Try Me (Sequel)

Goodbye

Jane's P.O.V

I fought to pull back Clockwork who tried relentlessly to escape from my grasp and get to Sally. While my heart ached for her loss, I had to deal with the present issue, mourning was for later. I grabbed Clockwork by her shoulders and tried to get her to face me. She screamed and protested but I managed to get her to look at me. "Clock..." I said softly, "She's gone." Her face, already tear streaked and blazing with anger crumpled in pain and she suddenly stopped. She stopped, fighting, screaming, crying. It was very scary. If people weren't already scared from the ambush, they were probably spooked by Clock's behaviour by now. I let my hands fall from her shoulders as she turned back round to face Sally and slowly walked back to her, more calm than before. Wordlessly, she gently closed her eyelids with great care as if she was the most delicate being in the word. For a while, she just stood taking in slow calm breaths until she finally whsipered, "Your time is up." She kissed Sally's forehead and whispered something that, if she were still here, only Sally would have been able to hear before walking outside without making eye contact with anyone. Sympathetic looks followed her all the way to the door. The crowd hovered around a while longer but dissipated after a while leaving only Sally laid between myself and Slenderman. "How did they get in?" I asked the obvious question. He simply shrugged. "The defense barrier has been down for a while now."

"What?! Why haven't you fixed it?" He didn't respond. I prompted him again and this time got a response, "I can't." Panic flared through me, "What do you mean, 'you can't'? Of course you can." He shook his head in a defeated way. It occured to me that this has been going on for a long time. "You can't tell the others, they'll panic and most likely get themselves in danger."

"How long for?" I asked. He cocked his head to the side inquisitively. "You know," he started, "centuries have passed and I've seen many of us come and go but I always knew that you were different. You're very observant. To answer your question, six human years." What?! I almost flinched in shock and looked away in disgust. To think he had been risking everyone's lives here for six years. I remained in a cold silence. "I know what you're thinking bu-"

"But nothing! You've been risking everyone's lives knowingly for six years and they're all clueless to it and your secrecy has cost a life. Hers." I aggressively gestured to Sally. He didn't bother arguing as I stomped up the stairs. On my way to Sally's room I passed Masky who was sheepishly leaving his room. Already angry, I grabbed his shirt and slammed him against the wall, "Where were you?" I practically growled. "Where were you when your friends were in danger?" He began to stutter but I cut him off anyway. "Sally is dead. She's dead and if you hadn't been busy feeling sorry for yourself she might still be alive now." I let go and shoved him away from me. I didn't expect him to argue back and I also didn't expect him to follow me and attempt to hug me. I was so taken aback by his actions that I didn't bother to shove him off me. Instead I just hugged him back after a moment. All the anger left me and the grief and guilt swam in. I sobbed on his shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay." He murmured and I buried my head into his shoulder, just glad for being comforted. I felt safe and wanted to stay like that for hours but I had something to do. Wiping away tears with the back of my hand, my emotionless face snapped back into place. "If you had any respect for her, you'd let everyone know that I'm going to bury her now." He nodded and immediately proceeded to go to the top floor to start letting people know. I watched him leave then entered Sally's room slowly. I wasn't ready for what awaited me. The room looked like it had a little girl living in it just hours earlier, which it had but not a dead little girl. Dolls and toys were strewn carelessly across the floor, the bed a mess of pink and white bedsheets decorated with frills. On the floor was a tea party set up like a teddy bear's picnic, featuring her favourite brown teddy. It was a clear sidekick among the years. It's fur was faded and thinner in some parts and one arm had loose seams from where she had held it by that arm and carried it everywhere. I tidied away the things from the floor, putting them back into her toybox and made the bed. Before leaving the room, I pulled a thick white blanket with small roses embroided around the edges from the bed and retrieved her favourite teddy. When I got downstairs, most of the house were gathered in the kitchen. I spotted Jeff with Rain, he was pulling silly faces in an attempt to cheer her up. "Hey." I lightly touched his arm and he turned away from the giggling child to smile at me. The sadness in his eyes betrayed the gesture. My hand absentmindedly brushed his hair out of his eyes before I could process what I was doing but he didn't seem to mind at all. "Don't you think bringing Rain might not be such a good idea?" I asked. Jeff looked over at Rain thoughtfully but before anyone could even properly discuss the matter Rain intervened. "No, I have to go. She was so so nice to me. I have to say goodbye, anyway she's not dead. She's just gone somewhere else, I can sense it." At that Clockwork, who had been stood alone motionless, head drooped but eyes bloodshot and flickering from one point of focus to another every few seconds whirled around to speak to Rain. She agressively grabbed her shoulders and demaned to know of Sally's whereabouts but me and Jeff quickly grabbed her off Rain. She looked scared with saucer-wide eyes. "I-I'm sorry, you can't go there it's-" but she was cut off by Clock's frustrated growl. It would be a long time before she got anywhere near close to getting over her death, this had hit her really hard...