Tall Man

The Tall Man is a scary story about two twin sisters who encounter a mysterious tall man in the woods called The Slender Man. It is allegedly based on an old Romanian folk tale.

Once upon a time there were two twin sisters, named Stela and Sorina. They were brave little girls and had no fear of the dark, nor of spiders and other creepy crawling things. While other young boys and girls would cower in fright, Stela and Sorina would walk with their heads held high. They were good girls, obedient to their mother and father and they always heeded the word of God. They were the best children a mother could ask for, but this would prove to be their undoing.

One day, Stela and Sorina were out with their mother gathering berries in the forest. The day was bright and clear and even as they walked closer to the center of the forest, the light barely dimmed. Their mother bid them stay close to her and they listened, because they were good children.

It was almost noon when they came across The Tall Man.

He stood in a clearing, dressed all in black like a nobleman. Shadows, dark as a cloudy midnight, lay over him. He had many arms, all as long and boneless as snakes and as sharp as swords. They writhed like worms on nails. He did not speak a word, but still made his intentions known.

Their mother tried not to listen, but she could no more disobey The Tall Man than she could forget how to breathe. She walked into the clearing, her daughters close behind her.

“Stela,” she said. “Take my knife, and draw a circle on the ground, big enough to lie in.”

Stela, who was not afraid of The Tall Man, nor frightened by the quiver in her mother’s voice, obeyed withoutm question.

“Sorina,” the mother said. “Take the berries and spread them in the circle. Crush them underfoot until the juice stains the earth.”

Though Sorina wondered why her mother would ask her to do such a thing, she obeyed, because she was a good girl.

“Stela,” the mother said. “Lie down in the circle.”

Although she was worried she might stain her clothes, Stela as her mother asked.

“Sorina,” the mother said. “Take the knife and cut your sister open.”

Sorina could not; would not.

“Please,” her mother said. “If you don’t, it will be worse… So much worse…”

But Sorina could not do as her mother asked. Instead, she threw the knife away and ran home crying. She hid under her bed, afraid for the first time in her life and waited for her father to return home from the fields. She told him of the terrible thing she had seen in the woods. Her father comforted the terrified girl and assured her she would be safe. Then, he went to the woods, a sharp axe in his hands. Stela stayed by the fire, awaiting his return.

After some time had passed, she grew tired and fell asleep. She was awakened by the sound of knocking on the front door at the darkest hour of the night.

“Who is there?” she asked.

“It is your father,” said a voice.

“I don’t believe you!” replied Sorina.

“It is your sister,” said the voice.

“It cannot be!” shouted Sorina.

“It is your mother,” said the voice, “and I told you it would be so much worse…”

The door, which had been locked tightly when her father left, suddenly flew open. Her mother stood in the doorway, her sister’s severed head clutched in one bloody hand and her father’s head in the other.

“Why?” wept Sorina.

“Because,” said her mother, “there is no reward for goodness. There is no respite for faith. There is nothing but cold steel, the gnashing of teeth and scourging fire for all of us… And it’s coming for you now.”

Just then, the tall man slid from the fireplace and clutched Sorina in his burning embrace.

And that was the end of her.