A/N: I don't own anything!

Chapter 1

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news-" Click.

"The United States in turmoil as violence continues-" Click.

"Is this the beginning of the next Civil War?" Click.

"How to keep yourself and your family safe-" Click.

With a defeated sigh, Charlotte turned the TV off and stood up, stretching and popping her back in the process. She grabbed her empty bowl and moved towards the kitchen in her small apartment. Every channel had the same news; violence in the streets, people fighting each other, more deaths. Before her accident, she had seen it all firsthand as it began to escalate, working as a promising beat cop well on her way to becoming a detective. Then one of the bombs planted by a rogue citizen exploded her car, sending her flying across the street and damaging her spine.

She was still able to walk for the most part, but the doctors had made it clear she'd never be on active duty again. Some days were worse than others and left her stuck in bed for the majority of the day. Her superior officer placed her on indefinite leave with a promise of a desk job upon her return.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts and she realized she was still standing in the kitchen, holding an empty bowl. She dropped it unceremoniously into the sink and made her way to the door, reaching for her 9 mil behind the plant, just in case. She looked out the peep hole to see a package sitting on her "Please Leave By 8." Door Mat and no one in the hallway. She frowned and opened her door, checking both ways to see if someone was hiding, and gingerly picked the box up and brought it into her apartment.

She set the box on her table and grabbed her pocketknife to split open the tape. Sitting on top of the plastic inside was a card with Charlie written on it in her mother's handwriting. Her breath caught and eyes started watering at the familiar sight and her nickname. Her mother had passed away 5 years prior in a car accident with her father. In one fell swoop, she had become an orphan. With shaking hands, she opened the letter.

"My Dearest Charlie,

If you're getting this, it means I wasn't here to give it to you myself, and for that I am so sorry.

Your father and I love you with all of our heart, and all we want is for you to be safe and happy.

There are things you need to know, things that I can't put into words, so I'll tell you the short version of it; our ancestors were witches in Salem.

Your great great-great-great grandmother was the Coven Leader and when the trials began, she and her daughter ran away to the northern Virginia wilderness.

She built a cabin there and warded it. It still stands to this day and is warded from evil. If you're getting this package it means you need to run, because it means the world is too dangerous to live in normally.

I've taught you to survive, and I have ensured that there is a good supply of food in the cabin. You will need to replenish it eventually, particularly before winter comes, but it will help you to get your bearings.

Enclosed in this box are a few things you will need. There are a few articles of clothing, as well as a signet necklace, which you will need to be wearing when you reach the cabin, it will allow you past the wards.

There is a map with the location of it, as well as the key to both the cabin and the shed. You will need to get in the shed as your tiny car won't be able to make it too far in the mountains. You need to leave as soon as you can, I made sure that this would only come if absolutely necessary.

I love you my darling.

Beware the Tall Man.

Mom

She frowned and began to pace. Nothing in her mom's letter sounded real, besides the thing about the world being dangerous, that she definitely believed. She made her way towards her room, picking up her phone to look at some old pictures. Could our ancestors have been witches? The thought bugged her for some reason, she knew they lived in Massachusetts at some point, but living in North Carolina, the place seemed so far away. Curious about the distance, Charlie went back to the box to grab the GPS coordinates and gasped. The paper that had her mom's letter was now blank except for a single line.

I told you that you need to leave now. It's not safe.

Mind reeling, she made a split-second decision and started to pack. If magic was in fact real, that meant that her mother knew what she was talking about. She grabbed her essentials and her go bag, which was filled with money, emergency supplies, and ammunition. She anticipated at some point she'd need to make a run for it if everything else in the world continued to degrade. Grabbing the box, she glanced behind at her cozy, if minimalist, apartment. It had been her home for close to five years, having purchased it when she turned 20. Shooting a quick text to the management that she'd be absent for a bit and for them to check on the place, she locked up and went down the steps to her Camry.

Once in the car she grabbed the crisp white index card with the coordinates, and a small black velvet box. Inside was a beautiful silver medallion, a silhouette of a bald man carved onto it. She caressed it for a moment, expecting the metal to be cold, but finding it to be warm. She slipped it over her head, pulling her dark brown hair out of the way. Underneath the medallion were two keys and a small index card with coordinates on them.

She punched them into her GPS and noted that it was 5 hours away. Double checking that her tank was full, she backed out of the garage and pulled down the street, not noticing how her GPS glitched out and filled the screen with static momentarily before returning to normal.

Charlie made it until she was about a half hour out and noticed that it was close to dark. She decided to stop in the closest town and grab a room at the small motel off the main road. The town was miniscule at best with a run-down old gas station and a small family owned diner. The motel was across from a dingy supermarket and only had 8 rooms. She pulled over to the gas station and grabbed a sandwich and a soda before heading to the motel. The desk clerk was friendly, if a bit abrasive with her questioning.

Charlie was polite and avoided the prying questions and made her way to her room. The room had a faint smell of cigarette smoke and a single full-size bed with scratchy sheets. She gingerly sat down and flicked the TV on, watching the continuing coverage as the world continued to devolve. A riot had broken out in a city not an hour from where she was. She sighed and double checked the deadbolt, loading her gun and setting it beside the bed.

Deciding to take a shower, she grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top. The bathroom was clean, if a little small. Humming to herself as she showered, she contemplated the impromptu events that drove her from her home. She still wasn't sure what awaited her at the mysterious cabin, but she felt like it was important. She stepped out of the shower and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

She wasn't unattractive, but she was never a showstopper. Her dark green eyes were a little too far apart, and her dark brown hair was a little too frizzy. She was a little on the plain side, with a smattering of freckles across her olive skin. She was curvy, and occasionally drifted more towards the chubby side if she didn't keep her workout routine up. She had lost a bit of weight due to her physical therapy, but she still wasn't as thin as she would like to be.

Sighing, she tossed on her clothes and glanced down at her wrist where her birthmark was. It was certainly peculiar; a dark blueish black line about three inches thick wrapped around it, tapering off to a slight point directly above her pulse point. She hadn't questioned it too much, as her mother had the exact same one. A loud thud pulled her from her revere, and she frowned, grabbing her gun and peeking out the window.

It appeared to have started storming while she was in the shower. She chuckled at her skittishness and was about to close the curtain when something caught her eye. In the forest to the right of the supermarket across the street she saw what appeared to be a white circle around 12 feet off the ground. She squinted, trying to get a better look at it, but as she blinked it seemed to disappear. Brushing it off as her imagination she crawled into the bed and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

The Slenderman silently appeared in the sleeping woman's room. He carefully maneuvered himself to the foot of her bed and cocked his head to the side. Observing her. She grunted and rolled over, her arm splaying over her pillow, searching for something or someone to grasp onto. He smirked as he noted his mark on her wrist. Lightning crashed outside, illuminating them both. The thunder made her whimper and burrow closer in the pillow. He frowned as he watched. Could she be the one? Her presence had been altered to him the instant she received the package, and he had been attempting to observe her all day, but she was maddeningly hard to pin down. This was his first full look at her face and her still wet hair was strewn about haphazardly and her eyes were closed. It was difficult to tell if she was the one from his vision. Still, his heart pounded at the thought of his search being over, and a pull in his gut confirmed what his head was still trying to ascertain.