Slender Man P.O.V.
~Memory Lane~
"Goodbye tall man!"
"Let's play again tomorrow!"
"Bye, bye!"
The children bid their farewells before embracing me one last time. With a grin on their innocent features, they waved goodbye before running back towards the cul de sac. I watched as they made their way out of the forest and towards the sidewalk.
Sweet innocent souls, it's almost time to leave them and let them fend for themselves. It never gets any easier leaving them. I suppose it's all worth it in the end. They grow to become fine, respectable, adults.
I stood behind a large tree and made my way through the shadows. Getting closer towards the cul de sac, I made sure each child made their way home safely. I can hear them speak to their parents in excitement, saying how much fun they had playing with the "tall man." I chuckled when their parents humored them and shared their own stories about the "tall man." I'm amazed some of the adults here were able to remember playing with me. Well I shouldn't be too surprised; children become wiser by the generation.
Watching as the last child made it home, I was about to make my way back towards my own home until I heard what sounded like whimpering. I look back towards the empty sidewalk. The crying wasn't coming from any of my children, no, this whimpering was from another child. The source of the crying was coming from the forest.
I rushed through the shadows desperately looking for the child in hopes that he, or she, wasn't injured. I came to a stop when I saw a small figure hunched over with something in hand. It was a small child, trembling and sobbing onto its ripped up teddy bear. His aura demonstrated sadness and heartbreak as he tried to put the teddy bears stuffing back inside its ripped body. "I'm s-sorry M-Mr. Bear," he sniffled, repeating his words again and again. My heart clenched tightly at the scene before me. Poor thing, I wonder what's happened to his stuffed animal? More importantly, how did he get here in the forest? Weren't his parents worried about him? I don't hear any panic coming from the town, maybe this child came to the forest unnoticed?
I grew closer to the small child. It was a little boy no more than four or five years old. His short hair was a beautiful gold color, his skin looked almost porcelain, and his eyes were hazel with long lashes. I was mesmerized with the boy's appearance. It's been a long time since I've seen a creature with such natural beauty. He looked... angelic.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when the boy's whimpers became louder. "Grandma, why d-did you have to g-go?" the boy hiccuped. "N-Now I-I'm all alone."
I should do something; it hurts too much to see this innocent soul cry. Tugging at my suit with my left hand I used my free hand to reach inside my inner pockets. I pulled out several small sheets of colored paper and quickly folded them each, with the help of my appendages, into different kinds of flowers. After finishing, I detached a few of my appendages from my back and quietly sent them towards the boy along with the paper flowers.
"Hng," the little boy sniffled as he wiped the tears from his face. He straightened his back from his hunched position and was about to start walking who knows where.
Little boy? I whisper in a soft voice inside his head. He gasps from the sound of my voice and quickly analyses his surroundings. I held back a chuckle; the children always react like this at first.
"H-Hello?" the boy asks in a shaky voice.
I move one of my free appendages towards a bush behind the boy and made a small ruffling noise to catch his attention. He quickly turns towards the bush and trembles fearfully. Don't be afraid, I said as I pull out an origami lotus flower out of the bush and waved it around a little, I'm a friend.
"A f-friend?" he asks in an unsure tone. His aura shifts slightly and showed little fear and a lot of curiosity. The boy slowly approaches the bush and hesitantly reached his hand out towards the flower. Letting a small chuckle escape my throat, I move the flower closer to him and let his fingers brush against the paper. He gasps in surprise and snatched his hand back.
Do you like flowers? I ask, pulling out another flower from the bush, a lily this time. The boy batted his eyes, I'm guessing because he wasn't sure what to do, and places his stuffed bear on the ground. He reaches both hands out towards the flowers and grabs them. While he examined the paper flowers in his hands, I let my appendages return to me and reattach to my body.
A tiny smile crosses the boy's face as his aura became calm. "They're pretty," he sighs.
Would you like more flowers? I asked. The boy nods his head and turns around, looking at his surroundings. He's probably in search of me. Look above you, I then instructed. The boy looks up towards the tree above him and beams when he saw paper flowers of many different colors hanging from the branches.
"Wow!" He giggles loudly and jumps up towards the flowers, in an attempt to grab them. I released the flowers and let them fall down towards the boy. In a fit of giggles, the boy grabbed as many flowers as he could. "Did you make them?" he asks as he picked up the remaining flowers from the ground.
I did, I nodded, knowing that he can't see me.
"They're real nice!" With all the flowers in his arms the boy jumps up in the air and threw the flowers up above him, letting the flowers sway and fall to the ground once again.
A chuckle escapes my throat. Feel better? I asked, still not letting myself become seen. My monstrous appearance could scare, even traumatize, the boy.
"Mhm, thank you," the small boy answered, nodding his head. Completely forgetting about the paper flowers, the boy began walking around. "Where are you?" he asks, looking behind a tree.
Around, I answered with a chuckle.
"Can I see you?"
If you see me, you might get scared, I said, reattaching all of my lose appendages back to my body. I hid behind another tall tree, away from the boy when he grew closer.
"No I won't!" he argued as he looked behind a bush, "Grandma says I'm a brave boy."
Are you sure you won't be afraid once I show myself?
"Yes!"
As you wish, I sighed as I walk out of the tree's shadow. The boy still had yet to see me; he currently had his back towards me. Turn around, I said.
The boy instantly turned around and gazed at my appearance. He had a puzzled look in his features and his aura kept shifting into different emotions. I wasn't sure if he was afraid or not. "You're the tall man," the boy mumbled. "I see you play with the other kids in the forest outside my bedroom window."
Is that so? I ask as I knelt down on my knees in front of the boy.
He nods his head and approached me with immense curiosity. "Can I-" he starts as he reached his hands up towards my face, "-touch you?" Not answering his question. I hunch down and stretched my neck as far as I could. He steps on his toes and touched my pale skin. His warm fingers trace over every inch of my face. "Whoa…" he sighs.
While he was distracted I was able to read his mind. I can see a teenage girl, about 13 or 14, holding the boys stuffed bear and cutting its stomach open with a kitchen knife. "You see how it feels now, to have someone you love die in front of you? This is how I felt when mom died giving birth to you." She sneered as she continued cutting the stuffed bear open. The boy continued to cry and beg for mercy but the girl wouldn't stop. "You're a monster for taking my mother away from me. I wish she was here instead of you!" Her torment came to a stop when her father came into the room and took the knife away from her. He scolded her saying things like, "stop bothering Thaddeus," and sent the teen to her room. I was shocked to see that the father, instead of comforting the boy named Thaddeus, just walked away letting the boy cry onto his ripped up bear. Thaddeus probably ran into the forest to escape his family, to escape the torture.
"How do you see?" the boy asked, bringing my attention back to him. "You don't have eyes. Can you see me?"
I can see everything, I said as I reached my hand up and gently traced my long fingers over his cheeks. I can see your gold hair, I can see the trees behind me, I can even see the birds flying above us.
"Really?" the boy gasped as he looks up to see a few birds flying away. "How do you do that?!" he asks, still touching my face.
Magic, I chuckled as I straightened my back from its hunched positions and let my hand fall to my side. What is your name?
"Thaddeus McCormick," he said, smiling wide at me. "What's your name?"
I don't have a name, but you can call me Tall Man.
"Okay, nice to meet you tall man," he greeted as he grabbed my hand in both of his and shook it. "Let's be friends!"
As you wish, I nodded as I stood up on my legs.
"You're so tall!" he nearly yelled, as if I couldn't hear him from where he was. I chuckled and reached down towards him, picking him up in my arms. "Whoa!" he shrieked in excitement, "we're so high up!"
Yes we are, I chuckled as I began to walk towards the direction of his house.
"Where are we going?" the boy asked, looking down at the ground.
The sun is setting, it's time for you to head home, I answered, knowing where the boy lives from reading his thoughts. He tensed in my arms and his cheery aura changed to displeasure and sadness.
"I don't want to go home, nobody wants me there," he said with a pout.
Why do you say that?
There was a long pause before the boy finally answered. "When I was a baby I was living with my grandma. She said that Mommy loved me very much and that she died trying to save me," the boy let out a shaky breath before continuing. "A few days ago, grandma got really sick and I had to go live with my daddy and sister. My sister is really mean and daddy doesn't like to look at me… Anna said I killed my Mommy."
I stopped at my tracks. Hush child, I cooed as I embraced the shacking boy tightly. You did not kill your mother Thaddeus. You are her child, the love of her life, she wanted you to live so you can be happy.
I reached deep inside the boys mind until the day he was born and saw a fragile, ill, woman, holding him in her arms. She had a bright smile on her face and said a few words with her last breath before dying.
Do you know what you're mother said when you were born? I asked. He shook his head "no" as he sniffled. I began to walk towards the direction towards his house. The last words she spoke were, "Thaddeus… my only son. I'm sorry I won't be able to play with you, to take you to your first day of school, or to see you grow up to be a fine young man… but I promise I will always be in your heart. Life will give you many hardships, but I know you will face them with a smile. Become strong for me my love, live for mommy…"
"S-She said that?" the boy hiccuped, barely able to form a sentence.
She did, I assured him, seeing his house from a distance. Your mother loved you very much and will always be with you, even if you can't see her.
"T-Thank you," the boy hiccuped. Although he didn't say it aloud, his thoughts told me he was grateful for telling him what his mother had said to him.
You're welcome, now stop crying, I cooed as I reached a hand towards his cheek and wiped away a few stray tears.
I came to a stop when we finally reached the boys backyard. "T-That o-one is my bedroom," the boy said, pointing his index finger at a window. I nodded before analyzing the bedroom, trying to see if any of the boy's family members were inside it. Once I was sure it was empty, I teleport inside the fairly large room. "Whoa!" the boy gasped. "That was cool!"
I chuckled before walking over to Thaddeus' bed and laying him down upon it. It's time for little boys to go to sleep.
"Okay," the boy nodded as a small smile formed on his lips. He pushed himself off of the bed and reached his hands up towards me. I bend down to his eye level and was complete off guard when he embraced me from the neck and gave me a small kiss on the side of my face. "Thank you for making me feel better, Tall man."
It was my pleasure, I said, feeling my stomach flutter. A feeling I haven't felt in centuries. I pulled the boy away from me and lied him back down while placing the bed covers back over his body. Goodnight, child, I said while ruffling his hair.
"Wait! Will I see you again!?" the boy asked, giving me a desperate expression.
If you promise to keep this safe- I start to say before pulling out one of my "special" sheets of paper from my suit, that had a kids drawing of the forest on it, -then I promise to never leave your side.
"Okay," he said, gladly receiving the paper. A heavy yawn escaped the boy's lips, "goodnight Tall man."
Goodnight, Thaddeus, I said as I ran my hands through his yellow hair. And always remember, child, no matter how bad a situation gets I will not let that be the reason for my downfall, I will live on... The boy sighed before finally drifting off to sleep with a content smile on his face.
Thaddeus P.O.V.
~Back to the present~
When my eyes slowly fluttered open, I saw that I was back in my living room with Slender man still sitting on the ground with his long arms embracing me. I can't believe I forgot such a beautiful memory. How could I forget something like that? I do remember Grandma sending me to live with my father after she past away, but I don't remember Anna doing such a mean thing. Most importantly, how could I forget my mother's last words? How could I forget ever meeting Slender man?
Don't blame yourself, Thaddeus, kids forget even the most important memories, Slender Man explained, answering my thoughts. He tightened his hold on me, making me blush slightly.
"Slender man…" I sighed, trying to form words in my head. "Thank you for being there for me at the time, for taking care of me… I really appreciate it but… why did you leave?"
When you were turning six years old you were very dependent on me, so much as to not wanting to play with the other boys and girls. You were already old enough to start fending for yourself. I had to leave you soon, or you would never grow. One day, a week after your birthday, your Aunt came to visit you and if I recall, you were the happiest you've ever been with your family. You fought less with Ana, your dad spoke more to you… Your Aunt treated you like her son. Not only that, a boy transferred to your school and he had an interest in you, I thought he would be a suitable friend for you… I never knew how wrong I was…
"I think I remember…" I interrupted, "that boy was Gerald… right?" The tall man nodded his head in response to my question. I remember that day, the first time I met Gerald. He transferred to my school and everyone wanted to be his friend. I don't know what I did to attract his attention but he suddenly offered to become my friend. Of course I said yes since I didn't have many friends… but he was only teasing me. Since then, I suffered years of torment.
…When I thought your life was starting to look up for you, I decided it was time to leave. I went to see you one last time before taking the sheet of paper from your room and ripping it, to break the bond between us.
"So that paper you gave me, what does it do exactly?" I asked, remembering that Slender man gave me a similar sheet of paper weeks ago that read, I'll protect you.
Like creatures such as ghosts and vampires need permission to enter one's home, I too need permission to be near a human. That paper allows me to be in your life. It's the bond that we share… In order to break our bond, I need to rip the paper.
"And after you rip it… you just leave?" I asked, trying hard not to sound hurt. I know he left for a good reason but…
Once I break a bond, I disappear from the town for a few years. So I wouldn't be tempted to visit the children. Once the bond is broken the child will slowly start to forget about me, which was part of the contract. Though they don't forget me completely, they end up believing I was just an imaginary friend.
"That explains why I forgot about you so easily then," I chuckled, halfheartedly.
I'm sorry, Thaddeus, the tall man says in a sincere tone. If I had known how things would have turned out, I would have never left your side, if only I stayed-
"-Whoa, whoa, it's okay!" I interrupted as I pull away to turn and face him. "It wasn't your fault things turned out so bad. No one can predict the future; you couldn't have known how things were going to be." I placed my hands on either side of his face and gave him the most sincere smile I could give. "Besides, we ended up meeting each other again,"
You're right, the tall man answered. I gasped at the feeling of his arms suddenly wrapping themselves around me again and bringing me close to him. I let my hands slip from his face to his chest. I still want to apologize, for leaving unannounced. Could you ever forgive me?
"I already have," I blushed as I wrap my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek before resting my head on his shoulder. I don't care if I grew up with an un-supportive family, I don't care if I grew up with Gerald's bullying, I don't care about any of that anymore. It's all in the past now. So long as Slender man stays with me, then I can finally find a reason to smile and be happy. I can feel the tall man's heart beat at a faster rate against my chest. I wonder why?
Your kiss and sweet thoughts is what's making me react this way, he answered. I blushed harder; I need to stop thinking embarrassing things!
"Ha, ha, well kissing and hugging is the only way I know how to show affection," I said, trying not to mumble. "My Grandma and Aunts did it all the time when I was with them,"
I see, they must be great people,
"Mhm… Well, I really need to start cleaning around the house," I said as I pushed away from the tall man. Boy he really is tall. Even when he's sitting down on the floor he's still an inch taller than me, and I'm a tall 5'9!
Do you require assistance? He asks as he lifts himself off of the ground. I giggled slightly as he stood tall. He had to hunch down so the ceiling wouldn't hit his head.
"No it's alright," I chuckled. The tall man tilts his head to the side, questioning my laughter I assume.
What is so amusing? He asked. Hey, I was right!
"Oh it's nothing," I giggled as I made my way towards the kitchen. I shouldn't tell him why I was laughing, he might get offended or something. Also, it's fun to tease him.
I looked over my shoulder, only to see that he wasn't there anymore. I raised an eyebrow and turned back around. "Slender Man?" I called. I felt my spine shiver. Don't tell me he's right behind me? I turned my head and jumped at the sight of him standing close behind me.
He chuckles before one of his tentacle, like, arms grabs me from the waist. Hm, you find my height amusing? He asked me while hoisting me up towards his height.
"Ha ha, no, not at all," I tried to lie. Well this was going to be a fun morning.
~~~
Authors note*
So what did you think? I know i have mistakes here and there and I will try to get back to them XD Anyway, leave me reviews on what you think wil happen next. I was actually going to give Thaddeus and Slender Man a small date-like day ;) Call it fan service haha. BUT being that SLender man isn;t human, having a date in public might be hard? Tell me how you think the date should go! Help me please I'm stuck! DX
Like always, leave your comments(I love them sooo), star this chapter, and share it around! I love receiving views :3 Also! Ive been getting into drawing small comics and such. Not for sure but what i am saying is that I might turn this story into a comic :3