When You’re Alone: Run, Run, Run, as Fast as You Can….

 

The break’s ending, and I’m not alone on campus anymore.  Such a great feeling.  I managed to make it though those few days without any (major) incidents.  Lucky, I guess, considering how I put up an effing blog post during that time.

But anyway, that post was only half of it.  You can’t stay distracted all the time when you’re alone.  The Slender Man is bound to show up sooner or later.  And when you’re staring him in the face (oh, you know what I mean), not thinking about him isn’t really a viable option.

Fighting doesn’t work.  At least, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.  It didn’t work for Zeke, it didn’t work for Evan or the other HYBRIDS; I’m pretty damn sure it won’t work for me, and I’m not about to risk it.  You wanna be a complete idiot?  Good for you.  Your dedication is remembered and honored, as is your inevitable sacrifice.

I can’t exactly run to another state or country.  Even if I did, I’m pretty sure he’d have no problem finding me.  That doesn’t mean you can’t escape him temporarily, though.  That’s what this update is about.

First of all, escaping him is half luck.  If he’s really after you, I don’t doubt that he could kill you easily.  When you run, you’re taking the chance that you’re just not worth it quite yet.  You can escape some pretty hopeless situations, but that always relies on him just saying “eh, I’ll come back to you later.”

But first of all, if he shows up, I’d say to use M’s third rule: keep your eyes open.  As hesitant as I am about his advice, this one has worked really well for me.  I think that M’s got it pretty much down: he can’t teleport/shift planes/do whatever it is he does to get around when we’re mentally anchoring him in our plane of existence.  When he’s anchored, he’s forced to move like a human, something that’s not easy to do.  Have you seen those limbs of his?  Even when he’s not in tentacle rape mode, his arms and legs just…aren’t right.  They’re too long, and they don’t move right.  He’s limited to a walk, which means that you’re faster than him, but only when you’re looking at him.  Incidentally, using the Operator Symbol as a makeshift eye is stupid.  Don’t trust the Operator Symbol.  Using a mask might work, but I’m hesitant to try.  Keeping him just within eyesight (and keeping your eyes on him) is the best way of doing things.

Of course, you can’t keep him in your sight forever.  You’ll lose sight of him eventually.  When that happens, speed becomes a priority.  Get in the car.  Get anywhere where there’s people around. If you live in a city, get to the mall.  If you live in a small town, go to the grocery store (they’ve probably got at least one) or anywhere else there might be people.  If you live out in the countryside or something, you’re a little more fucked, but try to get to the nearest town or city.  Being around people is a priority.

As a side note, airplanes are the best way to avoid him (always quite a few people, and he’s not about to materialize in mid-air to cause a mysterious crash), but flying is expensive and usually not a good last-minute choice, so they’re extremely impractical.

In addition, you have to be sure to be mentally strong whenever you’re in his presence.  If you’re not mentally prepared for an encounter, it’s extremely easy to break.  Once you break, you’re his, and he’ll use you for whatever he wants.  I don’t think that you have to break for him to kill you, but you do for him to actually control you. 

I’ve found a really good way to combat this: memorize something.  A poem.  The Gettysburg Address.  I personally prefer Bible verses.  Just something with structure that you can think of when you’re in the Slender Man’s presence.  It’s a small thing, and it won’t take your mind off of him (not fully, at least) or make him any less frightening, but it shifts your thoughts from “OHGODOHGODI’MGOINGTODIE” to “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” or “Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered, weak and weary.”  It’s a mental stability thing that keeps you from panicking.  Kind of like the tokens in Inception, only not really, now that I think about it.  Similar concept, though.  Something you can use to center yourself.

There are other ways to do things, of course.  This is just my usual course of action.  I’ll post other info on this subject as it comes up.