1864
The book reads:
1864 June 16
One week ago, my son was taken from his bed. There was no sign of trace anywhere. I could remember that day, he said the angel was outside. I was confused and asked him what he was talking about. He then told me a myth about a man, he was very slender. But the part that crept me out the most was the fact he had no mouth. No nose. No eyes. He said he wore a smart suit and what happened to be a tie.
Of course I told him it was a load of nonsense. I brought him inside and we ate dinner. My son left the table without a word. I asked where he was going. But when I asked him he spoke unlike the child I had given birth to. I'm going to bed, he said with a faint voice. Later that night I put his younger sisters to sleep. And my husband had decided to go to bed early. My son lived in the top of the house in the attic. It was the only bedroom that had a window big enough to climb through.
I walked up the stairs as silent as I could, but none the less, it made loud creaking noises. So did his door as I opened it. I was never allowed in his room. Now I understand why. The walls were covered in his writing. The writing stated: Worship him. The writing was written in blood.
I carried on walking through the room. There were cobwebs everywhere. I walked over to his bed. I found no son. I did find a black piece of clothing though. It felt like cotton but thicker and softer. The window was open. I looked out across the yard. There walking out into the forest was the shape of a man with Giant arms, wearing a suit and carrying my son. He had tentacles in his back. Tears filled my eyes.
I'm so sorry for not believing you. May God forgive me.
"Wow, She must have been petrified!" Valkyrie exclaimed. Skulduggery flipped through the pages. She hadn't written anything else in the book, although, he did find a picture at the end. The picture was of a circle of her kids and their friend, but the "Slender Man" was behind them. Valkyrie looked at the picture, and studied it well.
"That's so strange. Why didn't he just kill them while they were there?" Valkyrie asked.
"I don't think he kills them." Skulduggery answered.
"Hey look!" Valkyrie said to Skulduggery. She'd found an article on the family.
It stated:
1864 June 18
A family of 4 have been killed in their own home, although there was a brother that apparently wasn't there in the accident. According to the near by neighbours, he'd been missing for two days. The mother had said that he'd been taken by something that he'd called the Tall man.
"Now known as the Slender man, right?" Valkyrie asked
"Indeed." Skulduggery carried on reading.
Scientist have been researching this "Slender Man" and they have found that this incident has not only happened once, but many times before all over the world dated back to the time of 1877. Hunters are still trying to hunt Slender Man down, but each day they come back with one man less. The captain of the hunting organization said that he would do anything to bring back the children that have been lost.
"They must have been pretty desperate." Valkyrie said identifying the objects in the room.
"What? To risk 173 lives to find some taken children? Yeah, they were really desperate." Skulduggery agreed.
"Skulduggery, Do actually think he's real? It sounds pretty silly to me." Valkyrie told him.
"Valkyrie," Skulduggery explained "We fought, what humans would think, aliens. We fought monsters. I don't think this is fake."
Valkyrie didn't say anything and looked out the window. She looked down at the window sill and wiped her finger across it. She looked at her finger as she dusted it away. Valkyrie went back to looking outside. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she screamed.
Outside, standing in the road in between the woods was a tall man. He had arms that looked like they could touch the ground, There were also black tentacles coming out of it's back.
"Valkyrie! What's wrong?" Skulduggery asked confused.
Valkyrie turned to Skulduggery, but was too shocked to say anything.
"Out-Outside…" Valkyrie managed.
Skulduggery walked over to the window.
"Valkyrie…" Skulduggery began, "There's nothing there."
"B-but I-I swear I…" Valkyrie stuttered.
"It was probably only your imagination." He told her as they walked outside slowly.
Valkyrie walked up to the house and knocked. An good looking man opened the door.
"Thank you for letting us take a look." Valkyrie thanked him.
"Oh, no problemo. You can come round anytime, fellas!" The man answered.
They got in the car and Valkyrie fell asleep.
California L.A 6:30 P.M
Valkyrie woke up to the fading sun outside the window. She turned her head to Skulduggery.
"Hello, sleepy head," Skulduggery chuckled. "You slept long."
Valkyrie put her hand on her head and felt the markings in her head from resting her head on the car.
"Are we nearly there?" Valkyrie asked him looking at the road ahead.
"10 minutes away." He answered.
Valkyrie went back to looking out the window. They approached a tunnel. Half way through, the lights started flickering. Skulduggery slowed down.
"Skulduggery, what happened to the lights?" Valkyrie asked with a very concerned face.
"Now that, I don't know." He answered.
They sat in the car in silence.
"Skulduggery," Valkyrie asked, "What are we going to do?"
"Get out the car." Skulduggery answered.
"Isn't that the stupid idea?"
"Exactly." He said and got out the car. Valkyrie got out too.
"SLENDER? WHERE ARE YOU?" Skulduggery shouted through the tunnel.
"Skulduggery! Don't be stupid! Stop that!"
"What? He'll come out soon. Speak of the devil."
Skulduggery pointed to something behind her. Valkyrie turned around slowly. A dark tall figure was standing still at least 20 metres away. It had all the right details, but there was something wrong about it. It's face. It didn't look real. It started walking towards them until it was right above Valkyrie's head. She stared at it, Skulduggery ready for combat at any time. The figure lifted it's slender arms to it's face. It took it off.
Underneath the face was Fletcher.
"Fletcher! What are you doing? You scared the life out of me." She gloated.
"You called me." Fletcher answered confused.
"Actually that was me." Skulduggery pointed out.
Valkyrie turned to him and glared.
"You WHAT?" Valkyrie asked in an angry manner.
"He called me to help you guys out. Yes? Maybe? No?" Fletcher said.
"It's complicated, but we'll need you at some point." Skulduggery advised them, "Come on. Let's get out of this tunnel. We'll discuss it in the car."
They got in the car and drove through the rest of the tunnel until the sun went down.