1. **State the problem:** Find the slope of the line parallel to the line passing through the points $(-8, -4)$ and $(5, -9)$. 2. **Recall the formula for slope:** The slope $m$ between two points $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$ is given by $$m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}$$ 3. **Calculate the slope of the given line:** Substitute the points into the formula: $$m = \frac{-9 - (-4)}{5 - (-8)} = \frac{-9 + 4}{5 + 8} = \frac{-5}{13}$$ 4. **Slope of parallel line:** Lines that are parallel have the same slope. Therefore, the slope of the line parallel to the given line is also $$m = -\frac{5}{13}$$ **Final answer:** The slope is $m = -\frac{5}{13}$.