A Very KP Christmas

Day 4

It was the next day. Ao, Reese and Ben were well rested and ready to go through with the fully fleshed out plan to save Christmas. But it required some work to do prior to the foreboding task of finding Elizabeth.

"We're going to need more support," Ao stated. "That means we have to get Ms. P back to normal, and find Masky and Hoodie. I'm sure she must be able to find Santa's location, and the boys will help us as backup when we get there."

"There's something wrong with her though," Ben commented.

"Exactly. That's why we need to help her get back to normal."

Reese raised his hand and asked, "Um, what can I do?"

"Marry me," Ben retorted.

"Besides that."

Ao smiled and said, "Don't worry. We've got something for you to do."

A little while later, Reese was sent off to stores to gather the Christmas decorations that Ao failed to get the first time. She made a specific list and had him send pictures and text Ben if he had any questions. Ben couldn't help but make the goodbye a dramatic one, clinging onto Reese's leg as he had tried to walk out the front doors. Soon it was just Ao and Ben.

"Okay, time to go talk to Ms. P," Ao declared. The two of them ascended up the stairs. The second they got to the very top step, they began to hear quiet, pained moaning, like a dying animal.

"What the hell is that?" Ben whispered.

"Only one way to find out," the young Proxy replied, and took the first step forward into the hallway. Slowly, they tiptoed their way to the source of the noise, taking their time. The sounds grew louder the further they progressed, echoing off the walls, chilling their bones.

The source of the noise was upon them. It was coming from Sally's room. Behind the door, something horrible was happening. Ao and Ben glanced at each other with worry on their faces. Ben was the brave one this time and reached his hand out to turn the doorknob. Ever so slowly, cautiously, he pushed forward and the two of them entered into a vastly different domain.

Instead of the vibrant pinks of Sally's room, an effect of her obsession with the color pink, everything in the room had turned to shades of black and gray. Discolored, no color, ugly, and demure. This was not Sally's room. And the moaning ghost girl on the floor didn't look like Sally anymore.

Ao gasped and ran to her side. She picked up Sally's head and gazed down at her face, paler than usual. Dark circles were under her green eyes and a sheen of sweat glazed over the skin. Sally groaned and couldn't muster up the strength to speak, so all that came out of her mouth were wheezes and gurgles.

"Oh no," Ao said. "Your dress from yesterday... Dammit, I should've realized it sooner. You would never wear gray! Oh god, I'm so sorry."

"This is not good," Ben began. "This room reeks of despair. No childish joy and energy."

"No Christmas spirit...," the brunette murmured.

"She's dying..! Again. Weird. This is, like, bending the rules of the universe the author has already established. Huh."

"Right now, we have to focus on how to fix this, not on how it happened," Ao said.

"You're right. Maybe we just need to turn everything pink again. There's paint in the shed. I'll go get it...!"

Ben teleported out of the room to do his task. Ao cast her gaze back to the ghost girl in her arms. She ran her hand through her matted, sweaty hair and asked, "Do you need me to get you anything? Anything at all?"