A Slender Chance

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

I didn't tell anyone about Slender man. Who would believe me anyway? Each day I got up, went to school, went to work, came home, did my homework, and went to bed.

I didn't see Slendy any more.

The doubts started to creep back into my head. 'You imagined the whole thing, didn't you, you idiot?' I was getting really tired of my subconscious' snide remarks.

The thing was, even though I couldn't see him, I could feel him watching me.

'Always watches.' I shuddered.

Friday night I grabbed my flashlight and told my parents I was going out. If Slendy really was watching me, I wanted to give him a chance to come talk to me. Setting off on foot, I started for the neighborhood park.

I hadn't been walking for more than five minutes before I heard a cool voice behind me say, "You know, you really shouldn't go out at night by yourself. There could be child murderers out here."

I tried to contain my grin as I turned around. He was leaning casually against a tree on the edge of the sidewalk. His arms were folded across his chest and he only stood about six foot four at the moment.

"Child murderers? Ha, they don't scare me."

Slendy raised his brow. "Oh really? You say that like you've met one."

"Oh I come across them from time to time. You know, this is Atlanta after all," I teased.

"Hmm. You should be careful Sky, or one day you wont come across that murderer, he'll come across you."

"Is there a difference?" I asked.

"Oh yes," he answered gravely. It amused me how playful he was tonight. I liked it.

"If your going to insist in running around with child murders on the loose," he said with a hint of a smile, "then it would be my duty as a gentleman to accompany you, wouldn't it?" He pushed off of the tree and came to stand next to me.

I could help it, I giggled. "Why thank you, sir." We fell instep together and started walking. "Heaven forbid a child murderer should come at me now."

He grinned that same pointed tooth smile. "Yes, Heaven forbid."

That wolffish smile sent a chill down my spine an I swallowed thinking, 'What have you gotten yourself into now Sky?'

"You seem to be in a good mood tonight," I said after a moment.

"Mhm. It happens every once in a blue moon," he replied.

"So what's the occasion?" I asked.

He ignored me. I frowned, but decided to just drop it.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked quietly.

"You just did." I glared at him and finally he shrugged. "I guess you may," he sighed.

"Why do you find me interesting?"

Slender man gave me a peevish look, like that was one of the last questions he wanted to be answering right now. That only made me more eager to hear the answer.

He stopped, pulling me to a stop with him and turned to face me. We were in the park now, near the lake. "Why should I tell you that, human?" he asked.

"Because if your gonna be stalking me now, I think I have the right to know why," I said.

His mouth twitched in that almost smile. And he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't know, little one." There was almost a tenderness in his voice. Almost.

With out realizing it, I leaned in closer. "Oh come now, surely you must know," I teased.

To my surprise, he leaned in closer too. "Maybe I do, and maybe I don't, but if I don't feel like telling you, you won't find out."

"Because?" Why was voice so much softer all if the sudden?

"Because I'm the Slender man." His voice was rougher, almost a whisper.

"So?" I demanded.

"So, I could kill anyone who gives me trouble. You included little human," he warned.

"But you said you wouldn't kill me," I reminded him.

He leaned in closer and whispered softly with peppermint breath, "Am I not allowed to change my mind?" I shuddered involuntarily. He chuckled and leaned away.

I stared up at him while I tried to reboot my brain. What the hell just happened? I shook my head. Time for a subject change. "Hey Slendy? I was wondering..."

He sighed, "So full if questions. Yes, what is it Sky?"

"Online it says you have siblings. Splendor man and Trender man. Are they real too?"

Slender's face darkened. "Yes, unfortunately they are," he scowled.

"Oh. Okay, just wondering," and I dropped that subject too. I wondered briefly if Slendy was bipolar. His good mood seemed to have vanished.

"Maybe that's enough wondering for tonight, hm? You should be going to bed," he suggested.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not twelve, I don't exactly have a bed time anymore," I argued.

Slendy sighed. "Sky..."

"Yeah?" I muttered, a little put out.

"Just do it."

"Bossy."

"I know."

I stayed where I was.

Slender man groaned. "Stubborn human," he grumbled and grabbed my elbow. I blinked and we were standing in my bedroom.

"Woah, did I miss something?" I asked bewildered.

"It's just Slenderwalking little one, now go to bed," he pinched the bridge if his nose between his thumb and fore finger.

I rolled my eyes and climbed under the covers. After seeming to debate with himself for a moment, he came over and sat in the edge of my bed. Gently he started stroking my hair. It was very relaxing.

"Why do I have to go to bed?" I asked yawning. I closed my eyes and concentrated on how his long fingers felt running through my hair.

He paused for a moment. "Because I'm hungry, and I don't want a child murder to come across you," he whispered and vanished.

My mom had the news on the next morning when I got up. I left the room when they played the story about a missing child. His name was Daniel, and he was only seven.