So, we went into the guy's house, which our parents would have freaked out about, because, you know, all older people are perverts who rape children for sport. They weren't here to complain, though, so it didn't matter. Then, of course, the man had to pose the obligatory question, regarding where, exactly, our parents were. He laughed when we told him that we ditched them.
"So," he said when that was all cleared up, "We haven't been properly introduced. My name's John."
"Nice to meet you," I said, "I'm Lyle, and that's Charlie."
"Nice to meet you, too, " he began, "Now, to business... I am a former professor of mythology, folklore, and religion. I retired last year. I haven't had a lot to do, lately, so I've been reading up on these missing children. At first, it appeared to be just a standard kidnapping story. It was sad, and it was an interesting read, but it was frustrating that I could do nothing about it. So, I put it down. Soon, though, my boredom was renewed, so I bought another paper. The next day, I did the same. Then, as I got further into my studies, I began to notice reports of a man without a face. That struck me as odd, so I kept looking. I found more and more of these stories, until I could only reach one conclusion. This thing, whatever it is, is not human."
"Yeah, we came to the same conclusion." I said, "We call him Slender Man."
"Slender Man..." He contemplated, "That's a clever name."
"So," Charlie asked, "Do you have any ideas as to what he really is? You were a mythology professor. You might be able to tell us something important."
"Yes," Professor John said, "I have my theories. But, first, I'd like to know what you know."
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Part Twenty (April 23, 1972)
So, Charlie came up with some crappy excuse for our trip; we were allegedly helping a friend move, or something, and that friend lived over in Auburn, so we needed a ride to a bus stop. They questioned why we didn't want them to drive us the whole way, and we just told them that we didn't want to take away from their busy day. For whatever reason, they bought that, and they took us to the bus stop.
We soon arrived at the man's house, which, incidentally, actually was in Auburn. We didn't really know what to expect, once we got in, but we rang the doorbell nonetheless.
We were greeted by an elderly man of about seventy years. He looked down at us in surprise. Obviously, his friend hadn't told him that we were coming.
"Who are you?" He asked, "Are you boy scouts? If you are, I'm sorry, but I can't buy any chocolates. I gave up sweets, a long time ago."
"No," Charlie said, chuckling a little, "Your friend told me to come find you. I know about the disappearances."
"You must mean Bruce." He mused, "I instructed him to find somebody who knew something, like you said. I expected them to arrive soon... Forgive me, but I was expecting someone a little older. That's not a bad thing. I just don't normally find myself talking to children. But Bruce did his job, and you're here, so I guess that it's of no matter."
He was quiet for a moment, then he said, "May I ask why there are two of you?"
"Lyle knows just as much as I do." Charlie began, "And he was... er..."
"I was attacked." I grunted, "I was almost killed. You don't have to put it lightly." Charlie sighed at me, outstretching his arms in exasperation.
The older fellow could not stop himself from giggling a little, in spite of the circumstances. After a minute or so, he started talking. "You two have a sort of turbulent friendship." He noted. We looked at him, a bit startled.
"Don't worry," He said with a smile, "That's the best kind. You keep each other in check. Plus, it's just more fun." He paused for a minute, then said, "Do come in. We have much to talk about."
We soon arrived at the man's house, which, incidentally, actually was in Auburn. We didn't really know what to expect, once we got in, but we rang the doorbell nonetheless.
We were greeted by an elderly man of about seventy years. He looked down at us in surprise. Obviously, his friend hadn't told him that we were coming.
"Who are you?" He asked, "Are you boy scouts? If you are, I'm sorry, but I can't buy any chocolates. I gave up sweets, a long time ago."
"No," Charlie said, chuckling a little, "Your friend told me to come find you. I know about the disappearances."
"You must mean Bruce." He mused, "I instructed him to find somebody who knew something, like you said. I expected them to arrive soon... Forgive me, but I was expecting someone a little older. That's not a bad thing. I just don't normally find myself talking to children. But Bruce did his job, and you're here, so I guess that it's of no matter."
He was quiet for a moment, then he said, "May I ask why there are two of you?"
"Lyle knows just as much as I do." Charlie began, "And he was... er..."
"I was attacked." I grunted, "I was almost killed. You don't have to put it lightly." Charlie sighed at me, outstretching his arms in exasperation.
The older fellow could not stop himself from giggling a little, in spite of the circumstances. After a minute or so, he started talking. "You two have a sort of turbulent friendship." He noted. We looked at him, a bit startled.
"Don't worry," He said with a smile, "That's the best kind. You keep each other in check. Plus, it's just more fun." He paused for a minute, then said, "Do come in. We have much to talk about."
Friday, January 25, 2013
Part Nineteen (April 23, 1972)
After we woke up, the two of us headed down to Tommy's place. We were basically obligated to see how he was doing, after we essentially rescued him. And he was our only other friend who knew anything, so we figured that we should rope him into our group. We wouldn't be able to take him with us to see Charlie's contact, though. He just got back. His mom would be too worried. It took convincing to get her to even let us see him. But since she could do nothing else to properly thank us, she felt that she owed us at least a visit. But she told us that, after this time, we wouldn't be able to see him again until he fully recovered.
When we got there, Mrs. Mason offered us breakfast, which we graciously accepted. Tommy was at the table with us, but topics of discussion had to be limited, with his mom watching. The only thing that she really knew about her boy's disappearance was that he had been lost in the woods. So, we kept the conversation limited to what homework he'd missed while he'd been gone, and how unearthly delicious his mother's pancakes were.
When breakfast was over, and we were finally free to talk, we entered Tommy's bedroom. We sat on the foot of his bed, and began our discussion.
"You didn't tell the cops everything, did you?" I asked, "I don't want you ending up in a mad house."
"Don't worry. I kept it vague." He said, "And I left a lot out." We both nodded in approval.
I nudged Charlie in the shoulder. He cringed a little in pain, and then said, "What, Lyle?"
"You know," I said, "The thing that we talked about earlier."
"Eh, right. That." He replied. He glanced over at Tommy, then. He said, "Tom, how'd you like to join our little investigation into Slender Man and the disappearances?"
He looked uncertain. He furrowed his eyebrows, and itched at his arm, nervously. "I don't know," he said, "That attack scared the crap out of me. I can't sleep at night."
"Lyle's still in," Charlie reassured, "And he's in deep trauma from what happened to him. In fact, I'll bet that it makes him even more determined to learn the truth."
"Well, in that case..." Tommy responded, a little relived, "I guess that I'm in, too."
"Alright," I said, "Charlie and me are gonna go visit this guy who knows some stuff. Your mom says that you can't come, because she's worried about you, but we'll call you when we get some information."
"Okay," Tommy said, even more relieved, "Sounds like a plan."
When we got there, Mrs. Mason offered us breakfast, which we graciously accepted. Tommy was at the table with us, but topics of discussion had to be limited, with his mom watching. The only thing that she really knew about her boy's disappearance was that he had been lost in the woods. So, we kept the conversation limited to what homework he'd missed while he'd been gone, and how unearthly delicious his mother's pancakes were.
When breakfast was over, and we were finally free to talk, we entered Tommy's bedroom. We sat on the foot of his bed, and began our discussion.
"You didn't tell the cops everything, did you?" I asked, "I don't want you ending up in a mad house."
"Don't worry. I kept it vague." He said, "And I left a lot out." We both nodded in approval.
I nudged Charlie in the shoulder. He cringed a little in pain, and then said, "What, Lyle?"
"You know," I said, "The thing that we talked about earlier."
"Eh, right. That." He replied. He glanced over at Tommy, then. He said, "Tom, how'd you like to join our little investigation into Slender Man and the disappearances?"
He looked uncertain. He furrowed his eyebrows, and itched at his arm, nervously. "I don't know," he said, "That attack scared the crap out of me. I can't sleep at night."
"Lyle's still in," Charlie reassured, "And he's in deep trauma from what happened to him. In fact, I'll bet that it makes him even more determined to learn the truth."
"Well, in that case..." Tommy responded, a little relived, "I guess that I'm in, too."
"Alright," I said, "Charlie and me are gonna go visit this guy who knows some stuff. Your mom says that you can't come, because she's worried about you, but we'll call you when we get some information."
"Okay," Tommy said, even more relieved, "Sounds like a plan."
Part Eighteen (April 22, 1972)
"Slender Man...?" Tommy asked in confusion, "That's what you call him? That man... er, that thing attacked you, too?"
I shuddered, and I started crying a little. Charlie answered for me. "Lyle was," he said, "And he hasn't really been the same since." Tommy nodded, and tried to comfort me, only to join me in my weeping. Charlie attempted to help, but he couldn't fully understand what we were going through. We appreciated the thought, but it just didn't work.
When we had calmed ourselves a little, Charlie got up. He looked down at us, and he said, "Well, Tommy, I think that we need to get you home. Your parents will be worried about you, and you're gonna need to clear things up for the police; let them know that they don't have to send out a search party. We'll stop by your house tomorrow to talk."
On that note, we reluctantly stood up, and we left the park. Tommy's place was a few miles away, so we took a bus. The other passengers gave us a few looks, because of his torn clothing and tangled hair, but it was nothing that we couldn't handle. We got off fifteen minutes later, and walked the rest of the way to his house. Tommy's mother opened the door to us in surprise. She didn't see Tommy at first, because he was behind us. "Hello," she said, "If you're looking for Tommy, he's not here. I don't know where he is." She started sobbing.
"We do." I said. I moved aside to let her see her son.
I shuddered, and I started crying a little. Charlie answered for me. "Lyle was," he said, "And he hasn't really been the same since." Tommy nodded, and tried to comfort me, only to join me in my weeping. Charlie attempted to help, but he couldn't fully understand what we were going through. We appreciated the thought, but it just didn't work.
When we had calmed ourselves a little, Charlie got up. He looked down at us, and he said, "Well, Tommy, I think that we need to get you home. Your parents will be worried about you, and you're gonna need to clear things up for the police; let them know that they don't have to send out a search party. We'll stop by your house tomorrow to talk."
On that note, we reluctantly stood up, and we left the park. Tommy's place was a few miles away, so we took a bus. The other passengers gave us a few looks, because of his torn clothing and tangled hair, but it was nothing that we couldn't handle. We got off fifteen minutes later, and walked the rest of the way to his house. Tommy's mother opened the door to us in surprise. She didn't see Tommy at first, because he was behind us. "Hello," she said, "If you're looking for Tommy, he's not here. I don't know where he is." She started sobbing.
"We do." I said. I moved aside to let her see her son.
Part Seventeen (April, 22 1972)
"Tommy?" I asked in amazement.
"Lyle, Charlie? Is that you guys?" He returned.
"Yeah," Charlie said, "It's us. What are you doing here? You've been missing since Wednesday. What happened?" He played with a strand of his dirty blond hair.
"Come here," Tommy said, "And I'll tell you."
We approached him slowly, and sat down beside him. I looked him in the eyes, waiting patiently for him to begin his story. With a deep breath, he told us.
"I was just explorin' in the woods. I knew where I was, or I thought so, but, when I tried to go back, I got lost. It almost looked like I was in an entirely different part of the woods than I had been when I went in. I know that it makes no sense, but it was like it switched on me."
Tommy stopped for a moment, to catch his breath, and then continued. "I wandered around for a long time, but I got nowhere. So, I kinda just gave up. It started to rain after a while, so I built myself a fort out of some trees and branches. I tried my best to keep it sturdy. Luckily, I'm a boy scout, so I figured it out pretty quickly. I stayed under until the storm stopped, then just walked around for a bit. I didn't really have any reason, other than being bored.
"Later, I saw this deer, and I got hungry, so I went after it. I didn't have any weapons, and I had no idea what I was doing, but I needed food. So, I just chased it through the forest. It got away, but I followed its tracks. I wanted to see if it would bring me to other deer. I walked for hours, but the tracks led me in a circle. I then got really desperate, and took some berries from a bush. I didn't really know if they were poisonous or not, but I figured that I had nothing left to lose.
"I grabbed a bunch of them, until I felt comfortably full, which took a really long time. After that, I got tired. I looked for that shelter that I built, but I couldn't find it. I was too exhausted to make a new one, so I just piled up some leaves to make a bed. When I got up, there was this weird, tall guy standing there. He didn't look like he had a face, but I chalked it up to just being that hungry. That would've freaked me out, but I got very little sleep, so I didn't care much. Anyway, he didn't say anything, but he kind of gestured to follow him. It looked like he was trying to help me.
"When we got far enough, we suddenly stopped. Then, he randomly started attacking me. I somehow got away, but I don't remember how. I just started running. When I was sure that i was away, I built another fort, just so I could have something else to focus on. The rest of the day went a lot like the day before, except that I couldn't sleep at all. Later on, this morning, I thought that I saw him again, so I took off. I'm not sure how long I ran for, but it seemed like forever. My legs were sore, and I was out of breath, so I sat in front of this tree. That's when I saw you two come through."
We wanted to respond, but he left us with so many questions that we had no real starting point. We were all silent for a while, until I decided to speak.
"So much for taking my mind off of Slender Man, Charlie..." I whined. With that, my depression began anew.
"Lyle, Charlie? Is that you guys?" He returned.
"Yeah," Charlie said, "It's us. What are you doing here? You've been missing since Wednesday. What happened?" He played with a strand of his dirty blond hair.
"Come here," Tommy said, "And I'll tell you."
We approached him slowly, and sat down beside him. I looked him in the eyes, waiting patiently for him to begin his story. With a deep breath, he told us.
"I was just explorin' in the woods. I knew where I was, or I thought so, but, when I tried to go back, I got lost. It almost looked like I was in an entirely different part of the woods than I had been when I went in. I know that it makes no sense, but it was like it switched on me."
Tommy stopped for a moment, to catch his breath, and then continued. "I wandered around for a long time, but I got nowhere. So, I kinda just gave up. It started to rain after a while, so I built myself a fort out of some trees and branches. I tried my best to keep it sturdy. Luckily, I'm a boy scout, so I figured it out pretty quickly. I stayed under until the storm stopped, then just walked around for a bit. I didn't really have any reason, other than being bored.
"Later, I saw this deer, and I got hungry, so I went after it. I didn't have any weapons, and I had no idea what I was doing, but I needed food. So, I just chased it through the forest. It got away, but I followed its tracks. I wanted to see if it would bring me to other deer. I walked for hours, but the tracks led me in a circle. I then got really desperate, and took some berries from a bush. I didn't really know if they were poisonous or not, but I figured that I had nothing left to lose.
"I grabbed a bunch of them, until I felt comfortably full, which took a really long time. After that, I got tired. I looked for that shelter that I built, but I couldn't find it. I was too exhausted to make a new one, so I just piled up some leaves to make a bed. When I got up, there was this weird, tall guy standing there. He didn't look like he had a face, but I chalked it up to just being that hungry. That would've freaked me out, but I got very little sleep, so I didn't care much. Anyway, he didn't say anything, but he kind of gestured to follow him. It looked like he was trying to help me.
"When we got far enough, we suddenly stopped. Then, he randomly started attacking me. I somehow got away, but I don't remember how. I just started running. When I was sure that i was away, I built another fort, just so I could have something else to focus on. The rest of the day went a lot like the day before, except that I couldn't sleep at all. Later on, this morning, I thought that I saw him again, so I took off. I'm not sure how long I ran for, but it seemed like forever. My legs were sore, and I was out of breath, so I sat in front of this tree. That's when I saw you two come through."
We wanted to respond, but he left us with so many questions that we had no real starting point. We were all silent for a while, until I decided to speak.
"So much for taking my mind off of Slender Man, Charlie..." I whined. With that, my depression began anew.
Part Sixteen (April 22, 1972)
Charlie spent the remainder of the day trying to take my mind off of my experience. The first thing we did was go to the park. It seemed like a boring way to start off a day of adventure, I'll admit, but it soon turned out to be much more exciting then I had expected.
It all began with us skipping stones in a little stream at the end of the park. When that got boring, it eventually became a bit of a contest to see which one of us get our rocks the farthest down the stream. Charlie went first. He chucked his pebble about thirty feet down. Next, I threw mine. It landed in almost exactly the same spot. As you might expect, this turned into a huge argument about whose made it farther.
"I won." Charlie said, smirking.
"Are you nuts?" I mocked, "Mine went two inches farther."
"No," Charlie insisted, "They landed in almost the same spot. Mine hit about an inch away from yours."
"Yeah, an inch before mine..."
"No," My friend grumbled, "It clearly landed an inch farther."
"Dude," I stated firmly, "Your splash was there. Mine was over there. Therefore, my rock landed over there."
Charlie tackled me, and we both fell into the water. We rolled around for a few minutes, punching each other wildly. After a while, we got up. With bloody faces and soaked clothing, we agreed that fighting over rocks was stupid. So, we grabbed larger rocks, to make it more obvious whose went the farthest. We both threw at the same time.
We followed the stream to see where the stones fell. We found them laying side-by-side. Calling a truce, we turned to go back. We then heard an abrupt noise coming from the woods that were beside the stream. This made me jump in fear, causing me to fall backward into a tree. Charlie, who normally would have laughed, said nothing, for he knew why I was startled. Instead, he grabbed my arm, and gently pulled me to my feet.
Carefully, we went to locate the source of the sound. At first, we found nothing. Then, about a hundred feet in, we found someone.
It was a boy who was around our age. He was sitting on the ground, and leaning against the trunk of a tree. He was breathing heavily, as if he had been running for a long distance. He wore normal street clothes, but they looked as if he had been wearing them for a while; they were covered in dirt and forest debris. This was weird, in itself, but it became even stranger once I realized that I knew him.
His name was Tommy Mason. He'd been missing since Wednesday, which naturally made us jump to conclusions. Yet, here he was.
It all began with us skipping stones in a little stream at the end of the park. When that got boring, it eventually became a bit of a contest to see which one of us get our rocks the farthest down the stream. Charlie went first. He chucked his pebble about thirty feet down. Next, I threw mine. It landed in almost exactly the same spot. As you might expect, this turned into a huge argument about whose made it farther.
"I won." Charlie said, smirking.
"Are you nuts?" I mocked, "Mine went two inches farther."
"No," Charlie insisted, "They landed in almost the same spot. Mine hit about an inch away from yours."
"Yeah, an inch before mine..."
"No," My friend grumbled, "It clearly landed an inch farther."
"Dude," I stated firmly, "Your splash was there. Mine was over there. Therefore, my rock landed over there."
Charlie tackled me, and we both fell into the water. We rolled around for a few minutes, punching each other wildly. After a while, we got up. With bloody faces and soaked clothing, we agreed that fighting over rocks was stupid. So, we grabbed larger rocks, to make it more obvious whose went the farthest. We both threw at the same time.
We followed the stream to see where the stones fell. We found them laying side-by-side. Calling a truce, we turned to go back. We then heard an abrupt noise coming from the woods that were beside the stream. This made me jump in fear, causing me to fall backward into a tree. Charlie, who normally would have laughed, said nothing, for he knew why I was startled. Instead, he grabbed my arm, and gently pulled me to my feet.
Carefully, we went to locate the source of the sound. At first, we found nothing. Then, about a hundred feet in, we found someone.
It was a boy who was around our age. He was sitting on the ground, and leaning against the trunk of a tree. He was breathing heavily, as if he had been running for a long distance. He wore normal street clothes, but they looked as if he had been wearing them for a while; they were covered in dirt and forest debris. This was weird, in itself, but it became even stranger once I realized that I knew him.
His name was Tommy Mason. He'd been missing since Wednesday, which naturally made us jump to conclusions. Yet, here he was.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Part Fifteen (April 22, 1972)
"Okay," I shrugged, "That's pretty weird, but I guess that we can have my parents drive us up there later. We'd just need a good excuse. Got any?"
Charlie lowered his brow. "No, but I can come up with one when we need it."
I smiled a little. "Good," I said.
My buddy playfully elbowed me in the arm. "So, what dirt do you have?"
I froze. Charlie waved his hand in front of my face, to get my attention, but it failed. Then, a few small tears ran down my face. Charlie looked at me nervously. When I finally built up some courage, I spoke.
With all of the will I could muster, I whimpered, "I... saw Slender Man." He looked shocked, but he seemed to recognize the truth of my words. As far as I was aware, he had never seen me in this much despair. There had to be a reason for it, and this was the one that made the most sense. It was weird, though, because, if I had said it any other time before, he would have thought me crazy.
He spent a few moments comforting me, until I felt okay enough to continue the story. I told hm the whole thing, from my discovery of the college graduate, Howard Grady, to my confrontation with Slender Man. He listened intently, asking a couple of questions along the way. When I had finished, he put his hand on my shoulder.
He was quiet for a while, taking time to mull everything over. A minute or two later, he started speaking. "Okay," he said, "Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna take a day off, to let you calm your nerves a little. I know that you're probably never gonna get over that. I don't blame you. But a day should be okay to lessen the impact a little. When that's over, tomorrow, we're gonna head over to talk to that guy that I saw. On Monday, after school, we'll chat with the dude at the night club. That'll be harder to get around, but I've got a cousin who can make some fake IDs. Sound good?"
I nodded hesitantly.
Charlie lowered his brow. "No, but I can come up with one when we need it."
I smiled a little. "Good," I said.
My buddy playfully elbowed me in the arm. "So, what dirt do you have?"
I froze. Charlie waved his hand in front of my face, to get my attention, but it failed. Then, a few small tears ran down my face. Charlie looked at me nervously. When I finally built up some courage, I spoke.
With all of the will I could muster, I whimpered, "I... saw Slender Man." He looked shocked, but he seemed to recognize the truth of my words. As far as I was aware, he had never seen me in this much despair. There had to be a reason for it, and this was the one that made the most sense. It was weird, though, because, if I had said it any other time before, he would have thought me crazy.
He spent a few moments comforting me, until I felt okay enough to continue the story. I told hm the whole thing, from my discovery of the college graduate, Howard Grady, to my confrontation with Slender Man. He listened intently, asking a couple of questions along the way. When I had finished, he put his hand on my shoulder.
He was quiet for a while, taking time to mull everything over. A minute or two later, he started speaking. "Okay," he said, "Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna take a day off, to let you calm your nerves a little. I know that you're probably never gonna get over that. I don't blame you. But a day should be okay to lessen the impact a little. When that's over, tomorrow, we're gonna head over to talk to that guy that I saw. On Monday, after school, we'll chat with the dude at the night club. That'll be harder to get around, but I've got a cousin who can make some fake IDs. Sound good?"
I nodded hesitantly.
Part Fourteen (April 22, 1972)
It was about eleven in the morning. I groggily rose from bed, after Charlie slugged me in the face with a pillow, at full force. He laughed hysterically while I growled at him. You see, Charlie was an early waker, which seemed extremely contradictory to his personality. As a result of getting up before me, he often got really bored. So, after a while, I compromised with him, and decided that I would get up between eight and nine, every time he spent the night. This time, though, I slept in. It was a little strange, considering how utterly terrified I had been for the last two days, but I suppose that I was just so fatigued from the previous night that I just drifted off.
Anyway, after I screamed at him for smashing my face in, and after he gave a halfhearted apology for it, I started my morning. One shower and two bowls full of cereal later, we started our conversation.
I was the first to talk. "So," I said, "Learn anything on that road trip?"
"Weirdly enough," he began, "I did."
"Yeah...?" I asked, between bites of toast that I had prepared for myself, "What was it?"
"I was in this convenience store, in the bathroom. I was just drying my hands when this old, creepy guy came up to me. He looked at me for a minute, and then said something like, 'Have you been hearing about those people who've been disappearing around these parts?' I turned to him for a second, and then I nodded. Then, the dude gave me this really serious look. He went, 'You look like you're someone who I can trust. I have a friend, about a block to the east. He knows something, but he won't tell the police about it.'"
Charlie stopped for a moment, then began again. "I went and asked him, 'Why me?' So, the old man said, 'He'll only talk to those who know something. You do, don't you? I can see it in your expression. You look like you saw something that you shouldn't have seen.' I nodded, and he told me the guy's address. Then, he just walked away."
"And did you talk to the dude?" I asked.
"No," my friend said, "I didn't get the chance. My folks were in a rush."
Anyway, after I screamed at him for smashing my face in, and after he gave a halfhearted apology for it, I started my morning. One shower and two bowls full of cereal later, we started our conversation.
I was the first to talk. "So," I said, "Learn anything on that road trip?"
"Weirdly enough," he began, "I did."
"Yeah...?" I asked, between bites of toast that I had prepared for myself, "What was it?"
"I was in this convenience store, in the bathroom. I was just drying my hands when this old, creepy guy came up to me. He looked at me for a minute, and then said something like, 'Have you been hearing about those people who've been disappearing around these parts?' I turned to him for a second, and then I nodded. Then, the dude gave me this really serious look. He went, 'You look like you're someone who I can trust. I have a friend, about a block to the east. He knows something, but he won't tell the police about it.'"
Charlie stopped for a moment, then began again. "I went and asked him, 'Why me?' So, the old man said, 'He'll only talk to those who know something. You do, don't you? I can see it in your expression. You look like you saw something that you shouldn't have seen.' I nodded, and he told me the guy's address. Then, he just walked away."
"And did you talk to the dude?" I asked.
"No," my friend said, "I didn't get the chance. My folks were in a rush."
Part Thirteen (April 21, 1972)
Friday... It had been one week since this all began, and I was no closer to understanding how this all fit together. I had more knowledge than I did when I started out, but I still had no clue what it all meant. But I wanted to know. I was scared, exhausted, and discouraged, but I needed to find out. It was like a hunger. I don't know if I just wanted to know the truth, or if I sought closure, but I needed information. Unfortunately, I had none.
Charlie was back, but I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him. He made one little offhand comment about our teacher, and she gave us both detention. If you're wondering why I got it, too, it was because I had the unfortunate impulse to add on to Charlie's joke. We would've used our time in captivity to discuss recent happenings, but the old woman decided that she wanted to keep personal watch on us, so we weren't allowed to say anything. It was nothing but silence for three hours, and it was after school, so we were pretty much forced to do homework. There was nothing better to do, with the teacher glaring down at us from her desk.
When we were done, we both just went back to my house. We were too tired to discuss anything, so we just ate dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed. We promised one another that we would talk in the morning.
Charlie was back, but I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him. He made one little offhand comment about our teacher, and she gave us both detention. If you're wondering why I got it, too, it was because I had the unfortunate impulse to add on to Charlie's joke. We would've used our time in captivity to discuss recent happenings, but the old woman decided that she wanted to keep personal watch on us, so we weren't allowed to say anything. It was nothing but silence for three hours, and it was after school, so we were pretty much forced to do homework. There was nothing better to do, with the teacher glaring down at us from her desk.
When we were done, we both just went back to my house. We were too tired to discuss anything, so we just ate dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed. We promised one another that we would talk in the morning.
Part Twelve (April 20th, 1972)
I realize that I have not updated this blog in nearly two months. I apologize for this, but there is a reason for it. People generally find it hard to write while suffering from seemingly endless, crippling depression. All of this focus on my past has dredged up things that I would prefer not to think about. The dreams are too much. I can't... concentrate. Every time I type, I keep seeing that empty face. It haunts me. WHEN WILL IT END?
No... I need to pull myself together. I can't let these flashbacks get to me. My story needs to be told. I need solace. I need hope. Moreover, I want the world to know; to understand. There has to be a way to beat this thing. Even if the horror never stops, somebody has to know.
Okay, so I'll continue. I didn't really want to leave that bench, but it was getting late. I didn't want to give my babysitter any reason to contact my parents, provided that she grew competent enough to do so, which, admittedly, wasn't completely unlikely.
I walked home, trying to stave off the breeze by stuffing my hands into the pockets of my light jacket, and shivering wildly upon noticing that it didn't work. I opened the door to a partially unexpected rant from the night's pseudo-parent. I shrugged it off, only to be uncomfortably consoled for my rather obvious anguish. I made some stupid comment about how I wouldn't be so depressed if I had a babysitter who would get off of her lazy ass enough to talk to me every once in a while, and went to bed without a word. The sound of her retorts echoed down the hall as I struggled to ignore her.
I was extremely tired, but I couldn't sleep. Suddenly, it came to my attention that I never ate my candy. I must have been so frightened that I forgot about them. So, having nothing else to do, I nibbled idly on a Mars bar, and stared up at the ceiling for the remainder of the night.
No... I need to pull myself together. I can't let these flashbacks get to me. My story needs to be told. I need solace. I need hope. Moreover, I want the world to know; to understand. There has to be a way to beat this thing. Even if the horror never stops, somebody has to know.
Okay, so I'll continue. I didn't really want to leave that bench, but it was getting late. I didn't want to give my babysitter any reason to contact my parents, provided that she grew competent enough to do so, which, admittedly, wasn't completely unlikely.
I walked home, trying to stave off the breeze by stuffing my hands into the pockets of my light jacket, and shivering wildly upon noticing that it didn't work. I opened the door to a partially unexpected rant from the night's pseudo-parent. I shrugged it off, only to be uncomfortably consoled for my rather obvious anguish. I made some stupid comment about how I wouldn't be so depressed if I had a babysitter who would get off of her lazy ass enough to talk to me every once in a while, and went to bed without a word. The sound of her retorts echoed down the hall as I struggled to ignore her.
I was extremely tired, but I couldn't sleep. Suddenly, it came to my attention that I never ate my candy. I must have been so frightened that I forgot about them. So, having nothing else to do, I nibbled idly on a Mars bar, and stared up at the ceiling for the remainder of the night.
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