Act I: The Arrival
"Jesus Christ...Ugh." I say as i try a futile attempt to stand. I fall over once again, retching whatever i ate this morning. Morning? What time is it now? I look up and see the fading gleam of sundown covered by hundreds of trees.
Now I remember. We...were searching for someone-no something. The thing that took my sister Kate. A myth, legend, just a game, but we saw HIM. The Slender Man. I can't remember what happened after that. But then where-
"M-Max?" I hear a tired voice interrupt my thought from behind. As I finally manage to stand, knees shaking I turn around and see a familiar face.
"Jason!" I exclaim as rush to my childhood friend. He seems pale and just as tired as me, or maybe even more. I help him up and ask him if he remembers how we were knocked out. He warily points to a rocky cliff formation behind us. That's right. We were running. All four of us. Four!
"Oh, crap. Where are Emily and Ben?" I ask, becoming more perturbed by the second.
"I don't know, man. They were with us when we fell. And-damn it." He says, panting. I look up once again. Sundown is progressing quickly and the transition to night will be in mere minutes. That's when the game truly begins. We're running out of time.
"We have to find them before HE does." I say as we start walking. I reach into my pocket and am relieved to feel the firm touch of the heavy duty flash light. And on my belt strap, my weapon, a pistol. Each of us carried one. I have a feeling; it won't be as effective against HIM as we had thought.
I ask Jason about his daughter to try and keep my mind occupied.
"She's...ok, I guess. Things have been hard since her mom left. I just wish I could be a better father for her." He sighs
"Don't say that. You're a great dad." I tell him. He shrugs.
"Sometimes I think you'd be a better dad for her." He says.
As the darkness descends in the inevitable defeat of day, we switch on our flashlights and try to resist the immense fear in our heart. That's when I catch a glimpse of something white. Taped on a tree. I run to it and Jason hastily follows. He asks me what it is and I hesitate to reply.
"It's a note..." I say, worryingly. The handwriting sprawled on the paper looks like it belonged to Ben, although it was rushed and dirty. Or at least dirtier.
"What's it say?"
"'Follow the mountain path!' "I read aloud. Notes. Goddamn notes. I'd swear I was playing the freaking game. We look around and see the mountain, but no specific path to it.
"Maybe we could-"
I have no idea what Jason was saying. Because besides him going silent, I think I just had a split second stroke. My flashlight gleamed on a humanoid figure, but this was far from human. There he was. Just standing there, staring at me without eyes.
My body shocked itself into action as I grabbed Jason's shoulder and pushed him along with me as we dashed across the woods and unto the mountain path mentioned on the note. As I dodged the constant appearance of trees. We made a sharp turn left and he stood there as well. We twisted back and ran as hard as our bodies could handle, until I catch sight of a building where a figure's hands were waving.
"Here! Now!" The figure screamed in a gruff male voice. We burst through the door as it was suddenly shut behind us. I saw something bash Jason's head. As he falls I yell "What the hell!?-" before a sharp pain strikes my head and my eyesight goes dark.
Act II: Trapped
"Wake up. I said wake up!" I hear muffled voice yell as my eyes slowly open.
"Uugh. Ow." I groan
"Good, good. You're awake. Then we can begin." I see figure behind a glass window on the top most section of the wall say. I try to move my arms only to find I'm restrained to a strange chair. "You'll find I've taken the liberty to make sure you're comfortable, and STAY that way."
I've no idea what's happening here, so I ask him who he is. "Introductions? Fine. My name, isn't important, you can call me MR01 or perhaps just "One" for short. There. I've answered your question. Now it makes sense you answer mine, doesn't it?"
I don't utter a single word as I stare at this darkened silhouette.
"...Feeling a bit quiet, eh? Don't you worry, I'll have a way of getting you to cooperate...but we'll get to that later." He says in an arrogant voice .I can almost hear the smirk he's probably wearing.
"Where's Jason? And why am tied up!?" I demand.
"If I were you, i would watch my tone. Or your friends won't make it."
Friends? I ponder at that word. He appears to pick up on this and laughs.
"What do you know about the Slender Man?" He asks as my jaw tightens. I tell him I don't know. That I just came here to find my missing sister.
"..Is that so? Hm. Your lying, Maxwell."
Did he just say my name?
"Heh. Yes, Maxwell Jones, Benjamin Collins, Jason Ortiz, and Emily Jackson. The four of you have been investigating the Slender Man for several months now, until your sister, Kate, went missing. Correct?" He says, every word driving me through a new level of anger. "Well, now you're going to tell me your findings and the origin of the Slender Man you have evidence for."
"Go to hell!" I yell in anger. Maybe not my brightest idea. Note to self: Anger Management.
"Well if you won't cooperate, I'm sure your friends can convince you!" He says as the lights on the his side of the window turn on. I can see his face now, but also three people strapped to similar chairs.
Note to self: Crap.
"Isn't it great to have the gang altogether? You seem to have an especially close relationship with the girl..." He laughs. This motherfu-
"Now you're going to tell me all the information i want or i will electrocute them all-starting with her!" He yells. I scream that he wins, I'll talk. I hesitate to speak.
"Slender Man's powers aren't magic, so to speak, they can be explained scientifically. With difficulty, yes, but still explainable. From what we gather, Slender's abilities are of a higher level of reality, almost existing in a fourth dimension. His basic powers include causing nausea, headaches, and even insanity to victims with prolonged exposure. But that's not all, he can even transform and alter the victim into a...a Proxy of sorts, controlling them like a puppet." I explain.
His face changes at that last sentence and after thinking for a few seconds, tells me to go on. "After thorough and extensive hands on research, we concluded that Slender was once a...human."
His expression is slightly shocked.
" A German alchemist named Aldrich Bauer. Bauer spent his life in China, studying alchemy. He wanted to discover immortality and ultimate power. To become a god. It wasn't just his passion, or his life's work, it was his life's obsession. And obsession is what drove him too far. He received what he wanted, at a price. Bauer lost himself and his memories, he lost his humanity. Even his soul. He became Slender Man. All of his secrets were written in one book. 'Geschenk des Gottes' or Gift of God. But in his last days before he completely turned, he renamed it 'Belastung der Hölle'." I continue.
"Burden of Hell." I finish. He laughs after this. I shake my head in confusion.
"You mean this book?" He says holding up a black book. The symbols on it were unmistakably transmutation circles. Alchemy.
"What? How could you have-?"
"I know you believe the book should be destroyed. I also know that you took it upon yourself to learn some alchemy to kill the Slender. But I don't completely agree with your views..." He says.
"Are you insane!? That book has to be destroyed!"
"Oh, yes, I'll destroy it. After the Slender is dead AND I have infinite power. Ah, and I'm afraid you'll be staying here; can't have you becoming a threat to me or my book." He laughs as he begins to walk away.
"You lying son of a bitch! You're going to get yourself and hundreds more killed." I scream at him.
"Oh and do say hello to your sister for me. She'll find you in here soon." He finishes before he disappears behind the door.
What? I hear a piercing scream, not of pain or fear, but...of rage. Damn it, I need to get out. But how. I've got nothing except-
My gun! He forgot to take my pistol. I wriggle myself until I hear it fall. I grip it between my shoes and try to aim it at the strap on my wrist. Maybe I should think this through.
"REAAAAAAAHHHHH"
"I'll take my chances." I say aloud. The gunshot rings out as it grazes the top of my hand. I use the pain. It didn't break the strap but it loosened it enough for me to bust it off. I remove my other straps, pick up my gun and head up the stairway. I quickly unstrap my three friends.
"Goddamn, it's good to see you, mate!" Ben says as Emily hugs me. "I missed you." she says. I'm not sure if my heart was pounding because of her, or from my fear induced bladder problem.
I tell them all the same greeting before Jason speaks.
"Can we do this after we're free from certain doom or are we just going to wait for whatever's doing that shrieking?" He says, right on cue with another scream. We dash out through another door into a hallway. I yell to stay close. The screaming keeps getting closer.
"Sounds like a bloody banshee!" Ben comments. We keep going through more and more doors and paths before reaching a flat area darkened by lack of power. Great. A maze with no electricity.
"Where's the way out!?" Emily asks.
"This place doesn't have any damn power! There must be an emergency generator somewhere around here." I respond.
"Anyone else notice the shrieking stopped?" Jason whispers. Just before a shrieking figure lunges at us from the darkness, clawing at Ben's face.
"Jesus!"
"Get off him!" I yell, pointing my gun at it. It jumps to me, forcing me to the ground. It looks like it was a woman, wearing a hoody and some sort of mask. I muster all the strength I can and punch it in the face, breaking part of the mask and revealing its face.
"Kate?" I say before Ben and Jason tear her off me and throw her backwards.
"Come on!" One of them yells as they help me up and we start running towards a large door. As we reach it I hear Kate get up and start running again before we shut the door and lock it.
"What the hell was that thing!?" Jason screams.
"That...that was Kate." I morbidly say. Everyone goes silent as I explain that Kate was turned into a Proxy by Slender Man, she's gone.
"Christ. I'm sorry, Max." Emily says. I hear Kate yelling on the other side of the door. I see a door and open it. At least it's not locked. Beyond I can see a large platform, an elevator of sorts, but without power...
"Mates, I think I found the generator." Ben says pointing to a large yellow generator. I try to turn it on but it won't respond.
"Damn it! This thing hasn't been used in a while it'll take a while to get it up and running!" I say just as Kate bangs on the door.
"We don't have any time left!" Emily says. Jason gives me a strange look.
"Then I guess I'll have to make time." He tells me.
"What are you-?"
"Take Ben and Emily and get the hell out of here! I'll turn on the generator! "He yells.
"Are you insane!?" I reply.
"This is NOT a discussion! GO!" He screams back.
"...NO, man! I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving anyone!" I shout before he pushed Ben, Emily, and me through the door. As I fall, I hear the door shut. I get up and stare at him through a large window.
"Jason? What the hell?" Ben says.
"Stop this! Open the door!" Emily joins in.
"Come on, goddamn it!" I say, pounding the glass
"Guys, guys...its ok." He whispers.
"No, mate! No its not!" Ben says, shaking his head.
"This is just something i gotta do. You know that. Take care of my kid for me...I'll get the generator running!" He yells while I continue to pound on the glass.
"Damn it, Jason! Goddamn it!" I keep yelling. He works the generator until it turns on at the exact moment Kate breaks through.
"Come one then!" Jason yells at Kate. I see Jason take out his pistol, aim, and fire, but it misses and she lunges at him splattering blood all over the glass.
"NO!" I yell as Ben grabs my shoulder. I've never felt so useless. We run away, to the platform. I press the mechanism to go up and the platform begins to rise.
I see another figure lunge at the platform and grab hold. It's One. Kate breaks through the door and runs toward us jumps and grabs hold of One. He drops the book and I take it. I stare at him as Kate attempts to pull him down, clawing him in the process.
"What are you doing, Max? Leave that bloody flamer!" Ben yells.
"We can't just leave him!" Emily says.
"Why not!?" Ben replies. I look down for a moment and run to him. I shove the pistol on Kate's forehead.
"I'm sorry, Kate."
The bullet goes straight through her head and the lifeless corpse of the creature that was once my older sister falls to the floor thirty feet down. I help One up as he says "Why?"
"Nobody else needs to die." I say as the generator malfunctions and a fire breaks out, just as we emerge to the surface.
Act III: The Departure
As the four of run from the building which is progressively burning down, Ben continues to scowl me on my choice.
"Jason is dead cause of this bloody wanker!" He says. I ignore him as I continue to read the book.
"Ben, just shut up!" Emily yells.
"That's it!" I say as I close the book.
"What have you found out?" One asks.
"This alchemic transmutation circle could counteract Slender's powers, we could kill him." I say.
"What's the catch?" Emily asks.
"Equivalent Exchange. To finish the transmutation, you have to sacrifice one human soul."
"Of course." Ben said, irritated.
"Again, why didn't you let me fall, you had the book." One whispered.
"No one deserves a death like Jason's, but anyone can earn a second chance." I reply. He mulls this over as we continue running.
"The whole forest is burning!" Emily yells. But it was about time He showed up; I was surprised he didn't chase us into the building. No. He waited for us. And there he was, Slender Man, standing in place, holding horrid secrets inside him. There was nowhere to run, now. Black tentacles appeared from behind him; he was through toying with us. Several of his tentacles lash out at us. We attempt to dodge them as they wave around, threatening to pierce straight through us.
I hear one scream in pain as a tentacle gelds his shoulder. He falls back on a burning tree which drops a flaming branch after he runs from under it. That gives me an idea.
I grab a burned branch and charge at the Slender.
"What are you doing!?" Ben yells. I wave the branch at him and he warps away I drag the branch along the ground running after him, lifting it up every now and then. He slaps me away with a tentacle as I fall on my knees. I'm bleeding out, getting dizzy. But despite this, I laugh. The other three look at me like I'm delusional, until One gets a shocked look his face. I clap my hands and laugh.
"Game Over." I say as I bring my hands down on the edge of the transmutation circle I had drawn with the branch. A light traces the lines of the circle and an enormous orb covering the area traps Slender Man as it makes a loud deep and distorted screech.
"D-Damn it! I don't have enough power! I still need the human soul." I yell as Slender begins to break the barrier. Ben starts running to the orb but One knocks him down and enters it instead.
"One! What are you doing!?"
"Transmute my soul!" He screams in agony. As the barrier tears through him, slowly.
"What!? I can't-"
"Kid! Just do it before there's no soul left!" He screams again as blood sheds from several parts of his body. I slap my hands down again as he burst into a bright red shining liquid which expands throughout the orb. The orb explodes into a massive beam which shoots into into sky, piercing a hole in the clouds. The Slender's screech is muffled and eventually covered up by the noise of the beam and-as quickly as it began-the beam ends in a flash of light. As the dust settles and the light fades, Slender...is no more. The area which contained the circle is now an empty hole. I gaze at it for a moment before i pass out.
Act IV: Freedom
I cough furiously as I get up and wipe my face free of dried blood. I get up and cough some more before looking around. Ben seems to have just woken up as well. But Emily remains asleep.
"You alright, pal?" I ask. He groans a bit before answering.
"Alive at least. Ugh, think my leg's broken. Let's get the hell out this damned forest, mate."
I tell him there's still one thing left to do.
…
I carry Emily and let Ben hang his arm around my shoulder to walk. I walk away from the forest, a trail of destruction as far as the eye can see. The clouds part way for the sun's blinding, yet, comforting light. It contracts beautifully with the green field at the forest's edge which we walk across now. If I hadn't just stared death in the face, this place would be one of the greatest sights I've seen.
One fire still remains; left behind, the book burns, the fire crackling as its pages are turned to useless ashes, never to create another abomination like Him again. As we finally depart from the forest territory, we come across a long road. I look both directions and eventually walk in what i assume is north. I continue thinking of the previous events. Jason's sacrifice. One's redemption. And Kate finally being able to rest in peace. I could argue that Slender Man was what caused this, that he was the abomination, but the real culprit was humanity. Human greed and avarice is what brought upon this and so many other crises.
Would humanity ever actually learn? No, but today one form of greed was stopped and permanently prevented. So many times Slender has taken a victim in his sights, they were gone forever, like Kate. and every time humanity has sparked war, innocent lives were lost. But not today. I move away my thoughts of this and focus on walking down the road, welcoming my old life and old problems. Today the player won.
Fin
Cast Side-notes:
Maxwell Jones: Married Emily and grew to become a famous scientist and humanitarian.
Jason Ortiz: Deceased. Maxwell and Emily adopted his 3 year old daughter, Lily and constantly speak to her about her heroic father. Lily is soon to be an adoptive older sister.
MR01 "One": Deceased. Maxwell continues to research One's identity to this day.
Emily Jackson: Married Maxwell. Works alongside him. Currently expecting a male child.
Benjamin Collins: Grew to be an operative in secret joint English-American investigations, continues to visit his greatest friends, Maxwell and Emily, and recruits their help on some occasions.
Kate Jones: Proxied, Deceased. Maxwell had an entire hospital chain named after her in her memory; Kate Jones Memorial Hospitals
Slender-Man formerly Aldrich Bauer: Purified by Maxwell/Obliterated/Deceased. All traces of his work were sought after and destroyed by Maxwell, Emily, and Benjamin. The memory of the Slender is carried on in games, stories, and videos all over internet media, this time, as pure fiction.