NOTE: This short is inspired by the popular survival horror game, Slender: The Eight Pages. The premise and sound effects are copyright of Mark J. Hadley and Paul Cano, but the story's protagonist is the only original element.
The first thing Holly Parker thought when she came to was: Where am I?
It was dark, so she had no idea whatsoever about her location. Still, she felt dirt, so she had a feeling that she was in a forest. She got up to her feet, a nauseating pain in her gut grumbling. What was she doing here, anyway, and why? And how did she get here in the first place?
She checked her pockets for anything valuable she still had. Of course, she still had her watch (its date read FRI 13) and her MP3. However, she felt something else: a large, heavy object that she had no idea about. Picking it up, she felt a round button on it that she instinctively clicked. From the object burst a brilliant circle of light.
A flashlight- something she really needed to see her way.
As Holly examined the area, she noticed that she was in some sort of forest with giant trees everywhere. Behind her was a giant black fence that she almost couldn't see due to the background. Above her was an endless sky with stars- but no moon.
With no other thought except the urge to escape, she started walking with the flashlight in front of her, following the dirt trail. She chose her own path, looking for a way out of this forest. As she walked, she noticed one tree without leaves right on the trail. Fast-walking towards it, she examined its trunk, keeping an eye out for something suspicious. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a taped page.
It didn't look suspicious- just a standard notebook paper. But what it said gave her the creeps: DON'T LOOK… OR IT TAKES YOU… In addition, it had a drawing of a faceless, slender man in a black suit and tie.
Seeing no other option, she took it. Unfortunately, as soon as she ripped the page from the tree, she heard a large noise. Boom. Boom. Boom.
What was going on? Where did all those noises come from? And why did it seem to grow louder?
She had one instinct: run. Adrenaline filled her bloodstream. With the page in her hand, she sprinted into the woods. The trees didn't faze her, and she dodged their cramped branches determinedly. Suddenly, her T-shirt's sleeves were caught by two unseen branches.
"Ugh!" she grunted, struggling to break free, but that was when she saw him, standing in the trees.
It was the same man from the page, but this one was more real. He was much taller than her, and his hands were hidden in his suit. Worse, she heard faint, but slowly louder, static; and his back seemed to be sprouting… She really couldn't tell by the flashlight, but were they tentacles?!
She broke free of the branches and ran back. All the while, the same booming sound was still echoing. By the time she returned on the trail, she continued through the pathway, not daring to look back to see if he was still after her.
Suddenly, she came across a blue Volvo car. What was that doing? Trying to ignore the awkwardness, she checked for a way to hide, but no luck. Noticing a yellow portable toilet, she peeked around, but instead she found another page, this time saying: CAN'T RUN.
Slipping both pages into her jeans pocket, she looked back, but she found the slender man, standing far from the Volvo! She continued running on the trail, but as she ran, she heard bits of static. Whoever this person- she decided to refer to him as Slender Man- was, he seemed to be growing more relentless.
Pretty soon, she emerged in an open area. Using her flashlight, she noticed a large bathroom. At least, it looked like a bathroom. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but she thought she could see various gas tanks into the distance behind.
She decided to go after the tanks, since she could use the bathroom as a last-minute resort if she had no choice. Switching to walking, she traveled with her heart racing and her mind on any sign of Slender Man's appearance.
By the time she got to the tanks, her mind was already overwhelmed. She examined the area, and she noticed they were twenty in number in four rows and rusting. With a suspicion that the Slender Man could be nearby, she hesitated, but kept walking for signs of another page.
Sure enough, a page was located on the fifth tank on the first row. She took it, reading its message: LEAVE ME ALONE.
The booming was this time accompanied by a different sound: a slight hissing noise. Fearful that the Slender Man might grow more relentless, Holly dashed into the forest again into a different path.
As she kept on running, she glimpsed the track again and got on it. The road led to a brick wall with four sections, which disturbed her. She snuck around, and briefly touched another page. Peeling it off, she read it: ALWAYS WATCHES NO EYES with a drawing of Slender Man's face and X's where his eyes should have been.
All of a sudden, she turned around and saw the Slender Man, very close to her! She immediately screamed and dashed back on the trail with the static blazing in her head. Deep in her head, she thought, Looks like I need to return to the bathroom…
When she finally entered the bathroom, she should have felt relieved. Instead, she felt worried. The flashlight's light had dimmed, so she really couldn't see.
Quietly, she walked around the bathroom, eventually coming to a small room. She saw another page, but she decided to relax.
Something touched her on her shoulder.
She wheeled around, and this time, the Slender Man was right behind her. As static bombarded her ears, one of his tentacles grabbed her by the neck while another lifted her up, forcing her to look at him.
"Who- who are you?!" she demanded, struggling to release herself.
The Slender Man raised another tentacle, which impaled Holly in the heart.
All around the forest, a final wail of agony rang out, echoing.