Wang opens this essay by discussing the stabbing of Payton Leutner by her two best friends, Morgan and Anissa, at age 12. They were convinced that they were doing so on behalf of the Slender Man, a fictional creature who first appeared through internet lore on a site called Creepypasta Wiki. One of the girls involved was diagnosed with schizophrenia soon after the stabbing, and Wang notes how her father had the same disorder. The Slender Man is said to prey on children and be a dark, looming figure with tentacles and a hat. The site makes the story convincing, including references to history, various cultures, and images. Wang speculates that the other girl involved in the stabbing, Anissa, is someone who uses the internet to escape, explore, and express herself, and that is where she found Slenderman. Morgan drew countless images of Slenderman, and Anissa convinced her that they had to kill Payton to save their families.

Wang cites her own similar feelings influenced by The NeverEnding Story, a film that was released when she was in second grade. She found the story of an outcast boy absorbed into an alternate world inviting and relatable and began to wonder if she was living in some sort of secondary world or book herself.