Slender: Humanity

To the person who finds these notes,
My time is short. My memories of whom and what I was are slowing ebbing away like the tide. The obliviousness of my lost past has excelled and is becoming more sporadic. Therefore, I will jot down what I can strongest recall.
I have long forgotten my name. My family, my childhood, all my early years has also vanished within the confines of my mind, to which I can no longer retrieve them. I can only convey to you the events that have lead to this, my unbreakable curse, one which I will never escape. This is the tale I share.
I was once human. I was well known in my town, but not in the way that you would expect, or even desire. I was an outcast amongst my peers and neighbors. I was not the most intelligent, the most attractive, or the most desirable. I was short and very corpulent, which led to the humor of my community, making devious remarks that put me in a fractious mood. In my mind’s eye, I only wanted to be loved and admired by people in my town. I dreamt of being tall, fair in complexion and skin tone, to have my face known to everyone, to affect the lives of people, and above all…

To be nice and slender…

These dreams, however, were crushed by the incessant snickers and giggles by the boys and girls whom I passed in the street. They showed no respect to me. This was unusual for a society that based everything on mannerisms. I concluded that I was an exception, a scapegoat for people to jest and laugh about. The only place that I seemed most comfortable was in the confines of the woods that lay outside my town. No one ever went there. It was a touch of ancient wilderness that was never conquered by man. The woods were a place that stood the test of time even before my ancestors left for the new world those two centuries, or so ago. The trees never mocked me. They never once showed any ill will. It was here that I felt the most secure.
It was upon one of my leisurely walks in the woods that I encountered someone that would change the very course of my existence. From a distance, upon a forgotten road, I saw a reclusive old woman, sweeping the front porch of her otherwise ancient dwelling, a cottage whose architecture had not been seen since the days of the Mayflower and the Separatists who sought religious freedom. The woman herself seemed archaic, wearing garments that hinted a time long past. She was old and scruffy, her clothes slightly tattered.
Curious, but slightly apprehensive, I cautiously approached her.
“I have been waiting for thee.” She uttered. Her manner of speaking seemed part of a bygone age.
“For me…?” I asked.
“Thou hast come looking for hope in thy future, yes?” Her eyes still did not meet mine. I was curious at her words. She continued, “What is it that thou wish most of all?
I could not hold back my words. I had to utter them. This woman was eager to hear my plea for help.
“I want to be known by all.” I declared. “I wish for my skin to be fair in complexion. I wish to be tall. I wish to touch the lives of people. And above all,” I glared with unceasing ill contempt at my disgracefully plump form, “I desire to be slender!”
“I can help thee.” The old spinster uttered. “I can grant thee all thou dost desire.” I was curious again at her words.
“How?” I asked, curiously.
“I shall fulfill thy wishes.” The woman’s eyes met mine. There was intensity, a fearful awe that flowed through me at the sight of her deep colored irises. “But I will need payment first.”
“What do you want?” I asked again.
“I wish not for thy money.” She rubber her hands together, “I wish only for the presence of youth. Bring me a fair young child, whose spirit hast not been tainted by evil, and whose innocence is unrivaled, and I will fulfill thy obsessions.”
“Very well.” I said. “I will bring one as soon as I am able. You have my word on that.”
“Thy words are true in nature.” The old woman said. “My trust befalls upon thee and thy word of honor.”
Without further discussion, I left that establishment in the woods and went in search for an innocent cherub. I cared not for my community, my home, or anything else. Why should I? They treated me so unjustly; pity for them was not part of my desires.  I was only interested in my own wants. All others proved irrelevant.
“All I need to do is find a child with a pure heart.” I stated from within.
No sooner had I left the establishment, I came upon a little girl walking in the area. She had lost her way. She did not know how to leave the dark woods. Unlike I, who knew every road and thoroughfare that raced through the words, this little girl was lost.
The girl was young, no more than seven or eight years old. Her dress was white satin with pink trimming, particularly with that giant pink bow at the back of her dress. Her eyes were deep blue and her hair was a golden yellow. Her eyes were moist, meaning that she had been crying recently. This was my opportunity. Why did I have to go find a child, when they come straight to me?
With the best nature, I approached her. I put on a façade to gain her trust more easily.
“Little girl?” I asked. “What are you doing here?” At first, she recoiled. She knew who I was.
“I know you.” The little girl said, slightly hesitant.
“So you have heard of me?” I asked.
“I have.” She retorted. “My father and mother have spoken about you before.”
“Don’t let what other people say fool you.” I said bending down to meet her eyes at equal level. The little girl lowered her guard, her smile widening with her eyes. This signaled that I gained her trust.
“I don’t think you are a bad person.” She said. “You don’t seem like one.”
“That’s right.” I agreed. “What are you doing here in the woods?”
“My friends wanted me to find the legendary Putnam Witch, but I got lost.” The girl’s eyes started to moisten again. “I wanted to prove that she wasn’t real. I went in to find her, but I couldn’t remember what road I went down.” I knew who she was talking about immediately. She was referring to the old woman I met. It was a legend amongst our town, so I knew the tale all too well. But that also meant that what the old woman said was also true. This was my opportunity.
My conscience, for some odd reason, showed no pity to this little lost lamb. To me, she was the personification of the perfect image of my town. The town that mocked me, scorned me, and taunted me with such insensitive remarks. Well, let this be a lesson to them. This girl means nothing. The thought that she might have been the child of some of those who mocked me made me thirst for my own retribution even more. Let this be my vendetta, to sacrifice this girl in exchange for my own desires. I again made a façade smile.
“It is getting dark.” I told her, cheerfully. “What say you and I take shelter at a cottage no more than a mile from here?”
“Do you know where it is?” The little girl asked.
“I’ve traversed these woods all my life.” I held out my hand. She willfully took hold of it and we walked down the road happily back to the cottage that I just left, the sun slowly reaching the horizon.
It was at dusk when we reached the cottage. We entered with such jovial attitude. But I knew that later, one smile would be gone for good. As we entered through the door, we beheld the old woman stirring something in her massive cauldron.
“I have brought company,” I said, pretending that nothing was wrong.
The old woman stopped her stirring and slowly turned. She had, on her face, a kind, amiable expression.
“So thou hast returned.” She uttered. “How marvelous…” Suddenly, her friendly smile turned mutinous, as a devious smirk was fixated upon her face. Immediately, the girl knew who it was.
“It’s the Putnam witch!” she cried. Her smile was all, but gone. Her happiness turned to helpless terror as she beheld the legend she thought was false.
“It is nice that thou hast visited me, my sweet.” The witch cackled. “Thou shall soon be mine.” Almost instantly, the little girl turned to me. Her body shaking with fear and tears in her eyes.
“We have to get out of here, Mr.!” she pleaded. I did not budge. She was confused. “We have to leave here!” Her pleas fell upon only my deaf ears. The witch drew nearer, causing the girl to scream and panic. “Why won’t you listen to me?!” She grabbed onto my coat. “We have to leave! That is the Putnam witch! She is evil!” Her pleas only irritated me. “She is evil! She’s a demon!”
“Yes…” I calmly snickered. “I know.”
With one forced movement of my arm, I pushed the girl away. She landed upon her backside, confused and frightened. She was even more scared as she saw the Putnam witch and I standing side by side.
“Excellent work.” The witch chuckled. “Thou hast managed to get her here without any trouble.”
“Like a lamb to the slaughter.” I added.
“You were working with her?” the girl asked. “Why? I trusted you!”
“For the sake of my own desires, you will be the sacrifice that makes that possible.”-
“You betrayed me! I thought you were nice!” The girl cried out her tears. But such a spectacle could not move my heart. I had already hardened it towards my community and my town.
“Perhaps you should have told your parents that before you met me.” I mocked. I turned to Putnam. “And our bargain…?”
“As good as done.” The old witch replied. With a snap of her fingers, a light began to encase me. I felt my body change. I felt the corpulence and plumpness vanish. I became lighter and more streamline. My bulking fingers narrowed to youthful digits. I could feel locks of hair sprout from my barren scalp and nestle against the bridge of my nose. The light faded and I found myself a new man. I looked in an old mirror and saw that I had become all I wanted. I was dashing and beautiful, the envy of every man and boy, the dream of every woman and girl.
“At last,” I said with a chuckle. “My very wish is granted.”
“Is it?” Putnam said deviously. It was then that I felt something was terribly wrong. I looked down at my now youthful hand. The fingers hadn’t stopped changing. They were growing longer to an abnormal size. This was followed by my arms and legs. Suddenly, there was burning sensation on my face. I looked to see that half of my face was already disappearing into a blank expression. This was followed by a shear pain in my back as shadowy like arms sprouted from my spine like tree branches and moved about like spider legs and octopus limbs. The pain was unbearable. My mind blackened back and forth unceasingly. I fell to the ground. In my agony, I looked to the little girl.
“I’ve been betrayed!” I shouted. “Run from here! Run from here!” But my shock was only beginning. From my point of view, the Putnam Witch was suspended in the air like a marionette, while the little girl stood motionless in front of her. With a raise of her head, the little girl’s expression had changed. She was no longer the innocent little cherub I lured into the cottage a few minutes before. Instead, she bore a sinister, unrepentant smile on her face, as if mocking me for my stupidity.
“It is too late.” A possessed voice came from the girl. “My desire is again fulfilled.”
The girl’s body had been possessed. The spirit of the Putnam Witch had transferred itself into the body of the child. Now she bore herself in a vessel that was young and fresh. I realized then and there that the witch had no intention of granting my wishes. Her objective was only her own wishes.
“You treacherous…!” But I could no longer speak with the same intensity. My mouth was now half gone.
“You fell right into my trap.” The young Putnam witch chuckled, her old body turning into ash, leaving only the possessed little girl before a pile of soot. Her archaic speech was no longer. “It was easy to entice you. Easier than it was to entice the body of this girl to follow you, whom I now have complete possession over. You were extremely desperate. And like this child, you were willing to believe everything.”
“Putnam!” I shouted with a half muffled roar. “You’ll pay for this! You’ll pay for this!”
“You are a fool.” The witch chuckled. A strange black mist excreted itself out of her body. “Your threats don’t scare me! You are merely a servant who knows not his place. You are cursed for your own vanity from this day to eternity!”
“Why?”-
“To make you realize that you would’ve been better off than what you are now. In exchange for your soul, you will bear this curse forever.”-
“My soul was not our deal!”-
“Oh, but it was. The minute you agreed to turn over a pure and innocent child over to me without question, it cost you your own spirit. Now, you will be confined to that monstrous form from now to the end of time and beyond. A lesson you will learn and a grand jest for me to enjoy.” Before a word could be uttered again, my ability to speak vanished faster than the possessed girl and the Putnam witch.
The cottage was suddenly gone. There was no sign that there was one to begin with. The sense of betrayal was so great, sadness and regret filled me. Yet, I could not cry for my face was gone. There I sat, in the deepness of the darkest night, a hideous, faceless, black form, tall as a tree, with shadowy arms.
I pleaded for help. But people fled at the sight of me. Anyone I came in contact with, their life was drained from them, leaving a lifeless corpse behind. Now, I was not only shunned, but I was driven out of my old home, exiled with hate and loathing.
The witch did grant me what I desired the most.  I wanted the people to know me. They know me now through fear. I wanted to touch their lives. I now touch their lives by taking it away. I wanted to be tall. I was given it, at abnormal heights. I wanted fair skin. I got fair skin, paler than freshly driven snow. I wanted people to know my face. They know it now when there is no face to behold. And above all, I wanted to be slender. It was given to me with great disproportion.
Now, who is to blame? The witch, the girl, or the people in my town? I only know this much. Had circumstances been altered slightly, things would have turned out differently. But now, in my already fading heart, I only know scorn, loathing, and hatred towards my fellow man, if I can be called such. So I hurt them as they have hurt me. But I hurt them where the most pain is borne, through the taking of their children. My own resolve will be taken through each child born in this world. I will take that innocence and keep it from man’s contamination of the soul, for my own forged morals and my own sense of justice.

I am hatred…

I am vengeance…

I am Slender Man…