At one time, creepy tales were told around the campfire and at slumber parties, but outside of your circle of friends, you pretty much waited to retell them to your kids many years later. The internet changed all that, making audiences much bigger, including more gullible readers, and adding the ability to include images. Terror-inducing tales can spread like wildfire, and the scarier the story, the faster it spreads. One of those tales grew into the legend known as Slenderman.
Created on the Something Awful forums in 2009, Slenderman has since become a modern legend. His story is the very stuff of nightmares. Appearing across the world, his motivations are unknowable, his mission a mystery. All we can say for sure is that, wherever Slenderman goes, chaos and madness goes with him. And once he’s after you, there’s no escape.
Beyond that, the character is almost impossible to describe. Like his form, Slenderman’s legend is fluid, constantly metamorphosing to suit the tale. In some versions, he’s known to stalk and kill those who find out about him. In others, he’s simply a distant, unnerving presence: a shadowy figure watching the world from the edges of the daylight. He can disrupt electrical signals. He can turn unwitting people into his puppets. He can teleport and read minds. He can make you into a killer.
That’s just one of the 8 Creepy Internet Characters that Became Urban Legends you’ll learn (or relearn) about at Urban Ghosts. Warning: some images may be disturbing.
(Image credit: LuxAmber)