Slenderman (Emma Frost Book 9) Page 5

  “It seems like you’re in a little over your head here,” she said.

  “I told the kids that they need to take care of them on their own. I’ll walk them once during the day, and let them into the yard before nighttime, but they have to walk them in the morning and in the afternoon. Those were the terms. I’m not taking care of that pit bull over there. He’ll eat me in one bite.”

  “You know that’s not going to last,” Sophia said with a grin. “In a few days, you’ll be stuck with walking and feeding and bathing the both of them.”

  I sipped my coffee and grabbed a bun that I had managed to bake this morning, even though the house had been in chaos, with Kenneth peeing on the floor and eating the furniture and Maya running after him screaming and yelling that she was in a hurry and that she needed to fix her hair. It was quite the circus.

  “I’m taking them back, then,” I said. “I can’t take care of two dogs. There’s no way. Especially not that quiet one over there. He freaks me out, I tell you.”

  I buttered my bun. Sophia grabbed one as well. Nothing like a second breakfast with your best friend. Sophia looked really well. I guessed it was the love between her and Jack. She had just been so happy lately. I was really thrilled for them. Really. Even though I had to admit that I might have been slightly, only slightly, jealous. I hadn’t had that spark in my relationship with Morten for a long time. We were doing well, yes. Better than a few months ago, but still, I felt like something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe I was just bored. We needed to spice things up a little. I had thought about it for a long time and planned something special. Tonight, I was taking him to folk dancing class downtown. Yes, we were going to learn the local Fanoe-dance, and he had no idea.

  My phone rang. It was Morten. He sounded agitated. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I won’t be able to make it tonight.”

  “Aw!”

  “I know. But something’s come up. They found a body.”

  My eyes widened. “Who? What?”

  “I’ll tell you details later. I’m on my way down there.”

  15

  November 2014

  Lisa was walking with fast and determined steps across the square in the middle of Nordby. In one hand, she was holding an organic beet-carrot-apple smoothie that she had made herself this morning. She was wearing her long yellow coat and black gloves. In her other hand, she was holding her briefcase.

  People passing her on the square nodded without smiling. Someone stopped with the intent of chatting, but she wasn’t in the mood and kept walking, mumbling:

  “Sorry, gotta run, important meeting.”

  The truth was, she had actually pushed back a meeting this morning because she had a very important errand to run. She sipped her smoothie while trying to keep her anger bottled up inside and not show it. She smiled and nodded at a couple passing her, while saying:

  “Don’t forget to vote on the eighteenth! It’s time for a change. You deserve better!”

  The couple nodded and waved. Lisa turned around and grumbled while sipping her smoothie. The numbers weren’t on her side this morning. She was behind in the polls. Lisa had hired a campaign manager who had looked at the voters on the island and told her that her problem was that the people were afraid of change. They usually voted for the sitting mayor because they were afraid too many things would change.

  “Freaking islanders,” she mumbled. “Don’t like change. Who doesn’t like change?”

  Lisa needed a cause, the campaign manager, Merethe, had told her. Something to distinguish her from the other candidate. The people didn’t know her very well and that was her weakness. She wasn’t a local; she had only been on the island a short while. Erling, they knew. He had grown up on the island and knew everyone. On top of it, Lisa was an independent candidate, and that frightened many voters. It was too different and made them feel insecure. She had to have something extra going for her to make up for the fact that she didn’t have a political party to back her up. If they were to cast their personal votes for her, she needed to really stand out. She needed people to like her.

  “Like me?” she grumbled, as she raced across the square and down a small street. “I’ll make them like me if I have to. They don’t know what’s best for them. They’re like freaking children.”

  She stopped in front of a house and looked at it. On the mailbox, it said Laiyla Ejlersen and Erik Ejlersen. So, she was married now, was she? Lisa finished her smoothie and crushed the cup between her hands. She found a trash can on one of the light poles right underneath her own poster. She smiled, satisfied. She had fought hard in the city council to get trash cans on every street. This was her doing. She was the one who could clean up this city and bring back the tourists. Tourism had been declining over the last two years. Many vacation houses were empty all summer and the restaurants were suffering for the second year in a row. Lisa had thought about making that her cause. To bring back the tourists. She had asked her campaign manager to figure out what was causing this decline.

  Lisa walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A chubby young woman with purple hair and a nose ring opened the door. The nose ring looked like the ones bulls had. It was simply appalling. Everything about her annoyed Lisa immediately. Why did people get chubby anyway? Didn’t they have any self-control? She wanted to scold her and tell her to pull that stupid ring out and get a proper haircut and color in order to look normal.

  “Yes? Hey, aren’t you that…”

  Lisa pushed her way inside the house. “Yes, yes, that’s not why I’m here,” she said, and walked into the living room.

  “I am going to vote for you,” Laiyla said, as she followed her. “You don’t have to persuade me. I’m all in for change. It’s about time we got a female mayor around here. Bring us into the twenty-first century, right?”

  Lisa looked around, perplexed. She seemed to be home alone. “Yes, yes, mmm, well then, you’re all set then, huh?”

  “I guess so. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  Lisa clenched her gloved fist. She hated having to lose a voter. It was really not what she needed. “So, tell me this, what was it that was so important that you didn’t feel you needed to keep an eye on my daughter?”

  Laiyla looked at her strangely. “What?”

  Lisa waited for the light bulb.

  “Oh, that!” Laiyla said. “You’re Margrethe’s mom. I completely forgot that. Well, I know it was unfortunate that she got hurt, but nothing really happened.”

  “Nothing happened?” Lisa said. “What do you mean nothing happened? She got HURT!”

  Laiyla jumped when Lisa yelled the last word. Lisa closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten. It didn’t help.

  “I’m…I’m so sorry…but…” Laiyla said.

  Lisa put her briefcase down. She clenched her fists briefly. “It’s all you have to do. It’s all any of you idiots have to do all day. Look after the kids to make sure they don’t hurt themselves. It’s ALL you have to freaking do! How HARD is it to do that?”

  Laiyla backed up. “I…I…”

  Lisa inhaled deeply to keep calm. So many amateurs, so many incompetent people she had to deal with every single day. Didn’t anyone take anything seriously anymore? Was it all just a joke to them?

  Lisa tried to think of nice things to calm herself down. She thought of the ocean, she thought of the beach, but all she could picture was all the garbage people threw in the water or on the sand. Why were people so damn stupid? Was it that hard to clean up after yourself? Lisa tried to picture herself in a meadow picking flowers, but it didn’t get her blood pressure down like the doctor had told her it would. She had recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure, and the doctor had told her to not get too agitated. It had worked for a while now, but not right now. All the anger she had bottled up inside from dealing with all these useless people surfaced in a matter of seconds.

  “Are you alright?” Laiyla said.

  Lisa looked at her and shook her head. “No. I’m afraid I’m not all right. I won’t tolerate my child getting hurt on your watch, on anyone’s watch. I’m afraid I have to set an example.”

  Laiyla looked confused. “What do you mean? Like, fire me? You can’t do that.”

  Lisa laughed. “Oh no, you’re right. I can’t do that, but you know what? I can do something else.”

  Laiyla stepped further backwards. Lisa saw her look around to make sure she had a way of escape. But she didn’t. Lisa was way too fast for her. She could run for hours on the treadmill at the fitness center without even getting out of breath. She was in excellent shape, unlike the woman in front of her. Lisa hardly ever touched carbs or gluten. They both knew she would win, even though Laiyla was younger. Her skin revealed a bad diet and her body no exercise.

  Will people ever learn? So many sloppy individuals out there.

  “Like what?”

  Lisa smiled. Then she leaned over, grabbed the nose ring, and pulled it out. Laiyla screamed in pain and bent over.

  “What the hell?!!”

  Lisa slammed her fist into her face till she fell to the ground and no longer moved. Yes, those hours in the boxing ring at the fitness center had certainly paid off. Even though she still believed her behind was too big, Lisa felt in better shape than ever.

  Lisa opened her briefcase and took out a big piece of plastic that she covered the floors with, then a saw, a knife, and plastic bags to put the pieces of meat in.

  “I was going to make lasagna tonight,” she said. “But now, I’m thinking a stew instead.”

  16

  November 2014

  “I’m sorry I’m so late.”

  Morten stood in my doorway looking like a lost puppy. I stared angrily at him. I was upset that he had cancelled on me on our very first night of folk dancing. It was supposed to be a surprise. We were supposed to go to the community center downtown where they had classes every Wednesday night. It was supposed to bring us closer together. My mom and dad had promised to baby and dog-sit. Now it was all ruined.

  I didn’t know what to say to him. “Well, I guess you had to be there,” I said, and let him inside.

  He leaned over and tried to kiss me. I gave him a reluctant kiss. He frowned. “Is that all I get?”

  “Well I…I was looking forward to seeing you tonight, to spending time with you, and now it’s almost bedtime.”

  Morten sighed. “You can’t be mad at me for doing my job.”

  “I know. It’s just…well, I had something planned and everything.” I walked to the living room where Kenneth had gotten his teeth into my half-eaten box of chocolates on the coffee table. I pulled him away. Kenneth whined and paid me back by gnawing the sofa’s leg. Brutus was sitting like a statue by the door leading to the yard. He had been sitting there since Victor went to bed.

  “Does he ever move?” Morten whispered.

  I chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t think so. Not unless Victor tells him to. It’s very strange. I tried to walk him earlier, but he refused to go with me. He snarled and snapped at me when I tried to put on the leash. So, I left him alone and hoped he could hold it until Vic came home. I think he did. He’s the weirdest dog I have ever seen. But Victor likes him and they get along really well. I just hope he won’t end up killing us all in our sleep. He looks mad enough to do it.”

  Morten threw himself on the couch. Kenneth barked at the sofa like he expected it to play with him.

  “So, what had you planned for tonight?” Morten asked.

  I grabbed a chocolate and put it in Morten’s mouth. “Wouldn’t you’d like to know, huh?”

  “Well, yes. I’m curious as to what you could have planned that we haven’t already done a million times.”

  The sentence felt like a blow. Was that how he felt? Was that how it had turned out? We had tried everything, and now all that was left was to wait to grow old together?

  “Tell me about the murder,” I said.

  “Who said it was murder?” Morten said.

  I shrugged secretively.

  “Ah, you’ve been reading the case files, have you? You really should stop doing that, Emma. It’s illegal.”

  “Only if you get caught.” I smiled and grabbed another chocolate.

  “But, if you’ve been in the files, you already know everything, don’t you?” he asked, and signaled that he would like another chocolate. I planted one between his lips. He ate it with a grin.

  “No, I don’t,” I said. “Someone hasn’t finished his report on the crime scene yet. I want to know more. I might have an interest in the guy. I recognized the name from the letters I’ve been reading. Ulrik Larsen was the son of the lady whose letters the workers found. He’s actually sort of family. His mother was my grandmother’s sister.”

  “Ah. I see. Well, I’m not allowed to tell you anything unless you bribe me seriously.”

  I sat on his lap and gave him a kiss. When I let go, he looked like he was in pain, and I realized I was crushing his legs.

  “Sorry,” I said and moved away, feeling slightly self-conscious about my weight.

  “That’s okay, the kiss was great,” he said cheerfully.

  “Good enough for a bribe?”

  “Will do for now. What do you want to know?”

  “The scene. How was he killed?” I asked.

  “We haven’t gotten the autopsy yet, but he was stabbed and probably bled to death. The knife was still in his chest. The cats had eaten some of the body’s face. It was nasty. Flies everywhere. Real ugly.”

  “I bet. So what kind of knife was it?” I asked.

  “A hunting knife. I haven’t gotten it confirmed by the lab yet, but I know a hunting knife when I see it. My dad was a hunter.”

  “One of those that needs a permit?” I asked, and debated whether to grab another piece of chocolate or not.

  “Yes. It was definitely longer than the legal seven centimeters.”

  “So, you’ll be able to pull the permit?” I asked.

  “Exactly,” Morten said. “We’ll have this guy in no time.” He leaned over and grabbed another piece of chocolate. I felt jealous that he was so skinny and could eat as many as he liked.

  He smiled while he chewed.

  “Got anymore coffee?”

  17

  November 2014

  William Korsvig stared at the computer screen. He was waiting. Waiting for the slender man to appear inside of the house in Minecraft that he had built and where he usually showed himself to him when he teleported there. He never called himself anything other than that strange name. Slender Man. William had heard and read about him online. He knew he was everywhere, and that he was constantly watching William. He had no idea how, but the man was everywhere, including inside his game. But he only showed himself to William when he wanted to speak to him. He knew everything there was to know about Slender Man and wanted badly to please him. He would do anything he told him to. He could hardly believe he had been chosen. Soon, he would be part of something bigger. Soon, he would become one of his proxies.

  Finally, he appeared. William smiled, feeling relieved. The skinny guy moved towards him inside the game. He was tall and slender like his name, and had long tentacle-like arms. He was wearing a suit and tie and had no face.

  >Hi there
  Slender Man answered.

  >Hi. How are you?
  >I’m good.
  >Good. Do you know what to do?
  >Yes.
  >Excellent. You’re ready. I’m proud of you, soldier. It’s time.
  William broke out in a sweat. Slender Man disappeared from his house. William leaned back in his chair with his heart pounding hard in his chest. On his bed next to him lay his costume. He had bought it online using his stepdad’s credit card. William got up from the chair and walked to it. He started undressing himself and putting on the costume, piece by piece. Black pants, white shirt, black tie. The white faceless mask, he put in his pocket for now. He would take that out later when he needed it.

  William put on the black jacket that went with the costume, then grabbed the gas can and lighter, and put them inside his backpack. Then, he walked towards the door. Living in the basement of his mother’s house, he had his own entrance, and could come and go as he wished. He liked the freedom it had given him to move down there, even though he knew it was mostly because his new stepdad didn’t want him in the house and hardly ever let him upstairs, except to eat. His mother didn’t care if he went out at night; she never knew what he was up to anymore, or if he even went to school or not. She didn’t even know that he had dropped out of high school a couple of months ago and now spent most of his time in front of the computer or at the fitness center, where he had built up quite the body. His mother didn’t know what he was up to and probably didn’t care. William knew that, once he turned eighteen, he would be kicked out, but there were still two more years to go. William wasn’t going to simply waste those away. He had a mission; he had found a purpose to his life now.

  He opened the door and sneaked outside. He put the backpack on his back and grabbed his bike, then rode off. He biked across the small town in the light of the streetlamps. He swung around a corner and into a small street, then threw the bike in a bush and sneaked into a yard. He walked up to the house and looked inside the windows. They hadn’t pulled the curtains yet, and standing in darkness outside, William could see everything going on inside.

  He watched an old lady sitting in a chair, knitting, then he watched the man half asleep next to her on the couch. The TV was on, but neither of them were watching it. From the outside, they looked like just an ordinary couple on an ordinary night of their life. But they weren’t. William felt proud that he had gotten such an extraordinary assignment. He was proud to be chosen to fulfill this task. It was special. It had to be. The target was very special.