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Username: Draconicfeline
Meta's name: Sally
Malice's name: Werloc
Prompt response:

"Go away Sally, nobody wants to play with you."
"Yeah. Go away, you black freak"
The other children made faces at her.
"But..." Sally drew back, tears coming to her eyes, "You're having so much fun... I just want to..."
"Go away"
The children began to chant.
"Go away. Go away. Freeeeeak. Freeeeeeak..."
Sally turned away, dissappointed. She walked a block away before the tears came. She wiped at her eyes with a clawed hand.
"Nobody ever wants to play with me..." she sniffled, sobbing into her sleeves, "Nobody cares, nobody loves me..." She reached home and quickly found her favorite spot, wedged between the air conditioner and the heating vent, just on the side of the house. Nobody ever found her here. She could sit and cry all she wanted.
"Nobody..."
In the three months she had been living with her mother, in the three months she had been alive, the child slaugh had done so much! She had even saved her ma's life when she had taken that poisoned candy from her hands. She had stopped the bad man who had come to kill her ma. She didn't remember how, but... he had been there, and then he had been gone... And there had been blood, so she must have done something!

Ma hadn't looked at her the same after that..

Ma yelled at her sometimes. Ma didn't love her. The kids around the neighborhood hated her.
Was it because she was different? She only wanted to play with them.

Nothing would go well. She would have to go back to the academy. She would have nobody to love her. She felt so lonely.

Between the air conditioner and the heater... Sally felt safe. And very sad.

It started as a whisper. Something that cut through the tears.
Sally...
"m..ma?"
Oh no. Not your mother. it was a voice. It sounded... Greasy. Oily. Like sharp teeth gnashing against each other. I'm your best friend. I'm your worst nightmare... Sally.
"Huh?"
You said nobody loves you, right? You're here. Crying. Nobody loves you. the voice seemed to bite back a laugh, I do, Sally. I love you. the way he said it made Sally cringe back into her space, her safe space, I'll be your friend. I'll play with you.
"Who are you?" she squeaked, trying to press against the wall behind her. But no matter how far she squeezed into the hole, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get away. He was there.
My name is Werloc. But you could call me Lock, because that is what I will do. I will lock away everybody. The kids in the street, your ma. You. You are mine. I'll play with you. You will never worry about being alone. Ever. Again.
"No."
Yes. You can't escape me, Sally. And nobody else will play with you. Nobody will love you. Except for me.
"Not true! Mama loves me!"
Does she now? You saw the way she looks at you. You're a monster. Remember that killer? The bad man?
"Y... yes...?"
You don't remember what happened to him, do you.
"He was gone. There was blood and he was gone. Ma was safe..."
He's gone because you tore him apart. You ATE him two months ago. You killed someone, Sally. You're a monster. the voice laughed, a sound like nails on a chalkboard. A sound that wasn't a sound, because pressing her hands to her ears didn't make it go away. Every time your mother sees you, she sees the bloodstained monster that ate that man.
You saved her life Sally. But she doesn't see what you did for her. She sees the monster you are. the voice became gentle, I don't hate you for it. I love you. I'm the only one that will love a bloody abomination like you.
"Sally!" a shadow fell over her. Her mother stood before her scowling, "Get out from that filthy place and help me with the dogs. You were SUPPOSED to be home an hour ago"
"Okay... Ma...?" She crawled out.
"Hmmm?"
Do not tell your mother about me. She hates you. I'll just be another reason for her to hate you. She'll be jealous, won't she. So jealous of what we have.
"... okay" she went back in to help with the dogs.

`````

Ever since Werloc spoke to her, Sally stopped playing outside. She stopped hiding, too. Nowhere was safe from her 'friend'- he was in her own head.
She would play inside, with him. Chess. Cards. Toys. Anything he wanted to do.

He seemed to play nice, but Sally knew he wasn't. She knew something was wrong.

One day, one of their dogs, a puppy they were fostering, went missing. Sally searched everywhere.
Then she looked in a mirror. Blood on her face... dog fur in her teeth.
And a span of time that she didn't remember.

She started to fear the voice in her head. But she didn't tell him so.

One day, a few years after the first incident, she decided that enough was enough.

``````

"Lets go outside. I want to play with other kids."
Why? You have me. And besides, you're not a kid anymore. Look at yourself. You're tall. You're curving. And you are a freak besides."
"I want to try anyway. Maybe... maybe someone will like me this time."
Don't be stupid. Nobody could ever like you/
"Yes they will! You'll see! I saw elves move in across the street! I bet they'll play with me!"
Oh? And why do you say that.
"They're strange too! I think it makes perfect sense. Let me do this, Werloc"
Hmmph. Well, I can't stop you. But you'll see. They'll reject you just like all the others. Just like your mother. Werloc fell silent as Sally walked outside.
The sun was bright as she stood at the side of the road, looking at the elf children.
"Maybe if I wave... they'll come over..." she said, quietly to herself. She was so used to talking to the voice in her head that she just... kept doing it.
They didn't come over. Instead, they went inside.
"Maybe if I keep doing it?"
She tried the next day. And the next. They kept going inside, and giving her odd looks.
What did I tell you?
"Werloc, I bet they're just shy!
The malice sat back, watching as smugly as a cat. She would see, in time.

She tried to approach other children as well. Some weren't too bad to play with.
Some were, actually, quite nice. But one by one, they stopped wanting to play with her anymore.

She was particularly friendly with a nice little boy down the block. He liked to play basketball, and she personally liked it too- having long arms helped a lot.
He had even wanted her to be his babysitter.
But then, one day, her Ma got a call. She wouldn't be allowed to play with him anymore.
Sally couldn't understand why. She had been nice and fun, right? She tried to find a reason, something she- the older party- had done to upset him and his parents. But she couldn't think of anything. The whole day before was a blur. She couldn't remember if she had done anything. So she must not have. Was it because she was a meta? Was that it?

She found herself looking out, sadly, at the elves again.
They won't come to you. said Werloc quietly, the first time he had spoken in a few days, Only I am here for you. Only me. Nobody likes you because you are a freak. I'm always here for you, though. Lets go back inside, just you and me. Like before. You liked that, didn't you? Nobody rejecting you?
His voice was sweet. He offered comfort. He offered games. He was mean, but he was there.
"Not yet." she said quietly, "not yet. I want to try to play with them again."
The elves?
"Yes"
Hmmph. Go on. Try again. I'll be patient. You'll see. They'll hate you.
She stood outside on the sidewalk and waved uncertainly at their open window, smiling encouragingly, a street between them.
...
And this time, one of them waved back.
Sally felt a trill of such joy that she practically skipped across the street, waiting by their yard with the biggest grin on her face that she could remember.
"Hi Sally" said Gretta, "Want to play with us?"
Sally couldn't say yes fast enough.
Despite the growl that rose from the voice in her head.

````
Ma knew.

Sally was two people. Whatever the meta Academy was hiding... it had to be something about this condition.

Sally... was a sweet girl. A good girl. A girl who just wanted other people to like her.
The kid had tried, so hard, for years.

But sometimes that sharklike smile would appear... and the good Sally would be gone, switched off like houselights.

The first time she had seen it was when the hit man had come for her. Ma had been expecting something like that. Her Ex Husband would never forget. He would always be after her life, and there was no way to prosecute him.
That hit man had met Sally...
And had been ripped apart and EATEN. By her Sally. That grin on the girl's face... the blood everywhere... it had scared her. It had scared her even more when her daughter of a month had started lapping up the blood... and had given her a look of pure cruel glee before returning to a somewhat confused 'normal'.

Several times, Ma had watched Sally play with others. She would be Sally one moment... and someone else the next. a playmate would cry or be injured. Sally wouldn't remember it when questioned.

During the times that sally had refused to go outside, Ma had heard her talk to herself.

And with the little boy... Ma hadn't heard the full story, but she could guess.
Sally had been playing with him... and then switched. he was in the hospital now. She had bitten deep into his shoulder and Ma would even bet that she had drank away the blood.
He would be okay. He might even keep the arm.

But Ma couldn't help remembering that hit man. How nothing had been left but spattered blood.
The kid had gotten off lucky.

She loved Sally. She did. But she didn't think she could love this other Sally, this ruthless monster.

She saw how Sally looked at her sometimes, when Sally wasn't Sally. Like she, her own mother, was a meal.

Ma didn't like this other Sally.

And she knew she couldn't save her daughter from whatever it was.

````

Sally returned home feeling better than she had ever felt in her entire life.
"That was so much fun! See? People can like me!"
Enjoy it while you can. They'll hate you. soon enough. murmured the malice, settling back to wait.

It could wait forever.
It could eat forever.

The girl... Sally... would see.
Hope was futile.