Introduction and a Question

Ok, I'm gonna be as straight as I can be with this statement, I have not believed in the paranormal for four years since I became an atheist. I thought that everything had a rational explanation or cause. (and still technically do)

I'm starting this up as a bit of an archive of my actions/experiences and to maybe get some answers as to what is going on. (more on that is a second)

What is going on? Well I really don't know. I'm starting to think that I'm just going insane from lack of sleep but I can't really tell anymore. Things started about six months ago. I was perusing the internet for some scary stories, to give me inspiration for a film project for school, when I came across this "Slenderman" myth. To be honest, it gave me the chills and I thought I had struck a gold mine of inspiration and basis for a new film possibly a series. The more I read the more ideas I got, but my imagination sometimes would not turn itself off and I would lie awake at night in a subtle fear of "what if."

If there is one thing I like to pride myself on it's being thorough. So when I stumbled across these stories/blogs/videos I couldn't get enough of em'. I torn through page after page, blog after blog, video after video gathering all the information I could on this "Slenderman" to build an antagonist form my film. The more I read the more I'd lay awake wondering "what if?"

At first I thought it was just lack of sleep getting to me, but I started catching glimpses of something out of the corner of my eye. Every time I'd try and look, you guessed it, nothing there. I thought I was subconsciously creeping myself out until my younger sister kept telling me about the strange man who kept standing at the edge of the woods near our backyard. Figuring it may have been a hunter (hunting ILLEGALLY on MY property) I asked her to describe him for me. She told me he was tall, wore dark clothes, and a dark hat. (Quick bit of info, my little sister is 13 and does not have the internet in her room, nor do I let her on it so no way she could have known what I was reading/writing about)

Her description of the strange man made my creepy-o-meter jump up a few points but I figured I'm just jumping to conclusions. I told her that next time she saw him to snap a picture of him with her phone's camera. Well I did not have to wait long, five days later she comes running in my room saying "I got him, I got him!" She shows me the picture. I almost drop the phone, it looked just like every internet source I've found said, but it also looks like it could have been wearing a black fedora hat or something similar. I deleted the picture and told her not to worry about it. Just some kids playing a prank. (I myself wanted to believe that but "what if? kept nagging at the back of my mind.)

The glimpses at the corner of my eye became more frequent. I was starting to actually catch a better view of whatever it was, it appeared to be a person darting just out of view. This started to piss me off more than creep me out. I don't like having my head screwed with. I also started feeling uneasy whenever I had my back to the windows facing the woods almost like being sighted in by a sniper.

Then things got weird, Jessie (my sister) started drawing the telltale black stick figure and the circle with the X inside from the stories I've read. (She still knows nothing of any of these things) When I asked her what she was drawing she said she sees these in her dreams. Again, and justifiably, I was creeped out.

About three months ago she woke up and yelled for me. She said the man was outside again and he was scarring her. (I'm VERY protective of my sister, considering she's all the family I've got left. You hurt her I come at you with the intent to fucking kill. End Rant) Having had enough of my own delusions and being both tired and pissed off (I was actually sleeping well this night). I grabbed my M92 handgun, flipped on the floodlights outside and stormed out the door. I was gonna teach these kids what being scared was about.

I get outside and instantly I know something is off. There were no insects buzzing/chirping, no birds, and everything seemed unnaturally still. I saw him standing at the edge of the woods looking in the direction of my house. I yelled "HEY!" and raised my gun. He turned and looked at me, tilted his head slightly and that's when I noticed the lack of any facial features. Still convinced it was just some kid with pantyhose over his face I yelled "FREEZE!" and started to approach him. I get about 50ft away and realize this guys gotta be on like three foot stilts with sticks in his arms. Almost the instant I realize this he vanishes, just poof gone, like turning out the lights on himself. (Now just to clarify I KNOW this guys was standing there. My pistol has a laser dot and I had a bead on this guy the whole time a approached him.)

Here's the question: What are the odds that this is the real deal and not just some kids playing some elaborate prank? Could use a hand here, the lines between real and imaginary are getting kinda blurry for me.