Creepypastas are horror-related legends or images that have been copied and pasted around the Internet . These Internet entries are often brief , user-generated , paranormal stories intended to scare readers . They include gruesome tales of murder , suicide , and otherworldly occurrences . According to '' Time '' magazine , the genre had its peak audience in 2010 when it was covered by '' The New York Times . '' In the mainstream media , creepypastas relating to the fictitious Slender Man character came to public attention after the 2014 " Slender Man stabbing " , in which a 12-year-old girl from Waukesha , Wisconsin was stabbed by two of her friends ; the perpetrators claimed they " wanted to prove the Slender Man skeptics " wrong . After the murder attempt , some creepypasta website administrators made statements reminding readers of the " line between fiction and reality "
Slender Man stabbing
Slender Man stabbing
Creepypasta