(Sequel to Lament)

     "Hey Martin, I got something to show you and the others. It's really important, please come soon."

  "Hey Michael, I got something to show you and the others. It's really important, please come soon."

  "Hey Luther, I got something to show you and the others. It's really important, please come soon."

      The old childhood friends walked up to Sarah and Lily's house, all looking confused. "She message you guys too?" Luther asked. The other two nodded, about to knock until a car pulled up. "Martin? Michael? Luther? What are you guys doing here?" Lily asked as she got out of the car, hefting her purse and papers up under her arm. Luther took the papers from her as he told her the message Sarah gave them. "Is something wrong?" Lily asked, concerned about her wife. "That's what we're about to find out." Luther shrugged as he opened the door.

     Sarah sat there in the living room, looking towards the opening door. The pitter patter of feet came downstairs before a young boy slammed into the group in a hug. "Hey guys! Hi mom!" Kyle, Sarah and Lily's adopted son, smiled brightly. Luther chuckled as he gave a one-armed hug. "Good to see you squirt." When Luther looked to Sarah, his internal alarm went off when he saw her face. A solemn expression coated it, worrying Michael and Martin, as well as Lily. Everyone gathered around her as Sarah took a deep breath. "Guys....I have something to tell you...." She stood up and walked up to the tv, turning on the Sega and the tv. "Sarah what's wrong?" Lily asked nervously, but she wasn't given an answer.

     Sarah turned the Sega on and sat back, the group watching the tv as the Sonic the Hedgehog title moved up. "Is this that new game coming out?" Martin asked, weirded out by how silent Sarah was being. Sarah picked up the controller and began to play the strange, bootleg looking version of the game. Gone was the 16-bit style, replaced with a cartoony looking art style. Sonic, now given the name of NeedleMouse, ran across the stage. "Sarah what are we supposed to be watching?" Lily asked. In response, Sarah put the controller down, looking back at them as the game kept playing. With the group already being confused, it only worsened when NeedleMouse stopped and stared...directly at them.

     "Hey guys..." Text appeared under the character. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Everyone looked in shock. "S-Sarah...this is part of the game, right? Right?" Michael asked nervously as they all watched. Without warning, NeedleMouse disappeared. Sarah waved Kyle over and held him close, using his hair to hide the growing smile.

     The group yelled out in shock and surprise as NeedleMouse jumped on the screen screaming at them. Before pulling back and gave a giggle and falling off of the screen. As they were recovering from that, Sarah couldn't help herself and started to laugh out loud, falling on her back with Kyle giggling on top of her. "OH! OH GOD! YOUR FACES WERE PERFECT!!!" Sarah laughed, wheezing as she tried to get her breath back.

     NeedleMouse floated up on screen and began to laugh as well. "What the hell Sarah?!" Everyone yelled at her, now even more confused. It took a bit before Sarah got her breath back. "Okay okay.... guys! Its him!" Sarah smiled brightly, so bright it reminded the group of how happy she was during their parties. "It's (Y/N)!" The room fell silent as the old group of friends looked towards the screen. Luther asked first. "(Y/N)?" He asked as he slowly got closer to the tv. NeedleMouse could only smile as he nodded, text appearing under him. "We never found out who crashed that car didn't we?"

     It was a shock to everyone. The one who they saw die, who they threw into a lake and watched him sink to the bottom. He was here. Possessing this game about a blue hedgehog that runs fast. Everyone rushed up to the tv, asking him questions, NeedleMouse answering as best as he could. Sarah could only smile as she watched her friends and wife talk to their old friend. It was a shock to her as well, she never would have expected to see him again. She was even more surprised to learn that he never harbored any ill feelings towards them. Even when she broke down, being reminded of that horrible night, he still comforted her.

    NeedleMouse explained his story, how he woke up in a dark void. Years he had waited in that black pit, only to find the opportunity to leave once the lake was drained and Sega was built. He took that chance the second he got it, merging his being with the game and becoming one with its world. Even with this explanation, the others were more confused than ever before.

     "So....you're officially a ghost?" Michael asked. NeedleMouse nodded, text appearing under him to give a response. "I think so, there's no other explanation I have for this." Lily frowned. "You were alone for that long? I....I can't imagine how terrible that must have been...." The thought brought the mood down for a bit, but NeedleMouse immediately changed the subject. "Its fine really! What happened, happened. Its all in the past. Besides, could boring old me do this?" He asked before he began to change the game around him, moving from level to level and even changing his form. Long or wide, the sight of a spindly Sonic running at high speeds made everyone chuckle from how goofy the sight was.

     Luther turned to Sarah. "So....this was that "important" thing huh?" He asked. Sarah gave a nod as Kyle went to go sit down on the couch. "Thats not all though." She started, getting everyone's attention. "(Y/N) is going to be staying with me and Lily for the time being." Lily widened her eyes and was about to ask something, but Sarah beat her to the punch. "I already talked to him, he promised to not get all Poltergeist on us. He'll stay inside the game, but we have to remember that he's here. He's been alone for too long; I'm not letting that happen again." Sarah said adamantly. Lily was about to respond but sighed instead. She knew she couldn't change her mind on this. "Alright...but if he oversteps his boundaries, we're going to have a talk."

     Sarah waved her hand. "Yeah, besides Kyle already loves him." "Okay why did you only decide NOW to tell me about this?" Lily frowned. "Because it wouldn't have been as funny, duh." Sarah giggled. The group rolled their eyes as she said this. NeedleMouse giggled. "I did get you guys good." "Shut up (Y/N), you won't be acting all tough until I do this!" Martin smirked as he pressed the power button. Only for the console to turn back on, with NeedleMouse sticking his tongue out at him.

     With the decision made, the group decided to spend the rest of the day hanging out together. Luther told Sarah about Tom, to which both began to talk about taking their sons out to the arcade sometime. Michael, Martin, and Lily caught up with each other on their adult lives, and reminiscing about how easy college was compared to the dastardly troubles of adulthood. Kyle was playing on the Sega, with NeedleMouse playing with him, changing the game to make it more exciting. Kyle did notice that NeedleMouse would occasionally stare back at Sarah and Luther, giving them a soft smile.

     Night would approach far faster than they expected. Lily offered the boys some dinner, but they declined. With a last hug from the group, the boys left. Sarah and Lily prepared dinner while Kyle got off the Sega, yawning a bit as he slogged through eating his meal. "Tired buddy?" Sarah asked her son, who gave her a slow nod. "You were playing that game a lot today, don't stay close to that screen for so long, you'll ruin your eyes." Lily waved her fork at him. Sarah would finish first and go to clean her dish, Kyle following soon after. He gave his moms and a hug and a kiss before going to bed.

     Lily was the last to finish her meal, noticing a small smirk from Sarah. "Whats that look for?" She asked with a sigh. "I got the thing." Her eyes widened as she turned to her. "The thing?" "The thing!" Sarah pulled out an item from her purse, a VHS of the movie they had waited for so long. "Movie night?" "Hell yes!" Sarah replied as she walked over to the tv. "Sorry (Y/N), have a goodnight!" She smiled to the small game character, who gave her a thumbs up and a wave goodbye.

    As Sarah put the VHS in, she stood up and was stopped by Lily. The woman gave her a hug. "I'm glad...I'm really glad he's still our friend." Sarah smiled and hugged back. "Me too.... I love you, Lily." The two kissed before they got comfy on the couch, watching the movie turn on and play out.

    An hour later and they were out, both too tired from today to continue watching the movie. Lily's head was leaning on Sarah's shoulder, with Sarah's head on Lily's. The movie continued to play out, slowly beginning to glitch out. The channel itself changed completely, showing the Sega screen before it cut to the game. NeedleMouse stood in the center, watching in silence at the sleeping duo. He wasn't smiling, just continuing to stare at the two. His fists beginning to clench tightly.

She stole her from you.

Shut up.

She knew she was hurting you.

Shut up.

Lily wanted to hurt you, she knew you loved her and still took her from you.

SHUT. UP. You don't know anything about them!

I know how people work. They will ruin others' lives for little to no reason. They will steal things that do not belong to them. Steal your lives away, steal your loved ones, steal things that rightfully belong to YOU.

Sarah made her choice, me and her were not meant to be.

     Sarah smiled up at you, but it was different. She seemed nervous. "(Y/N) ....I'm dating someone.... a girl.... but she's the nicest person I know besides you!" Another girl walked up to her, holding her hand. "My name is Lily; Sarah is mine and never belonged to you." She forcefully held Sarah close, kissing her deeply as she stared at you.

Thats....not how that went....

But that's how it felt didn't it? You were just going to ask her that day, weren't you? Ask her to be yours...but she stole that from you. What makes you think she will make sure Sarah never gets to you? What makes you think she won't kill you again?

What are you.....

Lily held the small disc in her hands, staring down with hate as she held a hammer in her other hand. With one swing it shatters....and you are dragged back into that black void once again....

We both know you didn't want to go to that party. You would have said no if the others had asked you. We both know you only went because Sarah had asked you to. If only Sarah had been yours....maybe you wouldn't need to go to that party? Maybe you would have been the one with a son and the love of your life in your arms?

Maybe you would have still been alive?

........

She took what was yours....whats wrong with taking it back?

NeedleMouse disppeared from the screen, a figure now towering over the sleeping duo. NeedlMouse, now with disturbingly elongated arms, his face morphed into a hideous figure. His mouth widened into a grotesque frown, showing blood red teeth. The eye sockets far wider to show human like eyes that stared down at Lily in utter hatred. "Kill her and she is yours." His hand raised up slowly towards the sleeping Lily, shaking as his breathing began to become louder. "She's the reason you died...." Inches, his claws were mere inches from her neck. His eyes shaking from the sheer, intense hatred he felt for this woman.

    Sarah suddenly opened her eyes and yawned. She popped her neck, looking back at the tv and saw the movie was still playing. She looked down at the sleeping Lily, smiling softly and giving her a kiss on the head.

    NeedleMouse stood there in the empty fields of Green Hill. His face a mere blank expression, his sides coated in blood. His arms detached down on the ground. Staring down at the ground, the scene of the two women kissing kept replaying in his head. The feeling of being beaten, the feeling of the water filling his lungs. Why....why did this happen to him?

You are pathetic. You had the chance and you ruined it. Will you take it next time?

     The sounds of birds singing in the morning filled your ears as you awoke. Sleeping beside you was your lovely wife, Sarah. Slowly you rub her hair, giving her a kiss on her cheek. When you pulled back, she was staring up at you with that smile. A smile that made your heart flutter. A smile only angels could have crafted.

Leave...

You can still create this future.

Leave....

You just need to follow our....deal.

I said.....

    You stared up at the sky, the empty sockets showing human eyes that burned with insanity.

LEAVE

ME

ALONE!