Boom! Kapow!

The sound effects coming from the TV screen filled the dimly lit room, accompanying the clacking sounds of buttons on video game controllers being furiously pressed again and again. Empty snack bags were scattered around the room, and a tattered Sk8 the Infinity poster hung on the wall. When it came to the resident of this particular room, he had wanted to make it resemble their own childhood bedroom as closely as possible.

"You're a dead man!" Ben teased, elbowing the ribs of his partner, Lost Silver.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for stating the obvious," Silver shot back sarcastically.

Ben laughed as they continued focusing on the game. He had been a part of the Slenderman Alliance for the past nine years, having been forced to join it after his father, under the control of Slenderman, had drowned them in a bathtub. He had only been thirteen years old, so of course, it had been very lonely to join the Slenderman Alliance. But it had been a small comfort when Ben's little sister Sally, now a ghost, had joined the Alliance. It had also helped when Ben's childhood best friend Jeff joined, even though the awful things Jeff had been forced to do had torn their friendship apart for a couple of years.

The cherry on top was Ben's online friend, now boyfriend, Hitori, who now called itself Lost Silver. Like Ben, he was a cyber ghost, a type of spirit that could be tied to a mode of technology: for both Silver and Ben, it was video games. While Ben looked much like Link from The Legend of Zelda, Silver looked like a character from the Pokemon games from the 1990's and early 2000's.

A banner flashed across the screen, declaring Silver the winner of the game.

"Aw, come on!" Ben whined, throwing down their controller. "One more round!"

"Ha! Loser!" Silver taunted.

Ben grinned slyly and tackled Silver, beginning to wrestle him on the floor. They started to tickle it all over, giving him teasing kisses.

"Not fair!" Silver laughed, though a wide smile was on its face. His Japanese accent always became more clear when it was hyped up. "Get off me!"

"Cheater!" Ben shot back.

At least, Ben ceased their tickles and embraced him; Silver couldn't help but hug back. They lied there on the floor, arms wrapped around each other.

"Pretty rich of you to call me a cheater," Silver chuckled. "You're the one who's always cheating at Super Smash Bros."

"Don't re-direct this," Ben snapped.

Ben tweaked Silver's nose, causing it to blush. Suddenly, the door to Ben's room swung open, revealing Jeff and Engine standing there. They both looked anxious.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Jeff quipped.

Ben scrambled off of their partner, blushing furiously. Jeff groaned and rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?" Silver inquired.

"Have you two lost track of time again?" Engine asked, crossing his arms. His short dreads bounced back and forth, his goggles struggling to stay on his head. "Ben, your sister didn't come back from patrol: she's been out for two hours longer than she's supposed to!"

Despite his pixelated body, Ben's blood ran cold.

~

Sally had been dead for several years, so the snowflakes drifting from the evening sky didn't cause her any shivers. But that couldn't stop the fear surging through her. Despite having lived in the forest for nearly a decade, it always became unfamiliar to her during the winter, as the snow would disguise any landmarks. Normally, she loved winter, as it meant snowball fights, snowmen, sledding, and a couple of meager, homemade gifts around Christmas, which she still enjoyed. But she hated patrols.

Sally sniffled as she trudged barefooted through the thin blanket of snow, clutching her beloved teddy bear close to her chest. Ever since she was murdered by her uncle at the age of six, her straw blonde hair had been matted with blood around her scalp area, and no matter how many baths she took, she could never wash it out. Her pink dress was caked with dirt, and her socks ripped. She was doted on by some of the other proxies, particularly Ben, Jeff, Silver, S.O.S., and Rouge, whom she considered family - she even called Rouge "Mama." Of course, there were a few she detested or were afraid of. But for the most part, despite missing her old life, she didn't mind being a proxy. Besides, it wasn't often when she was forced to kill people.

"Hullo?" Sally called aimlessly into the darkening wood. "Benny? . . . Jeffy? . . . Mama?"

No answer. Sally held back a sob. She had gotten lost before, and she had always come home safely. But that was a small comfort. She wished she was still alive so someone would be forced to go with her on patrols.

Suddenly, Sally heard a rustling from the bushes and the crunching of snow. Turning around, her green eyes widened. Was someone going to come out and attack her? Was it the same person who had attacked Clockwork?

Mustering her courage, Sally gulped and stood strong: if this person was the one who had attacked Clockwork, she could defend herself - after all, she was no longer human.

At last, a human emerged from their hiding spot, and Sally still gasped with fear. This woman, she . . . her right eye was missing, and in its place was a gaping black hole darker than pitch. Glowing within it was a ball of blue light, and her remaining eye was a chocolate brown. The woman's long black curls tumbled over her shoulders, and she had porcelain skin and rosy lips. She was bundled up in a purple coat that appeared as though it had once belonged to someone else. She looked to be in her mid-twenties.

When the woman saw Sally, her stoic expression shifted into one of sympathy.

"What're you doing out here, dear?" she asked. Her beautiful voice was deep and rather soothing. "Are you hurt?"

Sally whimpered as the woman approached her and squatted down so they were on eye level. The woman was undoubtedly gorgeous, but Sally couldn't look away from her missing eye.

"I-I'm lost," she stuttered at last.

The woman reached up to examine Sally's bloodied forehead. Sally had expected her hand to be cold, but no: it was nice and warm. She was alive, not a ghost or an undead being like Sally had expected.

"You're not human, are you?" the woman asked. Her tone was surprisingly nonchalant, but Sally could detect an air of anxiety in her expression. "What's your name, sweetness?"

"Sally," Sally answered. "M-my real name is Salina, though."

"That's a wonderful name." the woman replied. "I'm Vailly. I'm gonna help you get home, okay?"

Sally nodded and climbed into Vailly's arms as she picked her up. She held her tight, which both surprised Sally and made her nervous. She began to carry her through the trees, holding her like a mother would hold her child. As the sky grew darker still, Sally couldn't help but wrap her arms around Vailly's neck.

"Sally!"

"Sal! Where are you!?"

"That's my brother's voice!" Sally gasped. "Y-you can put me down now."

Vailly did as she was told and put Sally back on the ground in the snow. Before she ran off, however, Sally gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Miss Vailly," she said. She flashed Vailly a smile.

"Of course," Vailly responded. "Now get home safe."