#3 - The Building

I woke up right around the time when Celestia was just raising her sun and...today is the day that I head down to the Everfree Forest. So, I took a nice, long shower to get myself clean and to calm me down a little bit. I was nervous. I had this big feeling that I was going to encounter the Slender Man. It still wasn't going to stop me, though. I need to find out what's in the Everfree Forest.
After I got done with my shower, I dried my hair and then got dressed. I actually saved up a lot of bits so that I can buy some a little food and lots of water. Before I left, though, I had to get something to eat since I haven't ate at all yesterday. My stomach was growling a lot and I just knew that I had to get something to eat. I chose to get some eggs and toast, with milk. My favorite breakfast meal. After I got done eating, I asked for a few muffins to take with me so that I'll have something to eat. They gave me the muffins and that's when I made my way out the castle. As I was walking, I walk past Luna. Then, I feel something on my hand. I open my hands to find...a necklace. I turn back to Luna and she just stands there looking at me.

"I made it myself. If you ever get into any trouble with 'Him', just take the necklace into your hand and call my name. I'll be there to get you out of there."

Luna just smiles and walks away. I make my way outside the castle and see that my ride is ready to take me to Ponyville. I hop in the carriage and I was off to Ponyville. Maybe I could meet the Mane 6, finally. Then I remember the situation I was in and I shot down the idea right away because I didn't want any of them to get involved in my situation.

When I arrived at Ponyville, some of the ponies remember me from the speech I made a year back at John's funeral. Other ponies said hi to me and I said hi back, then went our separate ways. I figured that, since I had enough time on my hands, I thought that I would go and walk around Ponyville, since I haven't seen it before. As I'm walking around, I get the feeling that I'm being watched. I look behind me and I don't see anypony there. I continued walking and then that feeling came back. I turn around, again, to see who it was and I don't see anything.

I look around all around the little town and I don't see anything. However, I look at the forest area and I thought I saw something walk off into the forest. I knew what it was. It was watching me.

With the bits that I had, I go to a couple of stands to buy a few carrots and apples. Then, I look at a house that looks like something you would make as a gingerbread house. I looked at the sign and see that it said, "Sugercube Corner". I actually heard a few ponies talking about it in Canterlot, saying that it's the best place to get your favorite treats, like Cupcakes and other shit. I actually did like Cupcakes a lot and I figured that I would go in and buy a few. So, I make my way into the building and I ring the bell. I hear hoofsteps coming towards the counter. I was then greeted by a pink pony with balloons as a cutie mark. I actually recognized her.

Pinkie Pie and I actually met a couple months after John's funeral. She came to Canterlot for only one reason: to meet me. Yeah, apparently she heard that a human came to Equestria and I guess she just really wanted to meet me. She also heard about John's passing, so Pinkie Pie threw me a little party to cheer me up. It really did cheer me up, and I thanked her a lot for that.

Pinkie Pie and I talked for a while, mainly about how we've been, what have we been up to, etc. I didn't tell her about the shit that's going on right now. I was afraid that, if I told her, she would get involved.

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So, after we were done talking, Pinkie gave a few cupcakes for free since she was my friend. I thanked her and headed out. When I got outside, everything just...stopped. I didn't hear a thing, not even the wind. I turn around to look at the building I was just in and I see that Pinkie Pie was just sitting there. I look closer and I don't see her breathing. She looked like she was about to get up from the chair, but she was just...floating there. I turn back around to look at the direction of the forest, when I see...a figure. It wasn't Him, but it was something else. He looked like he was just a bit shorter than I was. I'm at least 6'2, so he might have been 5'11. Other than that, I'm not sure.
Anyway, he was just...standing there, staring at me. He was wearing a black hoodie with blue, torn up, jeans and dark brown shoes. I didn't get to see his face, but I could see his eyes. He had pinhole eyes.
We just...stare at each other for a good five minutes until he gave me a creepy grin and walked towards me. I was preparing for him to do something...but he didn't do anything when he got close to me. He stopped grinning when he got close to me. Since he wasn't going to do anything, I thought I would be the one to start talking.

"Look, I know you have a mouth. I saw you give me that creepy fucking grin and I know you can speak. Now SPEAK!" I yelled.

"I will tell you who I am when the time is right. You can ask me anything, other than anything relating to me. Like I said, I will tell you my identity in the future." he said simply.

"Good question. You see, I have the ability to stop time at will. None of the ponies here know what's going on right now. They cannot hear either of us."

"I cannot tell you that. The Administrator does not want any of us to reveal our species. All I can tell you is that, I used to be human, but that was a long time ago."

"I don't exactly know how long, but he told me that he has been for a very long time. Possibly for thousands of years."

"Okay, I am only allowed to tell you little bits of information. Is that understood?" he asked me.

"Good. Now, we were known as "The Dark Ones." Over time, we were forgotten and now we are only 'an urban legend'. The group would always terrorize the ponies in different regions of Equestria."

"Yes. Before I became a member, I was being stalked by the one you call "Slender Man". Eventually, I had my guard down and was finally taken. It took them at least fifteen years to get me. Like you, I was from Earth and I used to be human."

"I don't know. He never told me. In fact, I don't even know why he does what he does. Only one out of all of us knows why and he's been a member before any of us."

"Do you remember the story that Luna told you? The man with the hood? The man with a skull as a face? That's the first member of the group and that was a thousand years ago. Long before you were born."

"Nobody in the group knows his actual identity, but the name that was chosen for him was 'Ripper'."

"Looks like my time is up. Just remember this, Chris. I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to help you in anyway I can. Like I said before, I will tell you who I was before in the future. For now, I bid you farewell." he said as he started to disappear.

In just a blink of an eye, he was gone and everything went back to normal. Ponies everywhere were moving around again and I can hear the wind blowing again. I was still dumbfounded of what just happened a few moments ago. I check my watch and it was still 3:00 p.m. Hood wasn't lying. He really does have the ability to stop time at will.
He sure did tell me a lot and now I know who I'm really dealing with. I'm not dealing with just the Slender Man, but I'm dealing with him and his proxies. As I have these thoughts racing around in my mind, I remember that I have to go find that building that I've kept hearing about. So, I make sure that I have my flashlight and food and water supplies. I also made sure that I still had the necklace Luna made me was still on my neck. With my stuff secured in my bag, I get out my flashlight and make my way to the Everfree Forest.

About twenty minutes or so pass by and I'm still in the forest. I make sure that I have my map with me. Yeah, Celestia gave a map of the forest before I left Canterlot this morning. You know, I'm going to be honest, I wasn't really scared of the Slender Man's appearance. I was just afraid of the fact that he is very dangerous and I was also afraid of what he would do to me if I was to bump into him. As these thoughts were on my mind, I start to see an old bridge. It looked like it was about to break at any minute. I take a minute to observe it and it looked like it could still hold. So, I slowly make my way across the bridge and I kept thinking that it was going to break. Well, I think it would have if I was to run across it.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally make my way across the bridge and continue forward towards the old building. You know, now that I think about it, it didn't look like an average everyday building. It looked like a very old castle. When I got closer to it, it was in fact an old castle. From the way it looked, it had to be at least a thousand years old. Who's castle was this and why is it just standing here in the middle of the forest?

01000001 01010011 01001011 01001000 01000101 01010010 00001101 00001010 01010011 01001000 01000101 01001011 01001110 01001111 01010111 01010011

I shake the questions out of my head and step inside the old castle. Once I'm inside, I then look around for a clock. I remember that person or thing, whoever or whatever it was, saying in one of the sets of numbers that I decoded that said something about a clock. I look around for, what felt like, ten minutes before I see a door that had stairs. I look above the door and it had a symbol that looked like a clock. I figured that, since they told me to look where the clock is, it must have been it. So, I open the door and it had stairs that led up somewhere. I'm guessing that it leads to the top floor of the castle. At first, I kind of hesitated. Over time, I finally gather enough courage to go up the stairs.
Surprisingly, it didn't take that long to get to the top floor. I see another door. I open and...it was dark. I turn on my flashlight and I see that I was in an old throne room. I look around the room and I see the window. However, there was a curtain in the way. I walk up to the window and remove the curtains and I get a good look outside and...it was nighttime. I get worried QUICK. It didn't seem right at all. It was 3:30 p.m. when I arrived at the castle. Then I remember my watch. I check the time and, to my horror, it was 12:00 a.m. I knew then that I had to find what I was looking and get out of there quickly. So, I turn my flashlight back on and begin searching.
After a few minutes, I find a piece of paper on a box. I read what was written on the paper. On the front, there were more numbers. At least five sets of them. I then see that there was something else written on the back.

When I read that part, it felt like my heart stopped for a moment. I slowly turn around and, to my complete and utter horror, there he was. He was just standing in the corner of the room, staring at me. Observing me. I get a good look at his face. However, he didn't have a face. We stare at each other for a few moments when he started moving. As soon as he moved, I grabbed my shit, the paper, the box, pretty much everything and bolted out of there. I ran down the stairs, went through the front doors of the castle and sprinted the rest of the way. I didn't even care about the bridge, I ran straight through the damn thing without any thoughts. I never stopped sprinting, even if it was ten minutes later.
Then, I trip and fall to the ground. I quickly turn around and it was right there. It was right behind me the whole time. I didn't even move. I was scared, not by his appearance, but the fact that I didn't know what it was going to do to me now that I pretty much had nowhere else to run. I thought that this was it. I was going to die. Then I remember the necklace Luna gave me, but I was afraid to move my hand because if I were to move, that's when he will attack.
A thought then came into mind and I knew it was stupid, but I had to do something. I thought about talking to him. Maybe even complimenting him.

"I mean, have you ever thought about getting a red tie because I think a red tie would go great on your whole appearance."

It then looked at it's tie and then looked back at me. I was up on my feet by then. I then thought about asking it some questions.

"...Why does it have to be me that you are after? What makes me so interesting?"

That's when it started coming towards me. I knew that wasn't good. I kept my ground and kept going. I knew Luna was hearing the conversation. I knew she was coming. I just had to hang on. I then thought that I would be just straight up honest with him. I mean, he may be evil, but honesty is still the best policy.

"I mean, don't get wrong, you still creep me out a little bit. However, it's mainly because you don't have a face. The only thing that scares me about you is how dangerous you are. I don't even know what you want to do to me right now and, frankly, I don't think I even want to know. I think it would be better if you were to surprise me because, if you were to tell me, then I would get even more scared."

This is where I started to get a little scared. There were tentacles starting to come from his back.

"...Well that's new. I didn't even know you had the ability to do that. However, it still doesn't scare me that much. What do you do to other ponies with those tentacles anyway? Actually, don't answer that. I don't want to know."

"I didn't offend you with my honesty did I? I mean, isn't honesty the best policy? It's either that or you're starting to get more interested in me. Well, let me tell you something Slender Man. I'm not that interesting. My personality is pretty much boring. Are you interested in me because of how smart I am or the fact that I know something that you don't?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and really tilted his head. At that point, I think I got his full attention because I don't think he wasn't listening to me before.

"You want to know don't you? Well, here's the answer: fuck you. I'm not telling you shit! You can kiss my ass and fuck yourself sideways you pale, skinny freak!" I yelled.

01001110 01001111 01010111 01011001 01001111 01010101 01010110 01000101 01000100 01001111 01001110 01000101 01001001 01010100

I blink and he was right in my face. He looking at me and I was looking at it. His tentacles were waving around frantically. I think I pissed him off.

"I know what you did to all those ponies thousands of years ago and what you did to my dad! I figured it out when I found out that you were the one that caused all those nightmares that I had to go through. Remember this and remember this GOOD Slender Man, I will stop you and your reign of terror. You will regret even LOOKING at me. I will stop you and your little group, your proxies. ALL OF THEM!"

That's when he stood up and was about ready to attack. Then I hear wings flapping in the distance. He looks up to see where the sound was coming from. He knew it was Luna. He looks down at me one last time and grabs my right arm with one of his tentacles. I started to feel an insane amount of pain that I have never felt in my entire life. I scream out in deep pain and then he lets me go. He then stares at me for a few seconds before disappearing into the darkness.
My vision then goes hazy and I black out.

Well, the answer is that I woke up in a hospital bed the next day, with Luna and Celestia next to me. I felt like shit, but at least I was still alive. I knew that I was in deeper shit than I was before, but I didn't care. What I said is what I meant at the bottom of my heart. I will stop him from doing what he does. It goes the same with all of his proxies.

So, here I am now, typing this to you guys. In the next post, I will type what the set of numbers that were on the note and decode them.
Then, after that, I will take a look at the box I took as well. I have yet to look into it. I'm kind of nervous to see what's in the box to be honest. However, I have to look into at some point, which will be tomorrow.

After I post this, I will work on decoding these numbers on the letter. I just hope that they lead me to something else because I just want this shit to end. I just hope that Hood wasn't lying about helping me because I really do need a lot of help, now that I've officially pissed off the Slender Man.

SSB3YXNuJ3QgbHlpbmcuDQpZb3UgbmVlZCB0byB0cnVzdCBtZS4NCg==SSB3YXNuJ3QgbHlpbmcuDQpZb3UgbmVlZCB0byB0cnVzdCBtZS4NCkkgd2lsbCBoZWxwIGluIGFueXdheSB0aGF0IEkgY2FuLg==

The Numbers

by FellFour

#3 - The Building