Slender

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

I fumbled with the mysterious key in the lock of the barn’s attic. It was dark. Everything was dark actually. I didn’t know what I was running from or what I was trying to find. All I knew was that I was on the verge of a panic attack and my breathing was hard and fast. The lock clicked, I pulled open the door, and there in front of me was horrifying long dark wispy arms out to engulf me. I was terrified yet hypnotized and I walked straight into them letting them take me away.

I woke up with sweat pouring down my forehead. I couldn’t remember my nightmare; I just knew I had one. I got up and ran the hot water in my bathroom. My alarm went off in twenty minutes so I got the shower done faster than usual. Usually I take hour long showers. It felt good to rinse away my sweat, but it didn’t help with the aura of fear still swallowing me. I had an irrational fear of bathrooms, and I’d had it since I was little. I’d never gotten over it; I had just learned to cope with it. I ripped the shower curtain back, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked into my bedroom from my white bathroom door.

I dressed in black skinny jeans and a black tee shirt with the Union Jack flag on it but printed in a red and green plaid print. I blow dried my hair which always stressed me out. I couldn’t stand not hearing my surroundings. I was always constantly paranoid of something coming around the corner to get me. I felt like I was more paranoid than usual from the nightmare. I opened my sister’s bedroom door so I could see her. So I knew someone else was with me. She could sleep through anything. I brushed my hair, teeth, put on deodorant, applied my foundation, slipped on my sneakers, and headed out of the door.

I had to ride the bus today. The bus was quiet like usual. I didn’t really have a crowd of kids who rode the bus since I didn’t live by anyone. My driveway was a mile long and my house was built in a field. I hated being so far away from society.

When I got in the gym Talia and Hope were already there. My bus usually got there earlier than the rest, but we took a wrong turn this morning.  Someone had drawn an Operator Symbol on the back of one of the wooden chairs in the gym at the bottom row. “Look.” I told them pointing to it.

“Yeah, they’re freaking everywhere! It’s getting on my nerves!” Talia groaned.

“I beat the game.” Hope bragged even though I doubt she did.

“Was it scary?”  I asked.

“It didn’t make me fall out of my chair.” She mocked. Talia busted out laughing.

“Ha-ha.” I sarcastically replied rolling my eyes.

“You look exhausted.” Talia said pointing out my dark circles.  

“Yeah, I woke up a little earlier from a nightmare. I don’t remember what it was about though, but I know it scared the shit out of me.” I said with a sleepy smile and a tired laugh.  They laughed a little too and then the bell rang.

I pushed through the hallway, which I was really good at by the way, and got to my locker before my neighbor did. I quickly unlocked my lock, threw my locker door open, and took out my binder. I headed to the gym after closing my locker swiftly.

I knew it was useless to start reading my book, because Lucas would be in here any second. Talia came in first and sat by me, then Jimmy came in but he always played basketball in the mornings even though he sucked. He liked to act all sporty, but he couldn’t play crap.

“Hey! Guess what I played last night?” Lucas said with a toothy grin.

“If you say Slenderman I’ll have to kill you.” I murmured rubbing my temple.

“Slenderman.” He said with a smirk. I held my hand up to my head in the shape of a gun and pretended to shoot myself. He started laughing and Talia did too. I rolled my eyes with a teasing smile. “I failed after the second page.” He told me honestly.

“Nice. Hope says she beat the game.”  I told him hinting my disbelief.

“Bullshit.” He said.

“I know.” Talia and I both said in sync.

Second hour I sat next to Micah in the media center. We had started working on our pages now.  Micah was a little rusty, but he was getting the hang of it. He was a technology genius, so he catches on pretty fast. “You’re little game is spreading.” I told him.

“I know! We’re nominated for a game award in the countries independent launchers!” He told me passing me this flyer he pulled out of his binder. It had a picture of what looked like an Emmy but with a game controller on it. It read: Independent launched games top performing creators! And listed all the nominees and the grand prize of two hundred dollars.

“This could be big.” I told him in awe.

“Yeah, if I get famous for this I can go to a gamer’s convention and top gamer award shows!” He exclaimed super excited by this. This was crazy.

“Wow, like this is a big deal.” I said with my eyes big as I passed the flyer back to him.

“I have to tell my mom after this hour.” He told me with a huge smile.

“After this hour?”  I asked confusedly.

“Uh yeah, my mom’s a seventh grade science teacher.” He said as if I was stupid. My mouth gaped.

“You’re mom is Mrs. Coulter?” I exclaimed almost.

“Um yeah…” He replied slowly like I should have known. I face palmed myself.

“How did I not know this?” I asked.

“Because you, you are stupid.” He told me laughing. I dropped my mouth open and hit his palm and laughed a little.

“So have you seen all the Operator symbols around here?” I asked him pointing to the piece of tape on the desk with three little ones drawn on it.

“Yes, yes, they’re everywhere how could I not?” He asked. Since I had gotten to know Micah, I had realized he is not as sweet and nice as he comes off to be at first. At first he’s shy and then bam; he’s this cocky fucker who just splutters insults and witty retorts out of his mouth. But I kind of liked them. They were pretty funny.

“True.” I replied typing interviews I had done on my yearbook page.

Third hour came and Lucas pushed me into a wall in the hallway full of excitement. My stomach flipped at this sudden intimacy. “What?” I exclaimed. He backed away.

“People were talking up stairs in math and they said they saw who took those people from the skating rink that night. They said, and I don’t know if they were shitting me or not, but they seemed pretty serious. They said that they saw them walk into the boy’s bathroom. All three of them. And with the light of their phone they only thing they saw were an Operator symbol on the visible wall in front of the entrance. Oh, and apparently the police have recorded more than one claim of this in there file and they know because they were called in for witness since she came with Maddy.” He told me in all seriousness. I laughed, but he kept staring at me. I shrugged away from him.

“Who told you this?” I asked confused.

“Katie Jones.” He told me with wide eyes.

“And are you proclaiming that Slenderman did it like all of the rest of the obsessive students here?” I asked in mockery.

“Okay, well how can they go in a bathroom and not come out?” He asked.

“They’re lying! I didn’t even see Katie there. They’re just going with the flow of the schoolyard myth! Plus they wouldn’t know other people claimed that, because just because they were called in for witness doesn’t allow them to see the file on the case!” I exclaimed like he was stupid with a knowing smile on my face.  

“Shit…”Lucas cursed under his breath as he wiped his nose. I turned over to him as I entered the classroom and blood was seeping out slowly from his nose. Mr. Limp saw him and waved him out of his classroom so he knew he could go to the nurse. I nervously looked at him and Lucas waved me off showing that he’s fine. I went in and sat down before the bell rang.