Conaghan

One of the reports that interested me was the use of a proxy; a human that acts like a messenger or servent. Since Slender Man can't talk himself, he uses some humans to be his “voice.” The proxy can simply deliver the message, or do Slender Man's crimes himself, as to throw off anyone going on his trail.

Throughout all the Slender stories, we've seen examples of this. In Marble Hornets, it's the masked man. In Just Another Fool, it was eventually Logan. In Who are You it was visionsleep.

For me, it's Albert Conaghan.

Ever since his name first got dragged into the case, Conaghan's been nothing but a pain in my ass. For over a month he led us on a wild goose chase and when we finally caught up with him all he did was give a cryptic message. Now I understand more the motivation behind his doings. He was just the messenger for the real deal.

Alright, Al...how did you get dragged into this...

He told me that Slender Man had gotten to him six months prior to our conversation, so...back in November, that would make it. As honest as he probably was during that part of our conversation, my natural distrust of him is telling me otherwise. I have to be sure, though.

The other cases made against him over the years all indicate he is perfectly capable of kidnapping, rape, and murder...so what makes this different? Probably that they never found the victims this time. Either dead or alive, they were all found in the past, give or take one or two. But not now...

I'm guessing he's delivering them to Slender Man, directly or indirectly. He's made it so that the two look almost identical now in appearance. Both act the same way...is he copying him?

He did make the real claim that Slender Man was his “angel of death”. I never took a rapist for a religious man...unless Slender Man is the one putting it into his head? Not all that unlikely. Maybe that's how Slender Man gets his victims to follow him? I don't know...I guess it varies on the case.

What I don't get is, why him. The Masked character, assuming it is Tim, he may be a jerk, but he's still a regular kid. Logan was just a lost soul, trying to find some inner purpose. “Visionsleep” was the protagonist, just a different form. All of them regular good kids, if somewhat flawed.

So why did he pick the convicted pedophile this time around?

Maybe it's because these characters are flawed. Maybe Slender Man offers them some sort of a purpose. But they must know it's a joke, right? Probably not...he is pretty powerful...

Maybe Conaghan was picked to lure me out. Slender Man knew what Conaghan did to that girl from my class; maybe he knew I would go to the ends of the earth to flush him out...was that his plan all along? To use Conaghan to get to me?

If it was, then I sure as hell bought it. Hook line and sinker. Fuck, I'm an idiot. I spent so much time going after him because I thought he was the grand master in this whole game, when in reality, he's just the puppet being moved around on strings.

I'm guessing, also, that Conaghan's the one holding Eric. He said during the interrogation that it wasn't Eric's turn yet. Which means he's still in our dimension, or planet, or whatever. But where could he be? In the warehouse?

...Behind the door, perhaps?

That kick I heard. Maybe that was him. Maybe that's where Conaghan's holding him. God damn it, I was right there, nothing between us but a fucking door...

...Conaghan's been awful quiet since that night. What's he been up to? I have been completely out of touch with everyone at the department since that night...I'm sure they would have told me if they finally caught him.

Which means they might still be there...What are you waiting for, Al?