The next day, that feeling of being at home expanded even more. No one went off... where ever they usually go, but they all stayed at home. We were outside playing this game they call 'Hide and Stab'. I was not too fond of the name until Slender explained it and said (in a rather loud mental voice) there are no knives involved. I was slightly shocked when everyone released a slight groan, but I guess that would explain all the scars on some of them.

I was currently hiding in the largest tree I could find that was within the mile radius allowed outside of the large house. I could see BEN scurrying around trying to find everyone, and voices would appear from nowhere when he would try to ghost away. That still shocked me, but then again one had a smile carved into his face and his eyelids were burned away. I still have trouble looking him in the eye, but Slender said when it was time, he would tell me everything I wanted to know. Since I am patient, I don't question him further.

BEN finally rushes away after a white hoddie appears behind a bush about 20 feet from my tree. As it flees, and BEN follows, I relax and lean against the tree's main trunk. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The wind gently blows against my face and I feel so free for the first time in my life. I feel at..

Home.

I feel a change in the wind, and somehow, I don't jump as Slender settles down on the branch next to mine. Luckily, the tree is large enough that it barely moves as he finally gets comfortable. "I am glad you feel safe here." He says, keeping back a shaky breath. He was still sore, but he doesn't show it at all. I only know he is still in pain because I, too, am still in pain, but I can't keep myself inside while my new family plays.

"Sometimes, I think you are too much like myself, child." Slender says, leaning his head back against the trunk. I laugh. "Oh really? How so?" He turns his head towards me. "You are protective over your family, as I am mine." I feel my laughter stop short. The reminder of Marble makes me dizzy again as laughter seems to echo through my head. "What's so funny?" Slender seems confused. "I did not say anything nor did I laugh." Before I can question him about what I just heard, I feel the tree shake.

"Alisa! I found you!" I shake my head and stand on the branch. Slender's worry echoes around before he says anything. "What are you doing, child?" I laugh and gaze down at BEN as he struggles up the tree. Pointing at him, I gaze back at the slender figure on the opposite branch. "Well, I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to catch me, now am I?" Slender seems confused, but I notice BEN has gotten closer.

"Trust me, I do this all the time!" Before Slender can stop me, and as BEN pokes his head up from the branch below, I turn around and launch myself off the tree.

I hear Slender's gasp and I feel static through the air. "Don't Slender! I got this!" I still spot his tentacles appear on all sides of me as I fall, but before they can grab me, I catch ahold of the branch on the neighboring tree and swing off the branch as if I was a monkey. Releasing the branch, I reach out for the next largest one and latch onto it, hissing as a throb comes up from my ribs. I feel my grip slip, but I slide my hand back up and grip tighter on the branch. Carefully, I haul myself up onto the large branch and slide my back against the tree's large trunk.

I gasp for breath and hold my left ribcage tightly. It hurts, but my excitement overflows the pain. I feel as if my grin can't get any wider. I feel an overwhelming sense of joy flow through my body. Even as Slender appears next to me, worry evident in his body features. I laugh. I laugh and laugh. Even as pain racks my body, I laugh. Slender seems confused, but my laughter slowly fades as tears come to my eyes and softly flow down my cheeks. Slightly huffing in glee as I wipe away the tears, I gaze at Slender with shining eyes. "That was awesome!" I shout, and he visibly relaxes. "You had me worried, child." I finally calm down and release a deep breath. "Sorry about that. It's just, I haven't done something fun in forever." As I remember the last thing I did for fun, the tree shakes. I feel joy surge through me again. "Alisa! Don't make this any harder than it already is for me please!" He was physically exhausted from climbing the other tree, and I almost felt like I should let him catch me.

"But what's the fun in that?" I say out loud. Slender, obviously having read my thoughts, stiffens and I release an evil grin. "Try to keep up Benny-Boy!" I shout, and race off the new tree to find another. As I fall towards the earth, my hands grip onto a large branch, and I swing off like before. As I reach out for the new branch, now a good 10 feet away from BEN, I spot another branch and reach out for it, as it seems large enough to support my body weight.

To say the least, I'm wrong.

I realize that the minute I touch the branch. It was old and weak, even though it was large. As I go to grip it, it snaps and I feel my body crash through the tree's smaller branches. As I near the ground, I quickly twist and land on my feet then quickly spring off and barrel roll across the ground. As the I finish the roll, I lay out on my side and gasp.

I hear Slender and BEN rush up behind me, BEN spewing off questions and Slender silently worrying like a distraught father. I keep myself still and quiet as possible despite my laughter growing. As a cold, pale hand rolls my over onto my back, I release my laughter, despite the slight cuts and sticks in my hair. I laugh so hard, tears form in my eyes and I hold my gut. Confused, it takes a while until BEN collapse on the ground next to me, laughing his head off. Slender never joins us in the laughing fit, but his worry fades away. My pendant appears around my neck, the cool metal telling me it was already healing my new wounds. It shines a soft, bring blue and I notice it as I open my eyes at the sound of rustling in the bushes and more people appear.

More of my family appear.

Laughing Jack, or LJ, immediately joins in and rolls on the ground nearby. Jeff and Eyeless Jack, or EJ, shrug and just plop down next to me. The others end up joining us all and soon we all, even Slender, are laying out on the grass, some hiccupping from the laughing plague, others taking deep breath and the rest quietly laying in the grass. The sun is creeping closer to the horizon, but none of us move except the husky, Smile dog, as he shuffles closer to me and Jeff. His warm fur brushes against my side and I subconsciously begin rubbing his fur. Something warm and sticky sticks to my hand as I rub through his thick fur.

Pulling up my hand, I swear to see blood drip off my hand, but before I could physically react, it's gone. Nothing, not even a warm feeling. My eyes are wide, but I lower my hand back to his fur to find it fluffy and clean. I try not to think about it, but the slightest feeling of relief floats over to me from my left. I gaze over to find EJ, LJ, BEN, Sally and Slender lying down quietly. I try to read each of them, but nothing shows any sign of some sort of relief or anything. Nothing shows up, not even Slender seems different, so I just wave it off as a hallucination. I close my eyes and rest to try to rid my mind of the memory.  

(Edited August 22nd, 2020)