The Fictional Online Creature That Drove 2 Young Girls to Stab Their Friend

A 12-year-old girl was stabbed 19 times by two of her friends this weekend who say they were inspired by a mythical Internet creature known as Slender Man

What follows is Mashable's explanation of this horrific case and the mystery surrounding the bizarre online avatar that allegedly drove the girls' motives

What happened?

The girls, Moran G. and Anissa W. of Waukesha, Wisconsin, lured the 12-year-old victim into the woods on Saturday for a game of hide-and-seek after a slumber party the previous night.

"Once there, one suspect held down the victim while the other suspect stabbed the victim 19 times in the arms, legs and torso," Waukesha Police Chief Russell Jack said. "Many of the stab wounds hit major organs, but incredibly and thankfully, the victim survived this brutal assault." Read more...