1- Jamie
It isn't hard to sneak out of the trees, especially when you have EJ and Sally with you. If I'd tried to go by myself, a creepypasta would have suddenly made an appearance and taken me back to Slender. But with the two of them, it didn't look like I was trying to run off. Everyone knew EJ by his seemingly close association with Slender and Sally simply because no one could ever really miss her.
It is dark on the other side of the trees but the thicket we come out into is thin enough that we can see the curves of streets intersecting with each other and going off into the distance. We wait until there are no cars around before leaving the trees. As we walk along the road, I take in EJ's and Sally's appearances. EJ is still in the same clothes and same face, just without the mask. For some reason I sort of had expected him to change but then again he does always walk around with a charm on. Sally doesn't change much either, though now she wears clothes more appropriate for the weather.
From what I can see, we come out in one of the much warmer places during winter because it actually feels really nice. It was chilly enough that you didn't need much more than a jacket or sweater. I bring mine closer to my body, enjoying the feeling of being outside of the mansion. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong this time and I'm able to actually enjoy this brief time away.
"What kind of fireworks are we going to see?" Sally asks, walking along between EJ and I.
EJ looks to me for an answer. "The big sparkly one they shoot in the air. We don't have any money to purchase our own so we can just go watch a show."
Sally smiles, grabbing onto EJ's sleeve to keep up. Or probably to try and slow him down. He is moving very fast.
"So where will we find this fireworks show?" He questions, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
"Good question. We'll have to ask. Next convenience store we pass, I'll go in and ask."
He gestures behind us. "We've literally already passed two."
"I know but I wasn't thinking. Next one, I'll ask." I look back, letting the glow of the numerous buildings we've passed tell me where we were.
"I'm not a big fan of it but we'll go in with you in case something goes wrong. Men get too happy when they see a woman by herself."
I almost stop in surprise. For a good chunk of my life, I was almost able to forget the dangers of being a girl and going anywhere alone, especially at night. I never really had to worry because I knew I could take pretty much any mortal human down. But EJ seems to think that since I'm a bit rusty in my fighting that I won't be able to do so. It just seems odd that out of everyone in the mansion, EJ is the one warning me and telling me to be careful.
"I appreciate it but I'm sure I can handle myself. If you want to come in then I can't stop you but have some more faith in me."
"You don't get it, do you? There are some men out there who just don't care, Jamie. They're everywhere. A woman like you can't let your guard down, no matter what."
"A woman like me has already killed several men before, thank you very much."
"But you don't act like it! You're like some damsel in distress. We can't let you out of our eyesight for one minute without you being attacked or kidnapped. I can only imagine what might happen if I let you go into a store by yourself. You'd probably get into a fight or taken again."
"Then why are you here with me if I'm just such a huge burden who always gets into trouble?" I can hear my voice rising.
"I'm more careful than the others. I'm not going to let you run wild. Which is exactly why I'm going in with you."
For some reason, his calm, even tone manages to piss me off more. "You talk like you know me so well. I can count on one hand the amount time I've seen you or talked to you."
"Believe it or not, Jamie, but you're very easy to read. Which is probably one of the reasons why you're always in trouble. You'll walk into the store, some guy will look at you and think of what an easy catch it would be. I'm not going to give them that opportunity."
"I can defend myself just fine! I don't need some uncaring jerk who thinks he knows the way everything works. I have been out in this world before and I never had problems with guys thinking I'm an easy catch."
"Uh, Jamie." Sally tugs on my arm.
"Not now! I have to tell off this little pri-"
"We're going to pass a store."
I look away from EJ and focus on the store we're walking up to. I'm still fuming but I can't bring myself to take it out on her. "Thank you, Sally. Looks like we're all going in either way."
Sally nods and grabs back onto EJ's sleeve. We walk inside together, EJ quieter than he had been before. It's a simple convenience store, without even so much as a couple of gas pumps. We go inside, EJ following closely behind and Sally trailing shortly after.The floor is grimy and the small amount of aisles holding a varied assortment of goods hang close to each other, barely allowing room for two people to squeeze past each other. The man behind the counter eyes us suspiciously as I go up to him.
"Hello, sir," I start off. Out of the corner of my eye, I see EJ and Sally go off to look at the candies on display. "We were wondering if you know where a fireworks show for tonight would be held at? We're still new in town and haven't figured out the lay of things around here."
The man bends over and looks out the glass doors, as if he's expecting to see someone there. EJ looks over. I keep a pleasant smile on my face.
He looks back at me, settling back down into his chair. "There's one just outside of the city. Follow this road until you hit Sampter, turn right, then follow it all the way until you're out. You'll see cars parked everywhere so you won't miss it."
"Thank you very much." I turn to leave, looking over at EJ.
He pulls Sally along and we all leave the store. EJ catches up with me, settling into a slower pace than usual, which seems to be good for Sally. EJ casually looks over his shoulder, looking back at the store. "He was checking for a car. From where he is, he can see the whole parking lot. We probably seemed suspicious."
"It doesn't really matter. We didn't do anything and we already left."
"He knows how we look. That could be a problem."
I sigh. "How is it a problem if we have no intentions of doing anything tonight other than watching some fireworks? You're worrying over nothing."
He doesn't seem convinced but he settles down and we continue our walk in silence. Thankfully, most of the roads seem to have sidewalks so we're not having to trudge through the grass, which looks wet like it recently rained. It's silent between us, which feels odd compared to earlier. I can't even remember what EJ and I had been arguing about. He doesn't seem willing to bring it up again so I let it rest. By the time we reach Sampter, I have already counted twenty cars that passed us by.
"Busy night," I say, watching another one go on it's way. "I wonder how many of those cars are people heading for the fireworks show."
"Is it that big of a deal?"
"It kind of depends," I explain. "Different places celebrate it differently. The whole underlying concept though is that a bunch of people gather around to count down until midnight. At midnight, they start lighting fireworks and hugging each other. It's our way of welcoming in a new year full of new possibilities."
For once, I see his eyebrows quirk down. "Where does that new year, new me thing come into play?"
I smile awkwardly. "It's a New Year's Resolution. It's like a choice to not do a specific thing for a whole year or to do something new. Like working out, getting healthy, losing weight, which are the more popular ones."
He shakes his head. "Humans are so strange. Why wait until a new year to change yourself? Every day is filled with new possibilities. Every day is a chance to change yourself however you want. It just seems silly. What's the point of waiting if you truly have intentions to be different?"
I don't have an answer. "I'm not sure. It's just something we do."
"It feels like they think they need an excuse to change. Change is everywhere." He stops and shakes his head again. "Why am I even trying to talk to you? You're just like them."
"Maybe I am. But it can't be such a horrible thing."
"Yes, it can."
"Why is that?"
"Because they are our prey."
I look over at him. "Yes, I guess they are. Especially for the ones like you."
His eyes are empty when he looks at me. "I take no shame in what I do or what I am. I am a demon who feeds on the organs of humans. Sally kills. You kill. In the end, we all go for the exact same prey. Our execution is just a little different."
I nod, looking forward. The buildings around us are steadily becoming scarce and the sidewalk is gone, leaving us to walk along the side of the road. The grass grows taller here, coming up to my ankles. Looking back at Sally, I see it comes up just high enough on her that's it's an annoyance for her to walk through. Her pretty eyebrows are scrunched up and she watches where she puts her feet carefully. Sometimes, it's hard to believe she is actually a killer when she looks so much like a little girl. While I have read or heard many of the others' stories, I can't seem to recall Sally's.
EJ notices me watching her and he stares back at me from behind her. Enough of that then. I turn around and focus on the road, which I now notice is steadily becoming more and more busy. Cars are parked on the side of the road, with families watching us as we walk past. Sally and EJ move closer to me, becoming a tighter packed group. More and more cars appear, with more and more people near them. Some were whole families, with kids running around chasing each other. Other seem to be couples, the two just sitting near each other as they wait for the year to end.
As we continue to walk through, we notice a crowd standing on one side of the road. People are sitting on blankets or on cars and looking at the sky, pointing. The radio from one of the cars announces we have only a few minutes left until midnight. I notice a few picnic baskets full of food and feel an urge to grab one. I look away though and keep walking, leading Sally and EJ closer to the crowd but keeping them far away enough that they won't feel suffocated. We end up choosing an area near the edge of the crowd.
Someone nudges me in my side. I turn, my mouth opening to say something, when EJ holds out a sandwich to me. I stop, surprised. He grabs my hand and slaps the sandwich down.
"Where did you get this?" I ask, already taking off the wrapping and biting into it.
He gestures vaguely. "There's lots of people here with food just lying around."
One of the open picnic baskets catch my eyes. "You stole one?"
"No, I stole two. Sally was hungry."
Sure enough, the small girl is also holding a sandwich and biting into it, her bright green eyes scanning the crowd. Sally has been surprisingly calm and quiet this whole time. I had expected her to be loud and full of energy, like how she usually is at the mansion. But now she looks around at everything as if judging it all through the eyes of an adult. I must admit, it was a bit intimidating.
"Hey, Sally," I start off. She turns to me with a dead look in her eyes that could rival EJ's. "Are you okay? You've been more quiet than usual."
"Maybe compared to what you've seen of me." Her voice is flat, with little emotion. It's hard to believe I'm talking to the same kid. "In reality, I'm a lot more calm and serious than what I portray around the mansion. Appearances aren't everything, Jamie."
EJ is watching me, waiting for a response. "That's true. But then why do you act like that at the mansion and not how you really are?"
She gestures to herself. "Physically, I look like a kid. That's what I'll always be seen as. It's what they all want to see me as. So why not give them what they want. Let them underestimate me. I will be his secret weapon."
"His secret weapon?"
Sally nods, smiling. "As a unofficial proxy of Slenderman, I may not be well known like Toby or Masky or Hoodie or even Falin, but I am his. When he brought me back to life, I became his."
I look at EJ for confirmation. He just nods. "I never knew."
"Most don't. But it's why he cares for me. Of course, it's his natural instincts to protect children. It's why he is so perfect as the mansion head. None of the others could have kept the mansion together." She pauses. "I'm hungry."
Startled, I look at her hand and see it empty. "I can go grab another."
EJ puts out a hand to stop me before I can even move. He starts walking off into the crowd, saying, "No, I will. You two stay here."
I start to say something but I'm cut off by a loud voice. "It's happening guys! Are you ready? Five... Four..."
All around us, people start taking up the countdown. At one, everyone turns and starts hugging each other, lovers share kisses, and children stare at the sky, waiting. My head tilts up, waiting as well. We don't wait long. The first firework shoots into the air, exploding in a blast of orange. My mouth falls open in amazement as I watch the shower of color flash across the sky.
I'm so amazed that I forget Sally for a moment. When I remember, I look down, expecting her to be there but am horrified to find her gone. Scanning the crowd, I am just barely able to see her disappear near a family sitting down. I take off, pushing people out of my way and finding my way in the dark through the bright bursts of light happening in the sky. In my panic, I start calling her name, screaming for her over the talking, over the radio, and over the loud booms in the sky.
I'm just about to give in and start looking for EJ instead, when I hear her soft voice shout my name. Without thinking, I'm already turning towards the sound of her, letting my hearing guide me to where she is. I'm more than a little surprised to see her struggling in the grip of an older man, tears running down her face and her chest rising and falling rapidly. The man holds her by her wrist, trying to pull her closer. My blood boils and I cross over to them, my hands shaking.
"What the hell are you doing with her?" I shout, my voice easily carrying over the noises.
The man stops everything looking at me. "Ma'am, there's nothing to worry about. The little girl is lost and I'm trying to help her find her family. She was going through my food so you can just move along and enjoy the fireworks."
"Let go of her, now. You have no right to be touching her and holding her in place." I step closer to him.
"Are you of any relation to her?" He asks, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes, actually I am and I'd really appreciate it if you let my niece go."
He instantly dropped her hand. She ran to me, throwing her arms around my waist. "I apologize, ma'am. I didn't mean to cause any trouble, I was just trying to help."
I glare at him, holding Sally close to me. In the back of my head, I hear a sudden noise rise up, like someone is crying. "You're lucky I'm letting you off this easily."
We start to walk off and I hear him mutter something but I can't focus on it. The crying is getting louder, so loud I can barely focus. "Sally," I mutter. "You don't have to cry so loudly. You're away from him."
"Jamie?" I hear someone shout over the crowd. Sally pulls away slightly to look up at me as I turn to face EJ. He's pushing through the crowd, coming towards us. I wave, starting to pull away from Sally. The little girl reaches her hand up to me and I lean down, thinking she wants to whisper something to me. EJ suddenly roars, "No! Jamie, don't let her touch you. Don't."
Her fingers just barely touch the skin of my cheek. Before I'm able to pull away, there's a sudden whooshing feeling and the crowd, the fireworks still bursting in the air, even EJ's screaming fades into nothing. I'm alone.
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