For All Of Eternity (A Sally Creepypasta Fanfiction)

Chapter 24 - Eternal Torment

That question shocked Jeff, and he stared into Liu's gaze.
"Are you afraid of me?" Jeff asked, although it didn't exactly answer Liu's question.
Liu thought for a moment, but then he shook his head. "No, I'm not."
Jeff narrowed his eyes at him. "You should be. I can and I will kill you."
"I know that. You tried it once, remember?"
"Then why aren't you afraid!? Why don't you fucking run away!?"
"I'm not afraid of death, Jeff." Liu stated in an apathetic tone.
Jeff glared at him, then he stepped towards Liu, but Liu stood his ground, which only frustrated Jeff further.
"Some things are worse than death, Liu."
Liu grinned again, though it didn't have much emotion behind it. "Yeah, I know."
Jeff's gaze kept in contact with Liu's, and it was silent for a long time.
Jeff couldn't stop it as the memory of the night he killed his parents, and almost killed his brother, filled his mind.
Their screams filled his ears, their blood dripping from his hands, and their eyes...their eyes were wide as they stared in horror at what their son, their little boy, has become. Their little boy became a monster.
When he attacked Liu, he had looked Jeff in the eyes as his life drained away along with his blood.
And yet, here he is, standing here, staring at him with those same eyes.
Jeff gritted his teeth at the memory. "Tell me, why aren't you afraid of me? You can't care about me that much."
Liu shrugged. "I'm more pissed off than I am afraid."
Jeff clenched his hands into fists. "So what, are you going to stab me again?"
Jeff stared at his brother, daring and even partially hoping that Liu would attack again.
Liu looked deeply into Jeff's eyes and didn't speak for a moment, but when he did, his voice was quiet.
"There are times when it hurts more not to."
With that, Liu brought his hand out of his pocket and dropped a few flowers onto the two graves, the graves of their parents. Liu met Jeff's gaze one last time before he turned and walked away.
Jeff didn't say anything, nor did he do anything. He just watched as Liu walked away until he was far out of sight.
Jeff tightened his grip on the handle of his knife, but he didn't take it out.
He could have killed Liu right then and there, he should have. But he didn't, he can't. He knows he'd be unable to bring himself to do it.
His hand grabbed the blade of the knife and he gripped it tightly, no doubt drawing blood. He focused on the pain in his hand rather than the ache in his head and chest, and then Jeff turned and walked the other direction, gritting his teeth as he made his way out of the cemetery.

--                                                                         

"How did you die?"
Ben looked at Sally once she asked the question, his gaze meeting her curious green eyes.
Immediately, Ben stiffened, and he was going to reply rather rudely to her, but before he could think of them, the truth tumbled from his mouth.
"I drowned."
Sally tilted her head, now more curious. "Why? How?"
Ben's gaze became a glare and then he slammed the book shut, making Sally jump in surprise.
"Why? How? There is no why or how to drowning! I just did!" He growled, now standing up and he stood over her.
"N-No, I mean..." Sally whispered, feeling nervous now that he's angry.
"You mean what?"
Sally stood then, looking up at him, and put her hands behind her back as she spoke.
"I mean...did someone do it?" She asked. "Did...someone drown you? Or-"
He stepped forward, motioning his face close to hers as he glared into her eyes, silencing her.
"That is not any of your fucking business," he hissed.
Her eyes widened a bit, but she wasn't sure why. She's not afraid of him. Perhaps it's because of the way he's speaking to her, the fact that he obviously does not want to talk about whatever it is that's upsetting him. Well, of course his own death would upset him, but it's quite clear that there's more to it than that.
That's when she noticed something about his eyes. Now that he's closer to her, she can see glowing and dull, but surely existent, red orbs deep within his eye sockets, glaring at her.
Once he knew his point is made, Ben stepped away, and then turned to walk away without a glance back.
Sally looked down to the book that he left on the floor, the one that he was, just moments ago, reading to her.
She sighed and picked up the book, then set it on the bookshelf along with the rest of the books.
Sally doesn't know what to do now. Everyone has left, and she's here alone. God forbid that she stays alone for long. After a while of this, her thoughts will return to her. If she starts thinking, she'll surely fall apart. So then, in automatic self-defense against whatever mentality her brain is protecting her from, she picks up her knife, took one look around the empty room, and then walked out.
She is aware that it's almost sunset, and night will come shortly. Maybe she can go out for a walk. Hopefully, no one will bother her. Not for her sake, but for theirs.
Sally headed towards the back door, now hearing the voices coming from a different room of the house. She didn't bother with it, she just walked out into the outdoors and beneath the orange sky and purple clouds.
As Sally walked, she wondered about what Ben had said, because thinking about this mystery is much better than thinking of her own.
So, he died by drowning...she wants to know more, but she's not sure if Ben would want to talk about it. She understands, she abhors speaking of her death as well. Did someone kill Ben by drowning him? Were the waters just simply too deep, and he couldn't swim? Maybe he was stuck?
"AAAAAHHHH!"
Sally was disrupted from her internal questions when she heard the sudden scream of a male, and she quickly looked over to see a man standing in the street not far from her, staring wide-eyed at the familiar dog known as Smile Dog. Sally hasn't seen that thing since the first night she met it.
However, now it's in its true form, which is a grotesque hairless creature. The skin is a devilish red and layered with wrinkles. The eyes reflected the remaining light of the sunset, so they appeared to glow as it stared at the man. Multiple tails are swinging from its backside, although they're much more like snakes, hissing as they whip around. The smile that can bring chills to anyone seems to be haunting to man into madness.
"Stop! Please! L-Leave me alone! Don't follow me anymore!" The man screamed pleadingly, gasping and looking extremely pale. He began grabbing at his hair, shaking his head as he wailed desperately. "I-I'll do it! I'll spread the word! Just please, stop doing this!"
Sally watched as the man began to run away, and everywhere he looked, Smile was always in the corner of his sight.
Sally took her mind off of the events. It's their business, not hers. Besides, she can't do anything about it. She wouldn't dare try to stop that creature from taking what it wants.
Then she focused on her walking, and she realized that she's not having as much trouble walking as she did before. Is she gaining control of her pain? Of course, it still hurts, but it's easier to ignore it now.
Then she heard yet another scream from the house to her left. Sally looked over reluctantly and slowed her walk.
The woman in there just kept on screaming in terror, but then her screams were abruptly cut off, and thanks to the light of the lamp within the house, Sally saw the blood splatter on the curtains. She heard more muffled sounds emit from inside. Thuds, wet rips, and more disturbing sounds that Sally found horribly familiar.
Then it was silent, and then came the maniacal laughter. The cackling grew louder, and the laughter couldn't possibly be made by anyone who's sane.
Then the laughter stopped and Sally watched as the front door opened and out walked a girl, a young girl who's older than Sally. She seems at least to be in her teens, tall and thin and plump with puberty.
She has brown hair with a rusty red tint in it that fell in messy waves around her shoulder. Her cheekbones are high and her hair widely splays around them. Then Sally noticed that the girl's mouth is stitched into a wicked smile. Her face is splattered with the blood of her most recent victim, along with more bloodstains splattered on her tattered, dirty clothing. She wielded two knives, one in each hand, and she's giggling darkly.
Then, there's her eyes...or, eye. One eye is a wide, bright green, and the other eye is replaced by a small clock. Old blood trailed down her cheek from that eye, meaning that the clock wasn't always there. It was placed there recently, actually. The eyelids around the clock are red and swollen, unable to blink and unaccepting of something so unnatural within the socket.
The girl noticed Sally then, and with another giggle, she made her way towards her.
Sally gripped her knife tightly, knowing this girl may cause her trouble. She's wild and untamed with insanity. She'll most definitely try something on Sally.
"Hey, little girl, what are you doing out here at a time like this?" The girl asked as she approached Sally.
Sally didn't respond.
"Not gonna speak?" The girl's smile widened. "Your time's running low," she leaned forward and met Sally's level, then whispered. "Tick, tock, tick, tock..."
The girl's head tilted from one side to another, in rhythm to her words that she almost sang.
"Does...Does your eye hurt?" Sally asked unintentionally, but it's too late to shut her mouth now.
The girl looked as if she wasn't expecting Sally to say that, but then her smile widened. "Why, no, it doesn't. Feeling pain isn't necessary. How about your head? Does it hurt?"
Sally knew she's referring to the wound on her head, and so she replied honestly.
"Yes, it does. The pain never goes away. It'll hurt forever," she said. She didn't mean to be that honest. She accidentally mentioned her immortality, but the girl doesn't seem to notice.
"Would you like me to help you make the pain go away?"
Sally knew immediately what she meant by that and she raised her knife slightly in defense, and the girl did take notice of that. The look she made was one of amusement.
"You...You can't help me. It can't be helped," Sally told her, giving the girl her best glare, but the girl isn't affected. She only seemed more amused, maybe even excited.
"Is that so? You lie, I can help anyone. I control their time, I control when their time is up," she said, now chuckling darkly. "Your time is in my hands, and it's running out, little girl."
Sally saw the girl raise her knives, readying herself to attack. She sees Sally as just a little girl, unable to do much harm to someone bigger and older than she is. She doesn't know Sally.
"I-It's...not running out," Sally told her. She doesn't want to tell her this, but maybe this will stop her from trying to attack. Not that it'll hurt Sally, but because then this girl will find out that Sally is immortal. And because Sally may decide to attack back. "It'll never run out."
The girl grinned madly. "I don't think so, girly. Your time is up."
There was an odd sound as the girl shoved one of her knives into Sally's chest. Sally gasped at the sudden movement and pressure, but once again, she feels no pain. Not a single drop of blood formed, and there's not the slightest bit of agony. Sally glared up at the girl and watched as her amused expression changed into a shocked one, and her green eye widened.
"I told you," Sally whispered. It angered Sally a bit when the girl stabbed her, but she didn't do anything but watch as the girl pulled out her knife, then plunged it into Sally's stomach, but still it does not affect Sally in the slightest.
The girl's amusement returned and an interested smirk spread across her stretched lips.
"Interesting...you really can't die, huh? I guess you were telling the truth, little one." She said, yanking the knife out of Sally's stomach. Sally debated in her head whether she should kill this girl or let her live.
Then the girl began to laugh. "Poor little girl, she has to live forever, eternally in torment. Aw, what a shame. If only I could end it for you!"
She began laughing harder, her words like mental daggers to Sally. It only angered the little girl further, and Sally took a step back as she raised her knife again, in a warning.
"Your time will never run out! Your time will never be up, and you'll have to live with the torture forever!" The girl shrieked, her laughter dying down now, and now it's completely silent between them. So silent, Sally can hear the soft tick tock of the little clock within the girl's eye socket.
"What's your name?" The girl asked then. Sally isn't sure if she should answer. Should she trust this killer she just met?
"Sally," she responded.
"I am Clockwork," the girl named Clockwork replied. Then she spoke with a dark smile. "Well, little Sally, I feel sorry for you. How does it feel to know your time will never run out?"
Sally swallowed hard, then responded.
"It's...painful."
"Now do you see why I must help those in need? The ones who's time must end, do you understand why I end them?"
Sally nodded, unsure how else to respond. Surely Clockwork doesn't believe everyone lives forever, right? They all die someday. Well, besides the immortals. That led to a question...could Clockwork be an immortal?
Clockwork laughed, then she abruptly stopped laughing, now smiling widely at Sally. "Have fun with your time."
She lifts her finger and moved it in sync with the clicking of her tongue, much like a clock. Then she turned and ran off, laughing as she went.
Sally watched as Clockwork left her, and now Sally noticed that it's much darker outside. The streetlights are flickering on, the sky is a navy blue with the slightest bit of glowing orange around the horizon, and the light of the stars are easier to see. Then she heard the sirens, very nearby. Someone must have heard the screaming and called the police.
Sally quickly made her way out of the road and into the backyards of the houses, avoiding fences and staying out of sight of anyone.
The sirens grew louder as they sped past the house she's hiding behind, and she quickened her pace, but then she paused when she saw something.
Something was moving not too far from her in the dark. It's a figure, a person, running within the shadows where no light hit.
But then Sally caught a glimpse of a stained white hoodie and that's all she needed to recognize that person as Jeff.
He noticed her too, then he ran over to her.
"What are you doing out here?" He hissed at her.
"I-I was just walking," she replied, hesitating with her words.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just get out of here before the cops get crazier than they already are."
Jeff ran past her, in the direction she was coming from, no doubt heading to his house.
Sally decided to follow, since she has no need to stay out here longer than necessary. Besides, she doesn't want to run into more police. She's already in enough trouble. No doubt the police already know about her. So she ran.
Even with the fact that she's in more control of her legs, Jeff is still far faster than her and is out of sight within seconds, but she doesn't mind. Sally knows her way back.
But on the way there, it became very silent. Now that the sirens of the police have gone once they reached their destination, it's quiet throughout the neighborhood. Sally slowed down when she felt someone in the same area as she is. A presence is close by.
And if Sally listens really closely, she can hear a faint sound of a clock.

Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock.