Jenna awoke with a start and looked around, confused. She was sitting up against a moss-covered tree on soft grass, the sounds of the night echoing and resonating around her, sounding abnormally loud in the unusually chilly August air. She shook her head much like a dog to clear her vision, but it unfortunately made her dizzy. Luckily though, her jaw was now free from the sticky prison of the candy she was eating (which still had the residual sweet taste clinging stubbornly to her taste buds…) to yawn.
It was then that she saw the dark figure flopped against the tree opposite from her. Its head was slumped forward, one arm in its lap and the other was resting on its raised right knee, and the other leg was resting on the ground as if it was sitting Indian-style. The broad shoulders heaved rhythmically as it breathed, and Jenna's eyes widened in horror as her vision cleared and she was able to fully see: the chalk-white hands and head, the literally blank face, and the seemingly tall slender figure.
Slender Man! Jenna thought, squeaking in fear before clapping her hand over her mouth. The tall entity stirred in its apparent slumber, causing Jenna to freeze. She must not scream, she must not make a single sound… Pull yourself together, Carson… She thought. Think, how'd you even get into this situation?
The last thing she remembered was walking home from school, deciding to take a shortcut through the nearby forest. It was late, about 6:30 in the evening. She hadn't meant to stay that late, but she had simply lost herself in her latest design, a tattoo for one of her close friends. It was already getting dark as she approached the forests edge, and she popped a piece of candy in her mouth to distract her from the uneasy feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.
As soon as she walked in, something was amiss. The temperature dropped about 100… At first Jenna dismissed it as the lack of sunlight, since the tree limbs above her seemed to mesh together in order in order to block all the light with their leafy barrier (with the exception of a few beams sprinkled here and there.) However the deeper she walked, the colder it got. Daylight was no longer a luxurious beacon there to comfort her, and she began to grow uneasy. Another sweet was added to the growing wad in her mouth, and she was oblivious to the increasing difficulty to move her jaw. A twig snapped behind her, causing her to squeak and quicken her pace. The temperature dropped again. Another snap, another squeak and quickening of pace, another drop in temperature… The cycle continued about 3 more times until Jenna was in a full-blown sprint, and only now was she aware of the footsteps sprinting at the same pace behind her.
Get away get away get away get away get AWAY! Jenna's feet pounded furiously along with the simple phrase she kept chanting in her mind. Unfortunately for her, her feet began to slow down, while her predator showed no signs of fatigue. Her feet slowed and her vision began to grow dark. She stumbled and fell forward, catching herself on a tree and turning around, using it's trunk to hold herself up. She clutched the small tree and stared wide-eyed up at the strange creature stalking her.
It was tall, almost 7 feet, and judging by the physique, Jenna assumed that the entity was male. His outfit seemed extremely formal: freshly shined shoes, pressed pants and jacket, crisp white shirt, and a tie that was as black as the night itself. Finally her eyes came to what startled her most: his face (or rather, his lack of one…). Her eyes widened despite the fact that her vision was beginning to fail and her head was swimming. A freshly made blank canvas was the best way she could describe it; that, or just a skein of snow white silk wrapped around a mannequin's head. She spotted something flailing by its head, and Jenna became aware 1… 2… 3… 4 tentacles waving out of the entity's back.
Before she could react, they all shot towards her, the lower two wrapping themselves snuggly around her waist, the upper left around her chest and upper arms, and the final one around her neck. She opened her mouth to scream, but to no avail. Something had glued her mouth shut. The candy! She had completely forgotten about the candy in her mouth until now, and now it's cemented her teeth together! Great… Just… Great… She thought before all went black.
He stared down at the limp figure in his tentacles. Why hadn't she screamed? This confused him even more than the slight squeeze she had given the tentacle wrapped around her neck. He doubted she was even conscious at this moment, but he defiantly heard her whisper, "Please, make it quick…"
Clearly she knew who he was and what his intentions were. He really needed to stop killing people so often if he was bringing enough attention to himself for a young girl like her to know about him. His attention turned back to her voice… It was softer than silk and more gentle than a butterfly's wing beat. Her dark auburn hair was almost black, and he caught a glimpse of her eyes, which were the color of dark chocolate. When she touched him, he felt something brush against his tentacle that wasn't human flesh. It felt cold, like metal. His gaze travelled down her arm where he spotted the source of the chilled sensation: a small, silver charm bracelet. At this angle he only saw two of the four charms, but the ones he could see were shaped like a heart and some sort of tear drop. His gaze then traveled back up to her drooped face.
He then walked off deeper into the forest, carrying her in his tentacles firmly but at the same time gently as he pondered her strange reaction to him. She had displayed every single reaction he normally got from his prey. Her eyes were dilated, her heart was fluttering like a caught bird, her breaths coming out in quick, shallow gasps, but something about this girl was strange. She was only breathing through her nose… Mostly they only breathe through their mouths, and considering how fast she had been running to try and escape, there was no apparent reason why she shouldn't have been gasping for breath. He thought before setting her down against a tree covered in soft moss. She would be comfortable there for now. She would need all of her strength to try and escape, as he loved having to chase down his next meal. It added a certain thrill for him, seeing their faces light up after they think they're safe, only to be met with a sudden, painful death at his own hand. The adrenaline pumping in their blood also added a certain sweet flavor that he simply loved.
Somewhat curious as to why she hadn't screamed, he kneeled down in front of the unconscious figure before him. She seemed to have calmed down in the short time that she had fainted, considering that her breathing was now deep and even-spaced compared to her short, sporadic breaths just moments ago. Using a tentacle, he tilted her chin up so her face came up to his, and almost immediately he detected a scent wafting from her slightly open mouth. Strawberries… He cocked his head inquisitively. Gently replacing the tentacle under her chin with his own white hand, he used his other hand to gently part her lips to reveal her teeth. It was then that his question was answered. Starbursts… I should've known. The gooey pink treat almost completely coated her molars and gums. It must've glued her jaw shut. Typical…But now I'm hungry for Starburst. I only get to eat them during Halloween when foolish children come in here for a little late night scare-fest. She had to have them somewhere on her person. His back pack rested by her where he set it, and they weren't in there. Only three places to check then: Hoodie pockets, front jeans pockets, and back jeans pockets.
Coming to a stand, his top two tentacles slipped silently into her hoodie pockets. Wrappers, but no candy… Next the tentacles moved into her front jeans pockets. A cell phone with a Hello Kitty charm, a mechanical pencil, and a gold-striped black hair tie, but no candy. That only leaves… His face heated up but no blush appeared. The tentacles moved slowly from her front to her back across her hips. He didn't know why, but he was nervous, which confused him even more. He was NEVER nervous when he did things like this, so why now? He shook the feeling off and continued fishing around in her back pockets, earning himself a few soft moans from the unconscious female. His right tentacle finally wrapped around a small square package. He brought his tentacle to his hand and the little parcel dropped into his palm: A strawberry Starburst, his favorite. Nimbly unwrapping the candy with his long fingers, he slipped the pink candy into his mouth, or rather, where his mouth should've been. He sat back against the tree across from the young girl and chewed the sweet contently. He might as well wait for her to wake up now…