very dark, only moonlight guiding my path. I wonder if it will be darker in the shadow world, because at least there I have light radiating from my own body, although it grows dim very quickly when Slender has me.
As I find my way up the first slope I hear something in the distance. It’s a scream. There’s a girl screaming in pain. I shudder, and move on. I almost want to close my eyes but I won’t be able to find my way to the tree if I do.
I hear another scream, it’s coming from far behind me now. It’s male this time, but I still don’t recognize who it belongs to. Slender is trying to drop my morale. I won’t let him. As I hear a third scream, this one ahead of me, I pull my guitar from my back. I have to walk more carefully as to not hit it against the trees, but it’s worth it.
I pick a scale and repeat it. It’s more of a string skipping exercise, but it keeps music in the air, and I don’t have to worry too much about messing up the tab from a song. I keep playing the notes and then I hear another scream. I have to close my eyes for a few seconds at this one. It’s so long and drawn out that I find myself playing random notes on all strings in order to drown it out. Lionel’s cries of agony ring out. Slender knows this one is bothering the most, so he keeps playing it.
I have to play a song now, a happy one. I try to think of most of the music I listen to, but a particularly happy song seems to escape my mind at every corner. I flip through bands in my head. Chevelle? No. Avril Lavigne? No. Paramore? I can’t find one. I know so many cheerful songs, but they seem to be blocked from my memory. It’s as if he’s in my head, making sure there’s no joy. I’ll fight it. I begin playing a random riff. I don’t know if it’s one I’m pulling from one of the forgotten songs lost in my subconscious, or if I’m making it up as I go along. All I know is it’s a mellow, soft-acoustic song, and as I play it, I can barely hear the screams.
The screams play louder, no they’re closer. Now it’s both Lindsay and Lionel- brother and sister, screaming. I wonder if he’s hurting them together. Does Lindsay have to watch her brother writhe in pain? I shake the thought by playing more loudly. I’m almost there, I tell myself in my mind, even though I’ve just barely crossed the halfway point. The screams are louder and more frequent, and it’s as if I hear the screams of every child I’ve known him to take - excluding Shana and Adam.
Leanne and Jason ring out, followed by someone I don’t recognize, followed by Lionel. Now he’s so loud he is drowning out my guitar. I won’t let him. I pluck the strings loudly and off-key, not with the intent of the song I’m playing, but just to mask the cries.
I reach the final slope, and the cries are cut off all at once. It’s as if someone abruptly hit pause on a simultaneous screaming track. I don’t hesitate, although I’m progressing slowly. I don’t fully know what to expect, but as the tree comes into view, my heart fills with dread. I do the best I can to pull up anger, but I just don’t have enough of it in my system. No! I need joy, I have to be joyous.
I reach the top of the hill. The tree has gotten much taller. It must be twenty-five feet in height, and not half a foot wide. I get where the term Slender originates. It still has those two low hanging branches that are almost as tall as the tree alone; the arms, and then the rest of the branches, all stemming from the back and all pointed up. There are more of these than there ever were before. I know that we are right-the branches are somehow representative of the children he takes, and Slender has been busy. I count fifteen branches now, not including the fallen one next to the axe on the ground.
I feel a continuous stream of static. With the static comes numbness, but slowly. I feel goose-bumps as shivers run through my b
ody, but I pretend to not notice. I walk up to the tree, face to face, and I am about to play the guitar when I think of the boldest thing possible. I turn around with my eyes closed, and lean with my back against the tree. “Time to be happy Adam, I hope you’re listening,” I say.
I take a deep breath and force a smile, and then I begin playing the tab for Adon Olam. As I play I feel the static get closer. It’s not necessarily stronger than before, but it feels closer. All of my muscles tense involuntarily. Is he right here? I slink down into a sitting position, still leaning on the tree. I feel something touch my arm. It’s feels like a hand with long, slender fingers. It’s coming from behind me. I shiver. I’m practically vibrating by this point, but I continue.
I begin singing in a tremulous voice.
“Adon... Olam...” I feel heavy fluid trickle down my nose. “...asher malach,” I continue, but my body is starting to go numb. I feel another hand grab me gently, as if just to tease me, and the way the static is slowly pulsing, it’s almost as if it’s breathing down my neck instead of laughing. I take another breath, trying not to hyperventilate.
“b’terem kol... y’tzir nivra...” I mutter, but my voice cracks. Stop being afraid. Don’t be afraid damnit! I keep playing,
“…L’et na’asah, v’cheftzo kol...” I feel unbearably drowsy as Slender’s static aura engulfs me, pulling me through, burning.
“…azai melech, sh’mo nikra...” and I fall over... limp.
20: The Slender Man
Bump, bump, bump. I can hear my heartbeat. I can feel it. With each beat it gets heavier. I'm not dead, I know that much. He's sucked me in. I feel numbness penetrate my body and shudder in response, but it's no time to be scared. That's what he wants, but I came here expecting this. I already know what it's like in this shadow world. I hold myself still, waiting for Slender's screaming laughter, or the jagged pain, but neither come. I only hear my heartbeat, and static. What's happening?
I open my eyes, it's very dark, but the light coming from me is brighter than before. I still can't see anything outside of the clearing though. I see no sign of Adam, or the Slender Man. I lean forward, balancing my- my guitar! I still have it. Apparently I can bring things through. If only I smuggled Dad's shotgun in. If only a shotgun would work on this fiend.
I slowly make it to my feet, stumbling as I get used to the numbness. This has already happened to me twice before, you'd think I'd adjust more quickly by now, but it's like dipping into cold water; no matter how many times you experience it, you're never really prepared for the sensation.
I turn around to look at the tree. It's moving, but not contorting, and there's no black vortex-vein connecting me to it. Slender really must have special plans for me, but what does he want me to do? I take a few steps, unsure of which direction to turn. I'm starting to feel anxious, trying to anticipate what's going to happen next. He's going to jump out at me, or grab me suddenly. No, he must be expecting me to wander off with no guidance, to try and escape, and eventually fall into his trap, if I'm not trapped already.
"Adam!" I call, but my voice is muffled, as if this is a dream. I can still hear my voice. It just won't project into a shout. Is he blocking the sound then? I strum a chord on my guitar to see what's going on. I feel the vibrations pass through my body, and the sound of the guitar resonates for a while, but it's very discordant.
"Your move," I say, boldly.
Slender must be taking the bait, because here's Leanne's scream. It's coming from my left, deeper into the woods. "Right," I say. He must want me to follow Leanne's calls. I do my best to not let fear overcome me, but I can hardly help myself. Every second I tell myself. "He wants me to be scared," in an effort to calm myself down, and it does, if only a little. I walk into the woods, every step showing me another leafless tree.
Leanne's screams get louder which means I’m getting closer. I walk for about another minute before I see Leanne lying on the ground. There is no light coming from her body, but she's moving a little bit. I stand above her, and watch her body distort. She's ghostly pale, and if not for her slight movements I would think she’s dead. "Leanne?" She distorts again, and I jump back as the once-prone Leanne is now standing face-to-face with me inside one flash. She looks angry, but her eyes are blank, and her body is emitting this shadowy aura. What's worse is while she's standing like this, she is continuously distorting, and in between the flashes she seems to have no face, but when she does have a face it's set in that vengeful look, the hateful look I last saw her directing toward me.
I wait for her to make a move. She distorts again and now she's on her knees crying for help. Confronted with this pitiful version of her, I can't help but feel, well, pity. He's showing me that Leanne is still here with us, even though he has total control of her actions. It's the temporary release Shana had to fight to achieve the moment she told me to wake up, but Leanne isn't as strong. She just wants help. She distorts again, and Slender-Leanne is standing less than a foot away from me once more.
"I didn't come here for you," I try, hoping that's the right answer. Leanne does the scariest thing she could possibly do next, she laughs. As she laughs her body distorts- no contorts, violently, as if disjointed, and she keeps flashing between no-face and angry-face, while manically laughing, but her laugh is coming from all directions. I feel a sudden drop in my sanity and consider running, but where?
Leanne grabs my head and my shoulder and pulls herself forward as if she were trying to kiss or head-butt me. As her face connects with mine, there's no impact, instead it feels like we are merging, and a deafening static shriek permeates the air. I feel the same vertigo and sudden weakness I experienced the last time. I pull away and catch a glimpse of what's happening.
My light is dimming and it's as if- Leanne is creating the same effect that the tree's vortex did before. Only this time it feels like my whole body is being sucked in by the contact. My body distorts now, painfully. I jump back, and pull away as fast as I can, but Leanne won't relent. I see light coming from her body now. She's stealing my own energy from me! I jerk to my right and run, but my guitar strap pulls me back. I turn my neck and see she's trying to hold onto me by my guitar. She pulls back as I pull forward.
In my current condition- dizziness, numbness, and nausea, I am in no shape to fight her back, and I hit the ground, but before she can grab me and finish me off, I slip under the guitar strap and bolt. Bolt may not be the best word for it. I am practically throwing myself from tree to tree, unable to balance for more than a few steps without falling over, at least not until the dizziness subsides. I can hear Leanne's overwhelming laughter continue, and I turn to see she's following me. She's taunting me. As my vision returns- somewhat, I can run more steadily. I run for maybe twenty seconds before a hand makes contact with my face.
It's Jason's hand. I flinch, ready to be knocked back by the solid force of a punch, and although I fall over, it's not because of any impact. When Jason's hand comes into contact with my face, I feel the same draining sensation. Does everyone who touches me here steal my life-force? I wonder.
I push myself up to get off the ground, but Leanne has caught up and her added onslaught worsens my condition. The world is spinning so fast that I can't even see, and it's all I can do to pitch forward, onto my knees, and then try to stand. I hobble between the flashes of pain that come with every distortion, and I feel my light growing even dimmer. When they fully drain me, do I become one of them?
I jerk back and throw a punch at Leanne, but she doesn't react to it. She's just trying to absorb me. I dive away and end up rolling down the hill. The momentum, which I'm grateful for, rips me out of their grip. It's perfect timing too, because there was no way I was getting out of there with my own strength, not when I can't hurt them. I have no weapons here. Without even being able to see clearly, I move on aimlessly. My only desire is to put some distance between my attackers and me.
They siphon my strength like Slender does. They're like variants of him—or maybe exte
nsions of him. My mind starts calling them Slender Children. I noticed that they grow brighter as they drain me. Does that mean that if they steal enough from me, they can escape? Is that Slender's game? Whichever one of them takes the most life from me gets released? Or does draining me sufficiently just trap me here?
I just want Adam, and since they drain my energy with contact, do I have to find Adam and give him my strength to help him escape? Shana hadn’t drained me this way, so this must just be an attack method. The only way to get out of here is to run. If I fail, then both of us are stuck here. I'll have to take him to the edge like I did Shana and hope he still has enough strength to survive the transition. When I do that will Slender focus on me to make sure I don't escape?
I keep running. I can see one of the girls Deputy Yew showed me a photo of approaching. I turn and run in the opposite direction, only to run into Lindsay. I want to apologize to her, because the first face I see of her is a pleading look on her face, but my judgment tells me to jump away, and I do in the nick of time. As soon as I leap, Lindsay flashes into her faceless form and reaches her arms forward. She wants to drain from me too. It's a game of keep-away.
I dash as fast as I can down through the woods. I need to find Adam, but so far he hasn't appeared. How will I find him?
"Adam!" I try to call, but the static is still distorting my voice.
"Adam!" I scream this time. I'm louder, but I doubt anyone more than five meters away would be able to hear me. A child catches my attention to my left. I stop and lean against the nearest tree to keep from falling over.
"Adam?" I ask, but it's too dim to see from this distance. I hear the laughter of Lindsay, Leanne, Jason, and a few others behind me. If all of them dog-pile me, I'm finished.
I walk forward to illuminate the child, but stop as he comes into view. It's Lionel, faceless Lionel. He distorts and becomes crying Lionel. I wish I'd looked away. I wish I'd turned as soon as I saw that it isn't Adam. The face of a five year old child in pain, full of terror, trauma, and anguish will never leave me. I fight back tears as I run, knowing that Slender did that on purpose, and that Lionel will only grab me like the others. I came here to save Adam, my brother, and if anyone is going to siphon my life from me to escape, it will be him.
The Slender Man Page 18
