Wassup guys, ECG13 back again with something new. Now, a few weeks back I had an assignment for my writing class, and it was to form a short story using a character from popular culture that includes one of the following themes (Family, Grit, Integrity, Open-Mindedness, etc.). Now, since my teacher was basically telling me to write a fanfic, I took the task on almost immediately and wrote the following story, using Slenderman as the pop culture figure. It got me an A+, and I hope you guys grade it the same way. Enjoy! :D

(P.S. I changed the roles around a little bit; in the story Trenderman is the youngest brother and Splendorman is the oldest. Slender and Ender are about the same age.)

Meet the Slenders: Enderman's Return

Deep in the heart of the woods laid a small cottage. It was the home of Slenderman, the Guardian of the forest and the usual antagonist of campfire stories. It had been a good day for our favorite faceless monster. No one had been able to collect all eight of his famous pages, so he had a fresh helping of human for the next few days or so. Right now, all he wanted to do was wind down to a warm cup of coffee and a reading of Creepypasta Weekly. He had just put on his comfy bed tuxedo when he heard a knocking at his door. "Now who the hell could be knocking at my door at this time of night?" Slender said silently to himself. He opened the door expecting a lost, scared hiker, but instead for something much more surprising.

A tall black creature stood in front of Slenderman. He was incredibly tall, almost looking Slendy dead in the eye; Slendy found that most of the creature's height could be attributed to his incredibly long legs. It had long, blocky arms that reached almost to its knees, and it had skin as black as the night that surrounded them. The creature also had strikingly purple rectangular eyes, and similar colored particles orbited around it. As strange as the creature looked, Slenderman felt a sudden sense of remembrance. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about it seemed familiar…

"I can tell by the look on your face that you don't recognize me." The creature had a Western European accent, like he was from Britain or Ireland. Suddenly, he vanished into thin air, but before Slendy could look behind him, the creature was back with Slendy's coffee in his hand. Suddenly, it clicked to him who this strange creature was. The tall black figure, the purple eyes, the teleportation…

"Enderman?"Slenderman said questioningly.

The creature now had a huge smile on his face. "Slendy!"

"Enderman!"

"Slendy!" The two embraced in a warm brotherly hug. Slenderman was truly elated, and that wasn't a word he used often. It had been 15 years since Enderman, Slenderman's half-brother had run away. They had been the closest of friends growing up, and it hurt Slenderman deeply that he lost contact with him. But now that he's back they had so much to catch up on. Endy teleported onto the couch as Slendy took a seat in a chair across from him.

"It's so good to see you again after all these years." Slenderman said.

"Yes, brother; it has been far too long. What have you been up to lately?" Enderman replied.

"Ahh, the usual. Playing the Eight Pages game, stealing some souls here and there, nothing big."

"Ahh the eight pages game. A true Slender family classic. You think you can top Slenderdad?"

"Already have, my brother. That's why I got the cottage; to receive the torch and take on his job after he retired."

"I see. How are our brothers doing? Hope they aren't causing trouble." Ender said. Their brothers were Splendorman and Trenderman. Splendor, being the oldest, was actually supposed to be next in line for Slenderdad's job, but it turned out he was the exact opposite of a fear factor. He instead loved to spread joy and cheer wherever he went. He now owns a circus, where he is a ringmaster and a performer. Trenderman was the youngest out the four, and the most expressive out the bunch. He was always trying on new fashion designs and starting new fashion statements. He now works as a fashion designer and a model for Men's Wearhouse. Slender explained this to Endy.

"Wow, fascinating. It seems that our little bros have grown up." Enderman said.

"Yes, they have. But enough about them; what have you been up to brother? I'm excited to hear about your travels."

Enderman sighed a happy sigh. "Many things, my Slenderian brother. When I ran away as a young boy, I was hoping to find my true self and my origins. That said, I have been traveling the world, finding new cultures, meeting new people, and of course avoiding water."

Slendy laughed at Endy's joke. When they were kids, Endy had a strange reaction to water. He would never be able to swim or go out when it was raining because it would burn him like acid. The family had decided it was just a skin disease and worked around it.

Enderman went on. "Right, so I was traveling through a country called Sweden. It was late and I was hoping to find a place to stay for the night, but then I was searching through a cave system and found a green portal."

"What did you do?" Slender asked.

"I jumped in, of course. When I retained my vision, I found myself in a completely different world. And it was called… Minecraftia."

"Amazing, Endy. What was it like?"

"It was truly beautiful, Slenderman. It was similar to Earth, only everything was made of blocks."

"Made of blocks?"

"Yes; the sun, the dirt, the trees, even the cows and pigs that roamed the plains were made of cubes. Nothing was round."

"Just like you, right?"

"Exactly; that's what set me off to explore this new realm. I thought that just maybe I could find my true self and see who I really was. I saw many things; caves full of diamond, zombies and little 4-legged bombs called creepers. I even met a young fellow named Steve that assisted me along the way. "

"You were always one to make friends easily."

"True, but that's not the best part. One day when I was exploring yet another cave system, I found yet another portal. It was pitch black in the middle and surrounded by these green dragon eye crystals. I jumped in and was truly shocked."

"What happened?"

" I was transported into another realm within Minecraftia. Realmception, I called it. It was a floating white island in the middle of the Void. Tall obsidian towers were everywhere, and people, just like me, tall black purple-eyed teleporters, were minding their business and treating me like I was one of their kin."

"My god, that's incredible."

"And that's not the best part. After some time wandering, I was greeting by who else but a dragon."

Slenderman almost spit out his coffee. "You cannot be serious?!"

"Oh, but I am. The Ender Dragon they called him. We struck up a long and thoughtful conversation, and then he honored as a Lost One, an honor given to Endermen who have returned to their homeland in the End."

Slenderman was speechless. "Wow, Endy, just wow; you have definitely been on an adventure. I cannot wait to see Trender 's and Splendor's reactions when they hear this."

"Oh yeah, at the big Slender Family Reunion, correct?"

The Slender Family Reunion was a huge party the Slenders threw for themselves every year to celebrate the scariest family alive. Every member of the family comes, Enderman being the exception because of his disappearance, and the matriarch and patriarch of the family, Slenderdad and Slendermom, were usually the guests of honor. It was a fun time for the entire Slender Family.

"Yup; I assume you are coming this year?" Slenderman asked his brother.

"Yes I am. That is actually the main reason I came here; to revisit my family and have fun with you guys just like old times. I just hope Slenderdad accepts me. I heard he was quite upset about my leaving."

"Yes, he was angry that you abandoned us, but that was 15 years ago. I'm sure that he loves you just as much as he did years ago."

"Thanks, Slendy; you always know how to cheer me up." Enderman said with a smile

"Anytime, Enderbrother. You should rest now, for I am sure you're trip was long and hard. There is a spare bed upstairs you can sleep in. We leave bright and early tomorrow."

"Excellent, thank you once again Slender." Enderman said as he went upstairs.

"Anytime Endy, anytime." Slenderman said as he turned off the lights in the kitchen and living room and went to bed himself.

The brothers got to leave a lot later than expected, thanks to Enderman's teleportation ability. Slendy just had to tell Endy where the shindig was being held, and Endy did the rest. They arrived almost instantly in front of a large manor, with a freshly cut lawn and large oak trees looming over them in something of an arch. It was the home of Slendermom and Slenderdad, and the birthplace of Slenderman and his brothers. Slender and Ender walked inside to find that they were fairly early. Only a few people were there, including Benderman, the brawn of the family, and Spenderman, their prodigious cousin. After scanning the large living room, Slender and Enderman spotted their brothers Splendorman and Trenderman chatting near the fireplace. Splendor was dressed in a bright polka-dotted button down shirt and black slacks, with a silly looking top hat on his head. Trenderman was wearing a white shirt under a beige sweater with brown shoes and corduroys. Slenderman and Endy walked up to the two and greeted them. As usual, Splendor grew a huge smile on his face (Author's note: Splendor and Ender are the only two in the family with actual facial features.)

"Oh my gosh, Slendy! How have things been going?" he exclaimed as he hugged his younger brother.

"Everything has been going fine, brother. I hope you have noticed our little blast from the past standing beside me."

Splendor was confused for a second, but then he saw Enderman standing there and looked on in shock.

"Oh… my… god… ENDERMAN! It's been so long! Where have you been?!" Splendor shouted as he embraced his half-brother in a bear hug, almost choking Enderman.

"I've been doing… fine, Splendy. Can you please… let go now?"

"Oh sorry." Splendor said, blushing. Trenderman walked up to Enderman and hugged him.

"Endy, my bro; how have things been hanging?"

"Everything is fine, little brother. Still stylish as usual, I see."

Trenderman casually shrugged and said, "It's natural." More of the family began to come in, until just about the entire Slender family had arrived in the manor except Slendermom and Dad. This was normal, for they were usually the guests of honor and were supposed to tbe the last to show up. In the meantime, Slenderman toured Enderman around as Ender was introduced to new members of the family and began to reminisce with other ones. Cousin Lenderman had become a successful stockbroker, Senderman was now head of the United Postal Service, Blenderman had gotten his dream job as a chef, and even Benderman, who was considered the juvenile delinquent of the family, got a job as a fitness instructor in Long Beach. Slenderman also introduced Endy to the Slenderkids, who immediately took a strong liking towards him, mostly because of his ability to teleport. They even invited him to play their traditional game of Kill the Man, which proved to be a huge mistake, for them at least. Enderman's teleportation ability made it almost impossible for the kids to catch him, though it was humorous to the rest of the family to see their brother being chased by a large mob of restless, faceless little children.

Enderman was in the middle of discussing his debt to Lenderman, who was calculating interest from the dollar he loaned Enderman when they were kids, when Splendorman rushed in eyes wide.

"Everybody, listen up! Slendermom and Slenderdad are here!" he shouted. The whole place froze. Suddenly, it was a whirl of tidiness and everyone crowded into the living room. Just when the last of the kids was rounded up, Slendermom and Slenderdad arrived. Slendermom was in her late 60s. She had a 1950s hairdo and wore a yellow dress with red polka dots on it. Slenderdad wore a kangol hat with a white sweater vest over a white shirt and black slacks. Both of them had the classic paper white skin and no face that the Slender family was known for.

"It's so exciting to see my family together one more year." Slenderdad said as he walked in to hear cheers and clapping from his family.

"Yes, but that's not the only exciting thing this year, dad. Enderman, come here!" Slenderman said. Enderman made his way to the front. Slendermom and dad froze.

"Oh…my…god… Enderman, is that you?" Slendermom whispered as she walked toward her son.

"Yes mom, it is. It's so good to see you again." Enderman replied as he hugged his mother tightly. Slendermom looked back at her husband and said, "Honey look; Enderman has returned! Isn't this great?"

Slenderdad stood motionless. Suddenly his fist clenched, and a vein in his head became visible. Then like lightning, he lunged at Enderman. Enderman saw it with nanoseconds to spare and teleported out the way. When he reappeared near the window, he screamed, "Dad, what are you doing?! It's me, Enderman, your son!"

"You're no son of mine!" Slenderdad growled. He snatched the china plates off of the table and tossed them at Enderman. He dodged once more, teleporting all across the room. He reappeared behind Slenderdad and put him in a full nelson, hoping to calm him down. Instead, Slenderdad flipped him over his back and sent him sliding into a cabinet. Suddenly, black tentacles sprouted out of Slenderdad's back. They picked up the mahogany table and sent it sailing over to where Enderman was. It hit its mark and Enderman was hit in the chest with a buffet style table. He was dazed, but slowly began to get up. A tentacle picked Enderman up by the collar as Slenderdad walked up to him.

"Why are you here , Enderman?" Slenderdad asked.

"I-I-I…" Enderman stuttered.

"Nothing; you got no reason to be here. How dare you abandon the people who raised you, and then return to us thinking everything will be all fine and peachy. You're crazy if you think that'll happen."

Slenderman ran up to his father and said, "Dad, put Enderman down now!"

Slenderdad looked at each of his sons, and then dropped Enderman on his butt. He turned away from Enderman and said, "I think it would be best if you left now, Enderman."

Enderman was shocked. "But… dad—"

"ENDERMAN, LEAVE NOW!" Slenderdad shouted. Ender was taken aback by his dad's sudden outburst. Tears formed at his eyes as he teleported away, notr even saying goodbye. The whole family was silent for what seemed like hours. Finally, Slenderman broke the silence.

"You old bastard…" he growled.

"Slenderman, do not speak to your father like that!" Slendermom scolded.

Slenderman ignored her, his rage urging him on. "Doesn't the very fact that Enderman, after being gone for over 15 years, decided to return to our reunion and be a part of our family? He had finally found his roots in the End, his real family, but he didn't stay. He came back here to be with us. Does that mean anything?"

"He abandoned us, Slenderman. Just screwed us over like we were nothing!" Slenderdad said.

"No dad; we screwed him over. When we were kids, he never got the attention you gave me, Splendy, and Trendy as kids. That's the reason he ran away. He felt like he didn't belong, so he left to see where he did belong. You did it then, and you still do it today. Now, I don't care if he's adopted or if he's my real brother or not. He's been by my side for the longest, and I plan to do the same for him right now."

Slenderdad said nothing as his son pushed by him and ran into the woods behind their house in search for his brother.

Slenderman found Enderman at the top of a hill not too far from the house. He was looking up at the moon as Slenderman sat next to him. After a few minutes of silence, Slenderman said, "You know this used to be out favorite hobby when we were kids. Just looking up at the stars and pondering on life."

"Yes, I have always had a fascination with the moon. There isn't one of them in the End unfortunately." Enderman replied.

"You know Slenderdad didn't mean what he said, right?"

"Really? I didn't know that throwing an entire table at someone was just a way of saying 'Welcome Back!' C'mon Slendy; I've been away for a while, but not that long."

"Touché brother, but still he loves you, even if you aren't necessarily a Slender. And even if he doesn't, you're still my brother, no matter what they say."

"Thanks, Slendy, but I think it would be best if I just stayed away like Dad said. It would save the whole lot of us the trouble."

"Are you sure, Endy?"

"As sure as Magic Johnsons' HIV test."

Slenderman laughed at Enderman's cruel joke and said, "Very well then, brother, but can you at least come back to make a plate for the trip?"

Enderman paused and sighed. "Fine, but only because Mom makes a mean apple pie."

The two made the long walk back to the house. "You do know the kids are going to miss you, right?" Slenderman asked his brother.

"Yes, I know, but at least—OW!" Enderman said.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I think something stung me. OW!"

Slenderman felt something too, but it didn't hurt. It felt cool… and wet.

"Shit," Slenderman whispered as he looked up at the sky. The huge cloud grew darker and darker, until it began to pour down rain. Enderman grunted as the rain pelted him and took away his strength.

"Endy!" Slender said as he ran to Enderman's side. He put Ender's arm around his shoulder and picked him up like a wounded soldier. Tentacles sprouted from his back and tried their best to cover Enderman. After a few excruciating minutes, the light of the house came into distance.

"Enderman, we're almost there. You think you can teleport us the rest of the way?"

Enderman slowly tilted up his head. "I'll try," he said weakly. He concentrated hard, and before they knew it they were at the back porch. Although they were out of the rain, that last teleportation sapped the rest of Enderman's power away, causing him to pass out. Splendorman, Benderman, and Slendermom rushed out to see what the commotion was.

"My god; what happened!" Slendermom exclaimed. Benderman carefully picked Enderman up and rushed him up to the spare bedroom upstairs.

Slenderman stepped out of the room Enderman was resting in to see Slenderdad standing there.

"How is he?" Slenderdad asked.

"…fine." Slenderman muttered as he walked past him. Slenderdad followed him to the back porch. They sat down on the two chairs near the door.

"Look Slendy, I know what I said earlier, and I'm sorry."

"How so?"

"When Enderman was just a spawn egg on our doorstep, I knew he was going to be different from the rest of us. I wasn't a fan of change, so I treated him differently than the rest of us. I gave him less love, and less attention. I didn't know that he'd grow up to become such a unique and excellent individual. I wish I could just tell him… how proud I really am of him. He didn't let my bullcrap get in the way of finding out who he really was. I just wish I could tell him that."

"No need to, dad." A voice said. The two turned around to see Enderman standing there looking good as new.

"Endy!" Slenderman said as he hugged as his brother. "How are you already ok?"

"Ahh, it was just a flesh wound. I'm fine now." Enderman said with a smile. Slenderdad walked up to him and said, "Enderman, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry dad. I forgive you." Enderman said as he hugged his dad. "I'm just glad t be home."

"Hey guys, we're about to start the feast!" Trenderman yelled from inside the house. The three Slenders walked in to a cornucopia of foods, including pie, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and a giant whole pig. Slenderdad eyed the pig. "Uhh honey, what happened to the usual human?"

"What, we cant try something new for once?" she said defiantly.

"Meh, seems legit. Let's eat!"

The family sat down and chowed down on the wide variety of foods. After a few minutes, Slenderdad stood up and said, "May I have everyone's attention? Now, I know that I usually do the toast, but this year I was hoping Enderman could do it."

Enderman almost spit out his food. He looked at his dad, who nodded. He got up and everyone cheered.

"Don't screw it up, Endy!" Trenderman joked. Slenderman kicked him under the table.

"Well, I wasn't really prepared for a speech, but I can say, that though I may not be a true Slendy, I wouldn't have known the difference. No matter where I'm from or who I am, I know that I can count on you guys, all of you, to be there. I am a Slender, true and true. A toast to the Slender Family!"

"Cheers!"

End.

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