The Slender Man by Dexter Morgenstern Read Free Book Online Page A

static too. Then my
mind hops back to the television.
     It strikes me as odd that after I and probably some of the
other students felt a wave of static pass through us, and then the television-
that Ms. Alder is ferociously trying to fix with the all-powerful toggle
method, distorts, Jason would be having a nightmare. The static actually seems
to come from his direction. At the thought, another wave hits me. The
drowsiness I'd only just managed to knock off comes again, and this time, I
keep my eyes closed for about two seconds to see if it will help.
    When I open my eyes, the fiend is there. It's right in front
of Jason, and looming over him. It's slim and shadowy, and looks like it could
be a person if not for the way its body contorts and shakes like- like static,
giving it an indefinite form. It's all black from what I can see and I only
look at it for a second before I react with a loud gasp. I blink, and it's
gone, but Jason is awake and looking at me. In fact, everyone is looking at me.
Some of them look tired and confused, others look annoyed, but Jason's gaze is
different. It's not the hateful one that he and Leanne have been giving me.
It's a gaze that says
    “ So you saw it too?
    “Alyssa?” says Ms. Alder. She's been toying with the
television, and now the video is back on, except not as good a quality as it
originally was. Did it leave? I think. Ms. Alder is giving me a
quizzical look.
     “Oh, yeah. There was spider, it was tiny, but it crawled
into my sleeve… and startled me, sorry,” I say. Ms. Alder nods.
    “Try and keep quiet,” she says. Throughout the rest of the
class we watch the movie in its horrible half-visible quality. I hope she
doesn't expect us to do an essay on this, because even when I do try and pay attention
I don't understand anything that's happening. For the most part, I'm too busy
thinking about that thing that I- and now possibly Jason, have seen. After
class, we have lunch period, and I'm on my way when I get grabbed from behind.
It's Jason. He pushes me against a wall.
    “You saw him?” he asks.
    “H-him?” I stammer. I've never been intimidated by Jason,
but he’s never gotten in my face and held me against a wall before. He's
putting a lot of weight against my shoulder, and it kind of hurts, but I don't
think that's his intention. Still, I'm contemplating using my pepper spray on
him, but I'm not sure it's a bad enough situation to risk having my only
self-defense item confiscated over.
    “Don't play dumb. You saw Kenny too?” he growls.
    “No, I didn't see him,” I answer truthfully. Was his
nightmare about Kenny?
    “You looked right at him and then screamed,” he presses.
    “No, I, it wasn't him,” I choke, trying to push his hand
off. He doesn't move.
     “Hey!” I hear. Jason and I both look and see none other
than my dad. He's looking Jason dead in the eye and frowning at him, but it's
an angry frown, that's meant to be intimidating, but looks more like a moping
face. “Get your hands off my daughter,” says Dad.
    Jason jerks away from me, and storms off, but not before
giving me one more glare and saying, “He wants my help, and I'm gonna do it,”
he says.
    “What?” I ask, but he's got his back turned to me now.
    “Are you alright,” asks Dad.
    “Yeah, yeah, he's just-”
    “No excuses, if he touches you again knock his lights out,
and I'll have him arrested,” he interrupts. I wonder how exactly Dad expects me
to knock the lights out of someone like Jason, but I just give him a
nod.
    “Roger,” I say.
    “I came to get you,” he continues.
    “Come on, we're going to get Adam, they're letting him go,”
he says. My eyes light up. Adam's finally coming back! They said they'd only
need him for a couple more days, but it's the fifth day. I don't hesitate, I
don't argue, I don't even grab my backpack, and my dad and I are in the car on
the way to the hospital in less than five minutes.
    At the beginning of the drive to Andrews, I feel joyous,