Tegan's heart raced as she fled through the forest. Who knew that this was the day that she was going to die? The man who killed all those young children in her town had been quiet for so long the police suspected that he had left. So she left that bright winter morning with her bow and left to go hunting with a happy heart. Now, she was being chased through the dark forest and no one would think to look for her until it was too late. Far too late. She ran faster and her heart dropped when she arrived at the cliff. He was standing there waiting; his clothes were ragged torn and bloodstained. She saw what looked like a necklace made of children's teeth. She watched him carefully, waiting for his attack to come. She was shocked when he began to speak to her.
"I had to do it, you know? He would have done much worse to them. He's been here the entire time, he was choosing the children for something torturous." His voice raised and suddenly she recognized him.
"Mr. Pike, why?" she asked, her voice cracking as the man the neighborhood thought was the first dead was the one who murdered all the innocent children. Tears began to flow as she remembered how the children, including herself at that age, loved the kindly man. He always had a kind word and a good book in his hands. It was Mr. Pike that got her so into reading and obscure history. She began to reach slowly for an arrow when he suddenly lifted a gun and pointed it at her. She removed her hand and lowered her bow to the ground. She lifted her hands slowly.
"I have to kill you now, no one can know it was me. I saw the memorial service, it was sweet how all the town came out for me. I was a bit surprised that my wife wasn't there though. Where was she? Tegan, where was my wife!" Tegan backed away fearfully as a strange light lit his eyes and he approached her swiftly.
"Mr. Pike please don't do this. Come back with me and I'll take you to your wife, I promise." She said quickly, still backing away. She was confused at the look of abject horror that crossed his face and he aimed to a point well away from her. Mr. Pike began to scream horribly and a flash of white caught her eye. She was horrified to see a knife being shoved through his chest by a boy no older than her youngest cousin. His face was white, whiter than the snow around him and it seemed as though he was smiling. He pulled the blade from the front of the now dead Pike and now turned towards Tegan. She kept backing away, dragging her bow with her. Her eyes flicked from side to side, trying to find an escape route. Two young men blocked her from the left and right, both wearing what looking like masks. The one with the white face was approaching her from the front, laughing like a maniac. Suddenly they all stopped and began to walk away.
"Dammit, he gets all the fun." Complained the smiling young boy. He looked back with a hateful glance. However, the look wasn't directed at Tegan, but somewhere above her head. She started as six long black arms began to wrap around her body and neck. She turned slowly to look behind her and back away to the edge of the cliff. A creature was staring at her with its head tilted to the side. She moved her foot and the arms raised again. She sighed, her heart pounding as she moved to her pocket. She pulled out her small pocket knife and opened it. It didn't respond other than to tilt its head to the other side. She tried to rush whatever was in front of her and escape back into the familiar forest. One of its "arms" quickly grabbed her arm and wrapped around her wrist. She winced in pain and flinched back as another of the arms pulled her away from the cliff. She squirmed violently and shuddered as the creature pulled her close.
"Are you sad, little one?" came a voice inside her head. Her eyes widened as swirling blackness engulfed her. The arms caught her and cradled her almost lovingly to the creatures chest. The head tilted to the side once more as "he" walked away. He looked around until her found her flashlight and placed it within the front pocket of her sweatshirt. One of his tentacles carried her bow and arrows with him. He was amazed that she held her ground against the now dead man. He started walking again, carrying her in his arms and her bag. He stopped as a strange sound pierced the night. He looked around slowly, before finally looking down at the young woman he held. She was crying, clutching a picture to her chest. He "looked" at it and saw her and two girls making silly faces. He carried her to the abandoned church and laid her in one of the many rooms that were still livable. He placed the bow and arrows a few yards down the hallway. His body seemed to sag, almost as if he was tired. He walked slowly to the main room and sat, his two proxies appearing instantly at his side to await orders. He gave them each a task to prepare the others for the newcomer.
He didn't know why he left her alive, but he sensed something special about her. She might be able to survive the next few weeks if she kept her wits about her. Eyeless Jack would try to take her organs, Jeff would try to carve a "smile" onto her face and Sally would be the most behaved. She wouldn't try to kill the girl outright at least. He shifted as small young Sally with her bloodstained face and nightgown came creeping around the corner. He held out his hand and she shuffled quickly to his side.
"I've brought us all a new friend." He told her, pulling her onto his lap. She snuggled against his cold frame, hugging his arm tightly. He gently turned her to face him and ruffled her hair. Her large green eyes stared at where his eyes were supposed to be. She smiled softly and nodded. He stood again and walked down one of the many halls to tell the others. Jeff's room was first, and the steady thock thock of the blade slamming into the door told him that Jeff wasn't in a good mood. He knocked on the door and waited for the door to open.
"What do you want?" came the snarling question. Jeff was an extremely violent young man. His face was pure as fresh snow, and was leathery in texture. His eyes looked as if they had thick eyeliner around them and his mouth looked as if it spread from ear to ear. His sweatshirt, once white was stained with old bloodstains. "You already stole one of my kills what else could you possibly want?" Slender Man looked further into the room and saw all the old bloodstains written all over the wall. "I'm beautiful" was the most common phrase.
Sally, who had followed him giggled and ran into Jeff's room. She sat on his bed and answered his question.
"Slendy's brought us a new friend!" she crowed. Jeff paused and stared at Slender for a bit. His small frame was shaking with rage and he started down the hallway the tall man had just come. Slender man grabbed Jeff's arm before he could get to far away. One of the young men who became his proxies, named Masky, came forward and spoke in a grating voice.
"He wants her alive. He won't give us a reason but he wants her alive." He said, disapproval staining his voice. He left the room, taking with him the fresh linens and towels. Slender Man spoke telepathically to his proxy, pointing out that he had gone to the trouble to buy the woman the obviously new items. Sally giggled as Masky's neck flushed a deep red and he stalked to Tegan's room. Jeff looked incredulously as Sally took Slender Man's hand as he led her to the next one to tell.
Tegan woke in a strange room, with a feeling she couldn't quite identify. Her eyes snapped open as she realized she wasn't in the cabin, and that she wasn't alone in the room. A person was standing at the far end of the room, just staring at her. From what she could see, it was a young man, horribly thin. The young man had black sweatshirt on and dark blue jeans. His face was covered with a dark blue mask and the eyes had a strange black substance trickling from them. Tegan stared at him, waiting, knowing that he was dangerous. Her eyes widened as he rushed at her with a scalpel. Her training took over instantaneously and she grabbed the hand that held the scalpel and pulled. He flipped over her, and as he was trying to detangle himself from the blankets she threw on top of him, she bolted from the room. She ran through the hallways, which were littered with the belongings of others. She paused, seeing her compound bow and arrows. She checked her pockets and grinned as she pulled out the Allen wrenches and adjusted the resistance and moved into a vacant room. There, she barricaded the door and set up a protected area. She waited, with an arrow waiting loosely. The door started to creak open when it hit the barricade. Tegan drew the bow as quietly as possible, and waited. She smiled grimly as a black hand reached around the door, and she released the arrow. It stuck in the young mans hand and he roared in pain. She nocked another arrow and waited.
Slender Man was surprised to hear yells of pain coming from the vacant part of the abandoned church, and when he went to the location he saw Eyeless Jack attempting to pull his hand from a dank room. He placed a calming hand on the boy and felt him tremble with rage. Slender Man beckoned Sally forward and had her begin to speak to the young woman he knew was on the other side. Sally cupped her hands around her mouth and asked in a singsong voice.
"Are you ok in there?" the little child asked. She waited a bit before asking another question.
Tegan was shocked to hear a small child's voice call out to her. Where was the young man with the black hoodie? She was doubly shocked to see the hand rip itself free and pull back from the door.
"I'm gonna peek my head around ok?" asked the small voice again.
"I'm going to have an arrow nocked. Any funny business and I fire, got it?" Tegan yelled back. She could hear a scuffle in the hallway and guessed that the young man was trying to get back into the room.
"Well my face looks strange but I promise I won't hurt you." Called back the little girl. She first stuck through a small teddy bear. Tegan readied the bow, but her heart sank and cried out as she saw the small child with her large green eyes and the open wound with blood still oozing from it. She lowered the bow and let the child approach. Tegan kneeled slowly and held out her hand to her.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" she asked softly. Her soul shook as the child, named Sally, told her story, and tears began to pour down her face. Tegan took the young girls hand and shivered from the cold sensation. Sally cocked her head to the side and proceeded to lead her out of the room.
"Jack likes to eat kidneys, so that is the reason he attacked you." Sally said simply. She raised a hand to the young grey skinned man named Jack. He stared at Tegan, and she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
"I'm pretty good at hunting so I'll bring you kidneys and other organs if you promise not to eat mine." She blushed as he tilted his head to the side and a raspy laugh came from the mask.
"That would be agreeable." Jack said, faint amusement staining his words. She nodded and only just then realized the tall man standing behind the small group. Her hand flashed to her pocket and was surprised to see her small hunting knife still in her pocket. Sally tugged on Tegan's hand until she looked down to her.
"That's Slender Man. He brought us all together. We stopped aging a long time ago but we need someone to look after us." Sally explained. She went over to the tall man and grabbed his hand. "He's the one who helped me get my revenge." Sally whispered. Tegan looked at the Slender Man and he stared… well not really stared. Tegan nodded once, not letting her eyes leave his face once. He nodded in return and motioned her to follow him. She held back, still nervous. Although he had no face she could sense his amusement and apparently so could everyone else. Snickers came from young Sally and Tegan glared at the young girl. Everyone in the hallway froze as the glare became more and more devilish looking. Even Sally gulped nervously and squealed as Tegan grabbed her frail wrist. Jack raised his scalpel and began to rush at Tegan when both girls broke out laughing. Tegan tickled Sally mercilessly and laughed softly as the little girl squirmed to be released. Tegan looked up and blushed as she realized everyone was staring at her. Sally grabbed her hand and dragged her away to her room.
"One question. Please say you have hot water?" the young woman asked with a childish pout on her face.