Dark Eternity
- A Fanfic based on Slender
She was something else. He had sensed it right away as she appeared in his forest. The urge to hunt her had not been as present as it was with his other victims. The need to kill, devour, ravage; the lust had instantly been dimmed by her overwhelming aura. It had been dark, cold and utterly merciless, lingering over her pale form as she painfully slowly walked barefoot on the rough surface of the forest floor, through his domain. The darkness that engulfed her did not have its origins in her actions, for she did nothing but walk, thereby making a fool out of him. Her presence was unlike anything he had experienced throughout the eternity he had haunted the forests. He could easily kill her, tear her frail body apart and feel the excitement of the murder rush through his veins… but her strange, unfamiliar aura was intriguing and enticing to him. Why was he keeping himself from taking her life? From punishing her? For punishment she deserved, for entering his forest and doing this to him.
He watched her silhouette from afar, taking in every detail of her slim shape. A simple, white dress, unflattering to her body, concealed her from him; preventing his gaze from reaching her true form. Unruly black hair contrasted perfectly to the whiteness of her skin. Feathery dark wings sprouted from her back, brushing against some of the bushes she passed. It tortured him, even angered him, why she would have this kind of impact on him. She did not appear to be lost, neither to be searching for anything. Not looking for a way to escape him or the crooked branches of the trees. Her behavior was bizarre to him, her aura even more. Her appearance was so inhumane, yet easily comparable to a human being, just like he himself was and always had been. Maybe this was the reason he had not begun the hunt yet; that he had not went for the kill.
Observing her further he moved closer. Was he really affected by the strong, unclouded darkness that surrounded her? He could not deny that it changed his behavior somehow. But she was still too far away for him to be certain. Hollow sounds echoed throughout the forest as her petite feet stepped on branches, breaking them. How was she able to influence him like this? Toy with his mind like it was the easiest thing in the world. Keeping him from killing her. A witch. A monster. Like him. He let out a soundless chuckle, making the girl stop in her tracks. He refused to let himself be suppressed by something as fragile, worthless and weak as the being in white.
He had not seen her face, but the mere thought of how terrified she would look when she became fully aware of his presence, the despair her eyes would hold, and the total helplessness in her scream made him tingle with anticipation. Excitement overwhelmed him, finally causing the feeling he had been missing around her until now. He felt his tentacles emerge from him, revealing his current state of mind to his surroundings. She would suffer the worst pain. He inched down to her level, holding his blank face close to the back of hers, moving it forward bit by bit.
Her once still breathing sped up, forming quickly vanishing clouds in front of her face. She serenely turned around, coming face to face with his monstrous being. Clad in a black suit, limbs unusually long and a face that contained nothing. Not a single facial feature was present, only nothingness. Her blue eyes stared at him blankly.
"Are you here to save me?" her light voice questioned, breaking the deep silence that had lingered in the depths of the forest.
Slenderman watched her lips move as she spoke, but immediately noticed the emptiness in her eyes. Was she already dead? His tentacles subsided slightly. Was her heart even beating? His hand moved closer to her small frame, touching her neck to feel a pulse. The contact stunned her. His skin felt neither warm nor cold to her, the texture was unlike anything she was able to describe. Dazed, a stinging feeling was all that was left when he removed his hand, numbing her to a point even she had not felt before. No pulse, but alive, nevertheless. She was truly not from this world; she did not belong here, neither did he.
His head jerked back from her in a swift movement as she abruptly started moving her arms; her pale arms, thin arms towards his towering figure, begging him to save her. She did cry in despair, but not the kind of tears he had expected. She let her arms fall limply to her sides, lowering her clouded gaze to the filthy ground beneath her feet.
"Save me…"
The distance between them slowly closed, as he inched closer to her face again. Her still breathing was the only noise that interrupted the oppressive silence around them. Never before had he been able to accommodate, handle and preserve thoughts as clear and… ordinary as the ones he was becoming able to form while in the direct contact with her aura. He was able to feel pity for her; an extraterrestrial being like himself, cursed to walk the planet for all eternity, never belonging, always lonely, insane, and merciless. Her darkness calmed him to a point where he was able to focus his mind on observing sounds, features and reactions from another perspective. His killer instinct was being suppressed. This was beyond all reason. An encounter like this was never meant to happen, and it could not have been foreseen how their presences would affect one another.
He had let her wander the forest in her ghastly manner from that day without interfering, had gotten used to her presence; its calming effect, even when children got lost in the forest and intruded his territory. But she was not at all calm when this happened. Whenever humans came into the forest, he would sense a distortion in her aura, almost as if she was … scared. He would watch her speed up, lightly brushing the forest floor with her white feet as she sought serenity far away from them. As soon as they disappeared she returned to normal.
They often sought each other's company; being within reach of one another was temporarily sufficient enough to keep themselves at ease. He would contain his calm state when she was near, and she would feel a strange rush of tranquility overwhelm her. Her small frame would scoot closer to his tall one, leaning her head against one of his legs, staying close like that for hours.
But this time it was different. He felt her approach him silently, carefully taking feather-like steps towards him. He turned to face her, leaning down to her level and taking in her features. An unbelievable sadness and anguish emanated from her at this day, he felt it clearly. He brought his hand up to let it rest on her head, slowly caressing her hair, as if to absorb the negative feelings that erupted from her.
"I am soon to end," her soft voice spoke.
He froze, but then slowly continued the comforting motion with his hand. His touch numbed her, as it had always done. The pain she felt was almost completely struck down and suppressed when he was close to her, thereby granting her a blissful escape from the horrible reality she was stuck in. The intense nothingness surrounded her, resulting in a pleased sigh leaving her as she collapsed onto the moss covered surface underneath her. Taking a fetal position she whimpered soundlessly.
"I can feel it, they are coming for me..." she whispered unable to shake due to the numbness his touch had caused.
He noticed it too. Multiple people were intruding, approaching at a fast pace. A few of his tentacles materialized and went down to pick up her pathetic form. Her aura was heavily distorted, her eyes flashing with signs of life every two seconds. He held her close and spoke directly into her mind.
"Do you want me to kill them?"
She was in conflict whether to nod or shake her head. As she was lost in the darkness, her spark had drowned in it, leaving her like this. It would only be able to be enflamed again by the warmth of human emotions. But the process of being reborn was excruciatingly painful, even worse than the pain she felt by having that dark aura clinging to her like a second layer of skin. She felt a slight taste of it every time humans came closer. Letting them close to her would result in her becoming a mortal, and having to die one day. That was why she had been afraid and sought to avoid them, she feared the pain and the uncertainty that awaited her in death. This was what truly caused her pain and agony, the fear that completely destroyed her mind. She had realized that running away for all eternity would be unbearable. Even though Slenderman had provided her with a numbness that made her forget her pain and fear momentarily, she had decided to end her agonizing path through this world; a road that lead to nothing but further pain unless she herself took a step and dared face the uncertainty that was ahead of her.
She slowly raised her head to look at the empty face of her savior and nodded her head. "Yes. Do it." For she did not need them to be alive, only to come close enough for her to fulfill her transformation.
"There she is! Don't be scared girl; we are here to save you! We will not let him do anything to you!" one of them yelled. "My son got lost in the forest the other day, but miraculously he returned and reported that a young girl had been caught by the Slenderman, we immediately came to your rescue! Now, you monster, let her go!"
She felt her insides twist and turn, pain so unbearable she screamed in agony. Their compassion for a girl they did not even know was enough to catalyze the process. He carefully took her in his arms, his figure intimidatingly towered over the people, making them tremble with fear. They would not take her away from him. His tentacles forcefully jerked towards them, piercing their bodies, slicing, cutting and ripping them apart until only one heartbeat was to be heard. It was the girl. She had gotten a heartbeat. The malicious nature of her aura had completely disappeared, its calming effects not influencing him anymore. Her ears filled with unpleasant static sounds as he moved his head closer to hers, letting his tentacles grip her waist tightly and lift her from his arms. Her blue eyes shined with life, but also fear, which of course, he noticed. She looked healthier; not nearly as thin or pale. The black feathers of her wings brushed off of her back like dust particles, carried away by the cool breeze, making her appear as an ordinary human being. But she had been special from the beginning. She still was. That was why he wanted to be the one to save her, just like she had asked him to.
His touch did no longer numb her; it just stung, making her want to get out of his grip. Her previous way of thinking had reversed completely. The uncertainty did not bother her in her mortal state, for death would take her silently, peacefully, like it would take everyone eventually. Everyone but him. His face was so close to hers.
She would not forget him, nor be mad at him or have any regrets. She was ready to be saved now. Being human, she felt her heart beat uncontrollably fast, adrenaline rushing through her veins. He brought his hand to her face one last time, affectionately letting his long fingers brush against her soft cheek. Enjoying his stinging touch she let out a suffocated sigh of desire.
"No more suffering," his voice echoed through her mind.
With that he snapped her neck, watching her go limp. But he would not let her lifeless body go.