For All Of Eternity (A Sally Creepypasta Fanfiction)

Chapter 31 - Light in the Darkness

It feels as if Sally is floating in a sea of gray. She feels numb, and it's as if every thought, every image, every emotion is bombarding her mind all at once.
Then everything seemed to stop, except for the gentle swaying of this sea. It's so soothing, so soft. Then a voice made its way into Sally's ears,
"Sally, no matter how hard it is to hold on, just don't forget who you are."
Whose voice is that? It's familiar, yet it's not. Sally feels so warm, so peaceful. She doesn't want to wake up.
When that thought came to her, she suddenly understood. She's only asleep. She's immortal, of course she isn't dead.
The eternal ocean seemed to still around her as, slowly, her awareness intensified.
"Remember-..."
What is it saying now? It's so muffled.
That's when the voice that could only belong to Slender Man spoke, drowning out that other soft voice. Suddenly, this void of nothingness doesn't seem so comforting and warm anymore.
"I will restore your form and heal your new wounds, but you will soon learn that the game has not yet finished. There are many obstacles ahead of you."
How many...?
"Be ready for what is to come. Do not let weakness consume you."
Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in Sally's waist and she gasped, her eyes snapped open.
Her vision was a blur at first, and it's so very bright...what's that light?
She squinted at the brightness and blinked a few times, and then her sight focused. There are trees above her, and it's still broad daylight.
Slowly, Sally sat up, expecting to feel an enormous amount of pain in her stomach, but she didn't feel anything. She looked at her torso, expecting to see an abundant amount of blood blood and a gaping wound, but there's nothing, as if it never even happened. Even her nightgown is repaired.
She was healed? How? Was it Slender Man?
And so this means Laughing Jack really was right when he said immortals can hurt other immortals. Johnny had actually wounded her, and she has wounded him in return.
Sally looked around herself, finding that she is no longer in the warehouse, but outside, surrounded by luxuriant wildlife.
She's in a small group of trees within the center of the park. Of all places, Slender Man took her here?
She stood and looked around again, but no one is nearby. Everyone probably went home once they heard about the killers in the area.
Sally decided to walk towards a random direction. Where should she go? There's no doubt that the police are still in her house.
Should she go back to Jeff's house? Her knife is still there. She's going to need it if Johnny continues to be a problem. That thought brought something else to her attention; where is her mother and Liu? Hopefully they're safe and unharmed. And what about that creature? She desperately hopes that it will never appear again. She shivers just thinking about that thing.
She had thought that she had lost her fear of the dark, but after today, that fear must have only intensified, because she found herself avoiding the shadows of the trees as much as possible, as if she expected that creature, or even Johnny, to be hidden there.
Sally stepped over a log, careful not to trip from the pain that still lingers in her abdomen and thighs. Her head throbbed in the area where her injury is at, the wound that ended her life quickly, yet painfully. Slender Man healed the wound that Johnny had given her, but he couldn't have healed the wounds she died with? Maybe he can't. He's obviously powerful, but maybe there are some things even he can't do.
Sally walked in a daze until she found herself wandering along a small pond. If she looks closely, she can see little creatures such as fish and tadpoles swimming within the soft movement of the water. The glint of the sunlight reflecting off of the pond made Sally blink a few times, and then she walked closer and stood on a rock beside the water.
She leaned down to peer into the water, but then she found herself looking back at her; her reflection.
Sally froze, realizing that she's looking at herself. All this time, she hasn't bothered to look in a mirror. Is this really her?
Her face is pale, almost gray. The scarlet blood that trailed down her face dripped off of her chin, and that single drop fell into the water, creating ripples that mixed the blood with the clean water. Her curly, messy brown hair fell around her face as she stared down at her reflection. It glowed softly in the sunlight and drifted slightly in the gentle breeze. Her green eyes aren't as bright as she had remembered them to be; they've lost their light. They've lost the energy and life that had once shined so brightly within them.
Sally's not sure how long she was there, staring at her reflection, trying to get a hold onto reality, telling herself that this is the new Sally. This...thing, this monster staring back at her is who she is now. She stared until her reflection was unfamiliar to her, as if she's looking at it from another's view. Who is this person?
Is she still an innocent young girl, or a murderer, delirious with rage?
Sally lifted her hand and reached down, now dipping her finger into the water. The pond rippled around her finger, making her reflection break into many pieces and dance around the surface.
Drip.
Another drop of blood fell into the water and Sally watched as it mixed with the ripples. The drop seemed unfit in this water. Something tainted in something pure.
Just then, she had a thought. She cupped her hands together and dipped them in the water, then lifted them. After a moment of hesitation, she brought her hands to her face.
Sally rubbed the water against her skin, washing off the blood and dirt, leaving it dripping off of her face with the pond water. She waited for the water before her to settle, then she looked at her reflection again.
Without the blood on her face, she looked almost normal, despite the pale skin.
Then Sally stood, looking down at her dirty and bloody legs, and so she lifted the hem of her nightgown and stepped forward, into the pond water. The cool feeling of the water moving around her legs brought a small smile to Sally's face.
The dirt and blood soon lifted from her legs and mixed into the water around her, leaving her skin clean.
She hasn't washed herself in so long, and it felt like some fort of weight was lifted off of her now that the dirt and blood has been washed. It was like she washed away the evidence of her sins, and so they're somehow no longer a problem to her.
Of course, that's a lie.
Sally stepped out of the water and looked down at her clean legs, still glistening with water that clung to her skin in bright droplets.
"Mraowf!"
Sally blinked and looked up, then to her left to see the source of that sound; a cat.
It's just sitting there, staring at her. It's a solid black cat, with one green eye and one yellow eye.
Their gazes met and they stared at each other for a while, and Sally felt mesmerized by the feline's gaze. She's not sure why it's staring at her. Maybe it knows that she doesn't belong here.
Then, the cat turned and began walking off, and Sally stood and watched it go. She had the urge to follow it out of curiosity, but what point is there?
The cat looked back at Sally and stopped, as if waiting for her.
She was confused about what she should do, but then she took a few steps towards the cat, and then the feline began walking again.
So, it seems that it wants Sally to follow it...but why? It doesn't even know her!
Sally looked back at the pond, where the water is clear and fresh, where life is held.
She's is no longer a part of that life. Now, she's a part of this dark world that she was so oblivious to when she was alive. How could she have been so blind? How could she have ever thought that she could be a part of this beauty?
She was so wrong about this world while she was growing up. She only expected happy things, but that completely changed months ago.
Sally took a deep breath, then turned her back on the whimsical pond and followed the cat.
As she traveled through the trees, still following that cat, she started to hear a sound.
Wait...no, it's a tune, a melody. Music? What is it?
Sally continued, not losing sight of the cat, and then soon reached an opening.
She peeked through the trees to watch the cat continue forward, towards what looks like a small playground. She knew that playground. Her parents used to take her there every weekend. She felt nostalgic just looking at it, and then an overwhelming sadness evaded her.
The music is coming from the playground, and Sally can make out the fact that it is played by a guitar.
The cat walked forward towards the swing set, where a lone boy sat on a swing, a guitar in his hands.
Sally listened to the soft melody of the strumming strings, and from this distance, she can barely make out the boy's appearance.
He has light brown hair which glowed golden in the sunlight. He wore a deep blue t-shirt and shorts, and his dirty tennis shoes kicked against the ground softly. His head bobbed a bit as he played the guitar, causing his wavy hair to sway in front of his eyes, so he moved his head so his hair would no longer cover his vision. He must be about 10 years old. No, he's probably a bit younger than that.
It's strange. It's strange for Sally to look at another being without being overcome with merciless wrath. It's unusual that she didn't get the compulsive need to kill.
Not far from the boy stood a woman who held the hand of a little girl with long, pretty black hair. The woman had wavy brown hair, like the boy. That woman must be his mother. They're the only people at the playground.
The little girl giggled as the mother spun her around, a bright smile on both of their faces.
The sight of the family is both lovely and painful to see. Their happiness, their love...it's something Sally misses so much.
She smiled at the scene, but that smile quickly faded once reality hit her, the reality of the fact that she will never be a part of that happiness ever again.
She saw the cat make its way to the boy, and it brushed against his leg. He stopped playing his guitar to look down at it, then he reached down one hand to scratch behind its ears. It meowed at him, then walked back towards Sally. The boy's gaze followed the cat, but then, soon enough, he saw Sally standing in the shadows of the trees, and their gazes met.
Suddenly, Sally became very unsure and self-aware. Would he see the blood?
Oh wait, that's all washed off now.
Their gazes held for a bit, then Sally averted her gaze. She isn't sure what to do now, she doesn't have any were to go. She's not sure where Johnny is, and even if she did know, she doesn't want to be anywhere near him. She doesn't know where Liu and Maria are either. Her house will no doubt still have FBI there. Maybe she could go to Jeff's house. Surely she'll be safe there...right?
She lifts her gaze to see that the boy is still staring at her, and she can't see his expression from this distance. He isn't calling her over, he isn't telling the other two of her presence, he's just staring. It would've made Sally feel uncomfortable, but she didn't feel that.
After a silent moment of debate, she gained the confidence to step out of the shadows.
She has to make them believe that she's just an average little girl. The boy has already seen her, she might as well make it so he isn't suspicious of her.
What bad can it do?
The grass is soft against her bare feet, but soon the grass was replaced with small wooden chips as she stepped onto the playground, and then she took the swing next to the boy, who still watches her.
"Hi," Sally greeted softly, almost in a whisper. She isn't good with talking to other kids, other than her old friends she had before she died. But she hasn't seen them for a long time, and she doesn't plan on seeing them ever again.
The boy didn't say anything, he just stared at her with deep blue eyes. Now that she's close enough, she can see his expression, which currently shows no emotion. No interest, or curiosity, or discomfort. She would start feeling uncertain if it weren't for his eyes. The expression may be emotionless, but his eyes seemed to reflect the world around them, shining gorgeously. Sally almost felt at awe, but she decided that it wasn't best to stay silent.
"Um..." Her eyes darted around as she tried to think of something to say. "I like your guitar."
He still didn't say anything. She's afraid to look at him again. Does he think of her indifferently? Is he cautious of her? Has he ever seen her before, on the news or in the neighborhood? Does he know she's a killer?
Sally looked up at him only to see that he's looking down at his guitar now. He's very quiet.
"Oh, Malcolm!" The woman walked over to them and Sally tensed up, deciding not to look at the woman. "Who's your new friend?"
The boy, Malcolm, looked up at his mother, but still does not open his mouth.
The woman smiled apologetically at Sally, although Sally isn't looking at her.
"I'm sorry. Malcolm is mute, he doesn't talk," the woman explained. "What's your name, sweetie?"
Sally isn't sure if she should answer that. What if they heard about her, about how she's supposed to be dead? What if they've heard her name on the news?
"Hey, you know, I think I've seen you somewhere before..." The woman murmured, tilting her head in confusion as she tried to recall why Sally looked familiar.
Sally tensed up further at the woman's words and it took all her power to keep from running away. Act natural, like nothing's wrong. Act like the young, innocent girl you used to be.
Then the woman shrugged carelessly. "Ah, never mind. Are you shy?"
Sally doesn't know what to say, so she just nodded, now swinging the swing a bit. She finally looked up at the woman to meet her blue eyes, eyes that she shared with Malcolm.
The woman smiled warmly at Sally. "Well, I hope you will get comfortable with us enough to tell us your name."
"Hi!" The little girl, who held hands with the woman, waved energetically at Sally with a toothless grin. She also had deep blue eyes and her black hair glinted beautifully in the sunlight.
Sally lifted her hand a bit to give the girl a small wave.
"Well, my name is Samantha." The woman introduced, then she motioned towards the girl. "And this is Alexis. She is 5 years old. It's nice to meet you."
Sally still didn't say anything, but Samantha didn't seem to mind as she turned to Alexis. "Lexi, do you want to go on the merry-go-round?"
Alexis nodded, an excited expression lighting up on her face, and ran towards the playground equipment with Samantha soon following.
It was silent after that, but it's a peaceful silence. Sally listened to the sound of the gentle spring breeze blowing through the trees, the singing of birds near and far, and the laughter of a child playing with her mother.
Sally relaxed a bit and she pushed her legs off the ground to move the swing, and she swung forward, then back, and soon stopped.
Sally looked over at Malcolm to see that he's adjusting the strings on his guitar.
She felt that she should ease the awkwardness by starting a conversation, but then she remembered that he's mute.
"Can..." Sally began and Malcolm looked up at her. "Can you play your guitar again?"
He stared at her for a moment, then he nodded. Malcolm began playing the guitar again and Sally smiled a bit, now looking up towards the sky. She let her mind empty out of all the bad things and she closed her eyes, letting the music and the sounds flow through her.
For so long she felt as if she was drowning in a deep, dark, cold ocean. One with strong currents and waves, tossing her around. But right now, at this moment, Sally feels as if a hand pulled her up, allowing her to breathe. It's as if the waters became warm and soothing, and there's light.
For now, she feels as if maybe there is some hope left for her.
Maybe she can keep hold of her sanity. Maybe she can fight back this beast within her. Maybe...Maybe there are more things to come to her, good things. Maybe she'll never see Johnny again, and that Maria will live the rest of her life safety and happily.
For now, Sally feels peaceful. Hopeful. She knows that this won't last long, so she reveled in it while she could.
It wasn't long until the mother called for her children to return to their home.
"Malcolm! It's time for us to go!" Samantha called and Malcolm stopped playing his guitar, now looking up to see his mother lift Alexis into her arms. "Say goodbye to your friend!"
Sally actually felt a little disappointed, knowing that they're leaving, probably not to be seen again.
Malcolm looked at Sally and met her gaze for a moment. Then he hopped off the swing to follow his mother, now waving goodbye softly to Sally.
"Bye," Sally whispered, waving a bit, too. As they walked away, the stray cat rubbed itself against Sally's legs, then followed the family as they left.
Sally watched them until they were out of sight, and then Sally took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Now that the precious, peaceful time has died away, reality crashed down on her again, and she felt herself drifting back into the deep gray ocean. Many questions formed.
What was that creature she saw not too long ago? Where is it now? Where did Slender Man take Liu and Maria? Hopefully they're alright.
How is Jeff doing? Did they all make it out of there okay?
And what did Slender Man mean when he said that there are more obstacles ahead of her? Will she run into Johnny again?
Sally exhaled heavily and opened her eyes, looking towards the ground. What is she going to do now?
She can't go back to her house, so maybe Jeff's house?
She did leave her knife there. She had almost forgotten about that.
Sally closed her eyes again and pictured the living room of Jeff's house in her mind and she stood up and off of the swing. It only took a few seconds for her to feel that familiar sensation, as if the world is spinning around her rapidly.
The wooden chips beneath her feet seemed to transform and harden, becoming a flat surface. The breeze disappeared and so did the sun and the singing birds. The world darkened around her, and then it all went still and silent.
She then opened her eyes and found herself exactly where she needed to be. The living room is empty.
She looked over at the couch, and sitting on the armrest of the furniture is her knife. Slowly, she walked over. Something tugged her forward, as if an invisible rope had connected itself between Sally and the knife, pulling them forever closer. But her body hesitated in its steps, as if its repulsed by the weapon.
However, once she was close enough, Sally reached over and grabbed the handle. She shivered at the cold familiarity of it in her hand.
The feeling of it being in her grasp instantly reminded her of the horror she wreaked with it, and suddenly, she was possessed with the desire to do more. She looked away from the blade that's layered with dried blood, but that didn't help. A part of her wanted to throw the knife across the room as the other part wanted to draw someone's blood with it.
Sally breathed heavily in a wasted attempt to drown out the compulsion. The need ate away at her, devouring her consciousness and only leaving her with an almost animalistic instinct to kill.
"How did it go?"
Sally jumped and swirled around to face the owner of the voice: Ben.
He's standing a few feet away from her, his arms crossed and his face revealed his interest.
Sally shook herself, doing her best to bring herself back to her senses. The demonic desire seemed to growl at her from within, threatening to take control.
"You weren't gone very long," Ben said, once again catching her attention. "Only about two hours."
Then she remembered what had happened at the warehouse. The silence, and the loud roaring of a saw. The feel of the jagged blade digging into her flesh and bone, then tearing her almost in half. The laughter of her murderer echoing in the darkness.
And the pain. So much pain.
Sally stuttered, trying to find her tongue, and for a moment, she didn't know how to speak. "I...He...He won...this round..."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem to have gained any wounds, so how did you lose?"
"Slender Man...he healed me," Sally explained. At least, she's pretty sure Slender was the one who healed her. No one else could have done it, right?
"Oh," Ben said.
"There was a creature..." Sally decided to bring up, now looking back up at Ben. Not just because she was curious, but because she wanted to keep the conversation going. She wanted to keep herself distracted from the bloodlust fueled by anger, and the burning in her hand where she grips her weapon.
"Creature?"
Sally nodded. "It was there...Johnny wanted to feed Mommy and Liu to it...like a sacrifice."
"Oh, the Rake," Ben realized. "That's probably what you're talking about."
"The Rake?" Sally asked. That creature has a name?
"Yeah, that's his name. Did he eat them?"
Sally shook her head. "No. Slender Man stopped him and took them away."
Ben smirked and snickered. "Damn, I bet that pissed Rake off. He'll get them sooner or later."
Sally's eyes widened a bit at that, feeling panicked and desperate. She's clinging onto hope so dearly. The knife in her hand seems to be draining her, soaking in any civilized or conscious thought and feeling she has. "N-No...I'll protect them."
Ben shook his head. "You can't protect them from the Rake. He's smarter than you think, and when he's hungry, he'll do some pretty fucking nasty things to get to his food. He's fast, he's strong, and he's immortal."
Sally looked down. There's that word again, that one word that will forever mock her. Immortal.
"You can't stop him," Ben finished.
Sally didn't say anything as she let this information sink in.
"So, did Johnny make some sort of deal with him?" Ben asked, now looking interested again.
Sally bit her lip, then nodded. "Yeah, Johnny said he made a promise to it."
"That means until that promise is fulfilled, he has the Rake on his side," Ben said. "That could cause trouble."
"What are you two talking about?"
They look over to see Eyeless Jack walking in.
"Where's Masky and Hoodie?" Ben asked, not answering Jack's question.
"They'll be fine," Jack responded, also not answering the question he had been asked.
"What about Jeff?" Sally asked. "Is he okay?"
"He'll live," Ben said apathetically. "But he'll probably feel like utter shit when he wakes up."

--                                                                        

"Ugh," Jeff groaned, turning his head a bit to the side as he spit up some blood. "I feel like utter shit."
"I bet," Masky muttered, sighing as he removed his hoodie so he could cool off. "You just got hit by a truck and your body is a mess."
Hoodie looked up towards the sky, inhaling the fresh air deeply. A cloud gently drifted over the sun, giving them temporary shade.
"What the fuck are you two sitting around for?" Jeff asked, his voice raspy, but he was able to speak loud enough for them to hear.
"We ran five miles, Jeff." Masky said, stretching his legs.
"I ran five miles carrying you," Hoodie disputed. "Don't you think we could use a ten minute break?"
"We've been here for a fucking hour." Jeff stated bluntly, staring up at the sky as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his waist and the fact that he still can't feel his legs. Multiple times he had to look down to see if they're still there, simply because they don't feel like they're really there.
Masky sighed and stood up. "Alright, alright, asshole. But where the hell do you think we should go?"
"My place, where else?" Jeff uttered, but his voice trailed off a bit at the end and his head turned to the side again, obviously losing consciousness again.
"Alright, let's go then." Hoodie said. "Masky, your turn to carry him."
"Shit," Masky muttered, then he sighed and went over to Jeff, then lifted him onto his back.
"Alright, let's get headed back."