Silver Reed Road, Silver Reef, UT- November 30th 1985

Michael walked along the road, struggling to, but making it work, forcing his legs to work despite their desperate pleas to stop and rest. Michael had a backpack on and it was filled to the brim with food and a blanket. After the incident at Fredbear Jr.'s, he knew he couldn't stay in town anymore, whether it was because it was his father was a murderer, or he said his own father was a killer and ended up being innocent: it was embarrassing.

He pace slowed, as he tried to catch his breath, his legs began to shake as he stood still and fell to the ground as they gave way. Michael rubbed his rear and his legs, as he looked around at his surroundings. He had hoped to get to Las Vegas within the week, and by St. George by tonight where his Aunt stayed, but it didn't look like it was going that way.

"Hun?" a feminine voice called to Michael, "Are you alright?" Michael looked up at the speaker, seeing her in the running car, "Do you need a ride somewhere?" the speaker turned off the car and got out, "You look like you're hurt, you shouldn't be walking." the speaker helped Michael to his feet and helped him into the car, Michael worried about getting in the car with a stranger, but decided they were pleasant enough.

"I'm not going far." Michael lied.

"You're not the first runaway I've come across you know." the driver replied, "They're usually a lot older, but there's a lot of bad people in this world, I don't need to be one of them." she started up the car, "Where are you headed to?"

"Las Vegas."

"Wow, you're far from there."

"Well, I wanted to stop by my aunt's at St. George first."

"Oh, I can take you there." the driver said, starting up the car and turning on her GPS. She turned the car around and began to drive to St. George. "So what's your story?"

"My father... he's a bad person." the driver side-eyed Michael.

"Abuser?"

"Worse."

"Sexual abuser?"

"Gross."

"That's worse, hun. You never said what kind of worse."

"Murderer."

"Yikes, who'd he kill?"

"Other kids."

"Was he-"

"Yes." there was silence in the car for a moment, the driver debated on turning around, forcing Michael to make him admit to the police that he knew something, but she didn't know if he did.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"No, no. Not really."

"Then how do you know?"

"Too many correlations for them not to be related." Michael replied, looking out the window, holding the door unlocked in case he had to jump. "Taking security tapes home and taping over them, going into rooms with kids and then coming out alone, things like that..." Michael added, looking over his shoulder to look at the driver, she jumped a little and looked back at the road in front of her.

"Do you think he'd try anything with you?"

"Yes." Michael answered laconically, a sour tone in his voice. He was terrified by the thought of his father coming after him, he didn't know what he'd do if he was found by his father, especially if he accused his father of murder and had to live with him again. The car was quiet for a few minutes as the driver didn't know what to say.

"Well, we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Maria Smith, I have two sons, Jet and Fritz."

"Michael," Michael paused, not sure if he should use his last name, "Michael Schmidt." he decided it best not to use his real name.

"Well, Michael, it's nice to meet you, despite the poor situation." Maria sighed, and continued driving, "Do you have any other family in St. George?"

"No, just my aunt."

"Right..." Maria was incredibly awkward with the boy in the car, but she had offered, so she was going to keep her word. "Do you have any, uh, other family?"

"My mom went to California about five years ago; but my little sister is back in New Harmony." Michael neglected to mention his older brother.

"Do you have any contact with your mother?"

"I used to, but not anymore." Michael smiled as he thought of his mother, but the smile quickly faded, "He made my mom leave. I don't know if I'll ever be able to find her again." Michael sighed with depression, "I wonder sometimes... why she didn't take me with her."

Maria looked at Michael sadly, she wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how.

• • • • •

Maria pulled over the car and turned off the radio, though the drive may had been awkward, she still wished Michael the best.

"Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, hun. I hope to see you again in better spirits." Maria waved him off, and Michael waved back and moved toward the building. Maria wasn't leaving yet, she wanted to make sure he got inside okay. Michael knocked on the door and it opened almost instantly, as if he was expected.

"Oh thank goodness. I'm surprised everyone else didn't come..." his aunt embraced him, "Your father called and said you were missing!"

"You're not going to tell him I'm here are you?" Michael asked.

"God no." His aunt answered, "My sister told me the things he's done to her, I don't owe him anything." she concluded, Maria honked the horn, waved one last time and took off. Michael nodded to Maria and waved her off as well.

• • • • •

Officer Burke sat in his office and reviewed the evidence, he still needed to interrogate William, but he was still unconscious in the hospital from being shot. He hated this. Every part of his being knew that William was a killer, but he had yet to prove it, and because of that, more people would die. Unless he got a confession, "I'm going to have to break him." Mr. Burke thought to himself, "If he doesn't confess, he'll get out of this scott-free, especially since the town is sympathizing with him." the officer looked at the picture of Scarlet's body, "He doesn't look like he's capable of this, but with the suit, it could make him stronger, but that's just a theory."

"Everything alright Clay?" another officer walked in, the detective Fitzgerald, "You look stressed."

"No more than usual for these past few weeks." Clay replied, "I'm just having a hard time thinking that we're going to get this guy."

"That's because we have little to no evidence linked to him."

"What about his tools?"

"It could've been used by any employee, not just him, especially since they were at the Fredbear's location where more than 100 kids per day came, not to mention all the adults."

"We have tapes of him going in there, and Scarlet following soon after."

"That could be used to peg him, but we don't know if anyone else came in after, and if he left beforehand. The tape gets cut before we see Scarlet going in." the detective replied, "It would just piss off the town."

"More than having a killer be entertaining their children?" Clay responded, the detective pulled out a cigarette and handed one to Clay, who refused as first, then decided to take it after all. "I'm not usually a smoker, but it seems like I'm going to start a new habit..."

"It happens in this profession." the detective replied, "So what are your plans for tonight?"

"Wife says it's okay if I stay late tonight, she's already got a babysitter for Carlton while she goes out to play cards, she knows this has been bugging me more than ever." Clay explained, then laughed a little, "She really wants me to solve it, especially after the promotion." Clay patted his chest as if the title "Chief" was on it, he smiled at the thought of becoming the chief and solving the murders all in one week, but decided it best not to think too hard on it. He had to just focus on the case.

"Too bad, I was thinking about heading to the only bar in town that doesn't serve water with their drinks. Wanted you to come with."

"That's Utah for you." Clay replied, picking up a piece of paper, reading the statement Vincent gave to the police after his interrogation. "Anyway, maybe I'll take a break away sometime tonight and join you, I'll see you." Clay lifted his hand as if to wave but just dropped it and that was it. The detective put out his own cigarette and left the room, leaving Clay to work on his own.

"Now where should I start?" Clay asked himself, looking at all the statements and evidence.

• • • • •

Clay entered the bar several hours later, looking defeated. It was clear he had stopped for cigarettes on the way to the bar, because he had a new carton in his breast pocket. He walked up to the bartender, right beside the detective.

"You have any fireball?" he asked, the bartender nodded and got it immediately. "Double it." The detective smirked as he took a hit.

"That good of a night, huh?" the detective asked, Clay glared at his partner.

"You know, you're supposed to be helping me on this?" Clay snapped at him bitterly, not truly mad at him but more upset with the fact that the only William was going to be pegged was with some shoddy footage from several years ago, it couldn't even be proved it was him in the suit, they just thought it was him.

"I think it's Henry, and he's trying to set up William. Why else would he not want to comply? Plus one of his own children were one of the victims, disdain for his own children, why wouldn't he take out someone else's?"

"I guess that proves true, but why would he open a children's pizzeria shop then?"

"Why would William co-own it?"

"William's been fired, apparently it's been a long time coming. At least that's what Henry told me."

"We're not going to know until we investigate William, he should be out of the hospital any day now. I got the call that he woke up." the detective said off-handedly, "We could go interview him tomorrow." Clay nodded in agreement, that that was the best idea.

"We should." Clay added after a moment, the bartender finally got the fireball ready and put it in front of the chief, who proceeded to gulp it down in two seconds like it was nothing. He shook his head as he cleared his throat. "It's time to get to the bottom of this." Clay concluded.

• • • • •

William laid in bed, wide awake. There was no one in his room, but there were nurses outside. He got up and tried the door, but it was locked: There was no escaping from this, not right now anyway.

"Trying to leave?" A voice sounded from behind him. William swore to himself, he thought he was alone. He turned around to see a little boy, with empty eyes. "If you don't want this life, I can take it away, after all. I gave Henry that mask."

"What mask? What are you talking about?"