He dwells in forests.

The story I want to, no scrap that need to tell you is about a man, or as he should now be referred to as, a beast. He is not something to be feared, but he is something to be respected. You may believe the stories people tell of his wickedness, they say he eats children, but they are wrong. He feeds not on children or innocence or any of those chosen, he feeds on FEAR, specifically the fear of those who have failed what they were meant to achieve. People sometimes mistake this as him picking off the evil in society, as though he were some sort of saviour, now let me tell you he is NOT a savior of any sort. He is evil make no mistake but he is not bad, he is... necessary, in ways some people can not even begin to understand, but what you need to understand is that we need him because without him we would have no fear, and we need our fear, for he is not the worst thing out there, not by far. Now I will tell you my story, my story showing how he can be both evil and good at once and maybe, just maybe you'll understand why you should respect him and never make the mistake of disobeying him. If you meet him, and he tells you what you are to achieve do it. Do not disappoint him. The way he showed me to respect him that day was by showing me kindness through cruelty.

The day he came to me was like that of any other day for me at the time. I was just wandering through the forest beside my house, using it as a shortcut to get home late at night, that's when it appeared, a creature was beside me, it seemed dangerous though it did nothing but look at me, its large dark eyes piercing into my mind. I stopped and sat down beside the creature and just stared at its head, it was terrifying but at the same time somehow beautiful. It had a dark shaggy mane and a long snout like mouth that somehow seemed mournful, when I began to examine his body which was covered with bristles that were rough, yet somehow also smooth. I was watching it for what felt like hours when it spoke in a lyrical voice which was so hypnotic and alluring, it said so quietly that it was like a whisper. "It's time for me to teach you why the dark is supposed to scare you..." it looked at me sadly raising its claws "I am truly sorry for this but I am ever so hungry." Suddenly a memory struck me of a story my father told me as a child. The story about a monster who lived in the forest beside our house. His words reverberated in my mind "always remember son when walking in the forest to think about this beast, because unlike most monsters this one can only ever attack you if you have forgotten him, and never forget him because he loves you, and he is your friend." I looked at the monster in front of me and said just one thing while I waited for the claws, I lent forward to the beast which only worked because he allowed it in his confusion and I whispered to him, "I understand, and I remember." It was at this moment that I was saved from this monster who loved me so, by the creature who hated me so. As the creature moved his claw towards me at a speed I could barely register I could tell something was wrong. A long thin black tendril slashed towards him, killing him, and filling me with sorrow. The tall thin creature picked me up and held me up to his blank featureless face with nothing but a mouth. It somehow seemed to be staring at me and said, in a voice like a hundred voices shouting at once "YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING. BUT I SHALL MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND MY YOUNG CHILD." I shivered as he rubbed my head with the tendril in a way that felt both loving and loathing "YOU ARE CLOSE TO ACHIEVING WHAT YOU SHOULD IN LIFE, AND THEN AND ONLY THEN SHALL YOU UNDERSTAND. YOU ARE TO TEACH PEOPLE WHY YOU SHOULD BE SCARED OF THE DARK." At that he disappeared leaving just a piece of paper that said "ALWAYS WATCHES, NO EYES."

And now I have achieved my purpose because you should understand that he was wrong, there is no need to be afraid of the dark, but you should respect it and always remember that monsters, they are just like this creature I speak of The tall man, or The thin man, or Der Grossman or The Operator or as we all know him the Slenderman. They are evil but not bad. Show them compassion and maybe, just maybe they will return the favour. Now it's time for me to say good-bye, I'm ready to meet him Der Grossman is the name I choose to call him for that is the one I found in my mind after the meeting it is his time to take me for disobeying him, but remember DO NOT BE AFRAID!