"…Are you sure you wanna do it this way? This could be really damaging in the long run, Dan…"

A sigh. "I'm sure, for now. It's not like everything's set in stone- you told them it was a trial, right?"

"Sure, but…they're our friends too. You're not gonna-"

"-Tell the truth? That was hard enough the first time. What else am I gonna do? Tell me what I should do."

"I can't make these decisions for you-"

"Well, I made mine. Please ask them again, Brian."

~

It was mid to late afternoon when Brian opened the studio door to welcome four guests into the building. The men walked inside and looked around with a newly found curiosity. They were all dressed in basic band shirts or plaid tees and jeans, and each one was carrying an instrument or bag of heavy equipment slung over their shoulders. They each greeted Brian casually and dropped the bags into the main recording room and looked back at him.

"Okay, so…is it here?" one of them awkwardly asked.

Brian walked up to them, hands in his pockets. "Yeah, uh, he's…he's in the back," Brian said, meeting the man's gaze. His became serious. "You remember what I told you? If it's too weird or uncomfortable, then we're done. No hard feelings, we won't approach it again."

"Right, okay," the man said awkwardly. He looked over at the other three and then back at Brian. "I guess we'll get set up for a bit."

The crew began to set up and tune or test their instruments. One of them took a seat at a drum set in the back while two others pulled out a guitar and bass guitar, plugging them into amps and tuning. The man who had spoken was working with electronics and carefully connecting a talk box and pedal with a bright white keytar he pulled from his case.

When the group was finished, they shot each other glances. The man with the keytar looked up at Brian nervously. "…I think we're good."

Brian nodded solemnly and walked to the corner of the room where there was an adjoining bathroom. "Remember what I said," he told them all almost sternly as he opened the door and went inside.

The room was quiet a moment. When Brian reentered the room, there was a tall, mop-headed someone behind him, clad in glittery blue spandex.

There was a collective intake of air by the four men. Danny Sexbang leaned against the wall a moment and folded his arms. He gave what he hoped was a confident, goofy yet enticing grin. "Hey! I've never seen you all before. Are you guys fans of Ninja Sex Party?" he asked them innocently, his sparkling eyes meeting each of theirs.

The man with the keytar stared in awe. Then he slowly walked towards the duo, the other three men behind him. The first man looked up at Brian in disbelief. "…This is the robot?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah, a Jackson & Smith model. They finished him a few months ago."

"For 2016? Jesus, the detailing is…" The man's comment faded as he looked over the android in wonder.

"You're tellin' me. It's absolutely incredible what they're able to do." Brian looked over at the android. "Danny, you should introduce yourself."

The android stood up and walked over to the group, still wearing a jovial smile. He stopped in front of the keyboardist and held out his hand. "Hi! I'm Danny Sexbang, and this is my friend, Ninja Brian. What's your name?"

The man swallowed before answering. "I'm _ _." He awkwardly shook the android's hand and was immediately surprised by how warm it was. ~His motion is so fluid…they even got his thumbs…~

Brian could tell that the man was a little uncomfortable. He looked back at the android. "Don't you recognize him, Danny? This is Dr. Sung and our friends from Tupperware Remix Party."

A perplexed look briefly crossed Danny's face before he laughed, looking back at Brian. "What are you talking about, Ninja Brian?"

Brian looked at Dr. Sung. "I thought this might happen- he doesn't see you guys without your costumes."

Now one of the guys in the back stepped forward, skeptically eyeing the robot's face. "There's no way this is American- it's gotta be one of those suave, Japanese robots."

"I'm tellin' you, it's from LA. Although they got some inspirations from Russia…"

"So he's a spy, eh?" Commander Meouch replied jokingly, still circling around the android warily as if he were an actual jungle cat. "…This is completely nuts. It looks exactly like him! Sounds like him too. How did they pull this off?"

"Very carefully," Brian replied vaguely. He folded his arms and watched the others closely, as if he were a parent looking after children (which wasn't too far off the mark with TWRP).

~

Dan thought he was putting on a pretty good act as the guys toyed with him and asked him simple questions about the bands and their music. He carefully kept his mouth shut unless prompted, his actions deliberate, even if a little too over the top. He shared an action filled story of how NSP saved the world from the Samurai Abstinence Patrol. When he was finished, he grinned, folded his arms and patiently awaited his audience's reaction. His eyes lightly scanned each of their faces.

Meouch let out a laugh that sliced through some of the tension in the room. He began to bombard Brian with questions about the robot's costs and programming. Dr. Sung and Havve Hogan remained quiet, the latter relaxed and inquisitive while Sung just stood and continued to stare in amazement at Dan.

But Lord Phobos also had his arms crossed and a stern look on his face that made Dan feel instantly guilty. The stare he was giving the android was so hard that for a second, Dan thought he'd accidentally slipped up. Then Phobos looked down and gave a dark chuckle. "You should get a refund- this thing's broken," he said, one of his hands gesturing at the robot.

"Oh?" Brian faced him and lowered his arms with a frown. "How so?"

Dan set his jaw in a firm line and held his breath.

"Just look at him- he's all wrong," Phobos said, walking around them all.

"I think he looks pretty badass," Meouch said in light rebuttal, invading Dan's personal space to stare up at him. "They even got his eyebrow scar."

"Did they get his road rash too?" Lord Phobos spat, turning away.

Dan looked blankly ahead, his heart dropping into his stomach. He held back a drop of moisture threatening to spill from his eye.

Phobos turned back to them. "They fucked up his dialogue- Danny doesn't talk or act like that at all. It's cheesy and stupid." Before anyone else could offer an opinion, Phobos walked into the mixing room, shutting the door behind him. From behind the glass, the crew watched him stand there, arms folded as he stared at his sneakers.

Brian shot Dan a quick warning glance "I'll be right back guys," he said, following Lord Phobos.

When Dan let out his breath, the others looked over at him. He blinked and forced an awkward smile, unsure of what else to say.

~

Brian sat next to Lord Phobos and silently set up his laptop while his friend stared at the mixing board. Phobos leaned back in the chair and sighed. "…Sorry."

"Brian raised an eyebrow. "For?"

"I…we already scheduled this and everything, and…" Phobos sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Brian waited patiently as he collected his jumbled thoughts. Phobos rested his elbows on the mixing board, staring deeply at it. He lowered his voice. "We…we were working really hard to crank out Ladyworld…and then this happened. I saw him once, and it was just one shit excuse after another…one month after another…"

Brian nodded in understanding. While Phobos had his head down, he stared out of the glass a moment, watching as Dan appeared to be telling the other three another silly NSP story. "I don't blame you. I left the country right after. Went to London and Paris with Rachel and Audrey." Phobos looked up and Brian, and he continued. "We can all pack up and go home, and leave this somewhere behind us."

Phobos played with his hands. He reviewed what Brian had told him over the phone in a previous call. "His arms and legs move sometimes? And, like…he's got the stem cells, so…" Phobos let the one unanswered question hang in the air between them.

Brian patted his shoulder. "They gave us a trial period as a courtesy. Nothing is set in stone, and I'm not gonna make you do this."

"But it's what he wants," Phobos said matter-of-factly, folding his arms and staring again at the android.

"Dan wants all of you to keep following your dreams."

"Yeah, well, they're not as awesome without him," Phobos said, looking down, keeping his emotions at bay.

"He knows that. That's why he signed for this," Brian said, gesturing a hand lightly in the direction of the android. "And he knows it's not the same, he just wants you guys to have fun. But if it's not fun, then that's nobody's fault. He'll understand if you don't like the robot. I just thought that if we do this, then when he wakes up, we'll already at least have some parts recorded to get things moving again. I obviously can't speak for him, but his vocal chords will probably need months of work, at the very least…I don't think he'd mind if we planned ahead a little bit. Keeping the robot was the absolute, worst case scenario."

"When he wakes up…" Phobos murmured to himself, weighing options in his head. He looked back at Brian. "And JSA is okay with us using the android's vocals on some of the tracks?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Brain said dismissively. "I'll be going over the contracts again with them again, probably during the week."

"Does he even sound good?" Phobos asked, giving the android a dubious look. "That script delivery was terrible."

"You didn't get my email?"

"Email?" Phobos gave Brian a questioning look. Brian booted his laptop and got out his headphones, plugging them in. He brought up the recording of "Limelight" he'd made with Dan, carefully skipping past the first part and handing Phobos the earbuds. "Listen to this and tell me what you think."

Lord Phobos took a few minutes to listen to the song, several mixed expressions crossing his face as he did so. When the song ended, he handed the earbuds back to Brian. "Is that the only one?"

"Yeah, just one take."

"It sounds a little sad almost, in the tone," Phobos softly commented, looking at the laptop screen. After a moment of contemplation, he added, "But it sounds like him." Brian waiting for him to say more. Phobos glanced out past the glass at the android again. He watched as its face lit up in a grin before he blew out a long sigh and stood up. "Alright, alright. We've killed enough time in here- what're we starting with?"

~

When TWRP was all dressed up in costume and ready to go, they were each surprised when the android recognized each of them, giving them all cheery greetings. He danced over to the music stand and grinned at Brian. "Are we ready to rock?!"

"In just a moment Danny. Hold tight," Brian ordered the robot, turning to Lord Phobos and Dr. Sung with the track list.

Before they began some of the covers, the band started with "The Hit" to observe the android's performance skills. Dan stayed in his ridiculous character, bouncing around on an invisible stage, swaying his hips and body suggestively. He even pointed and winked at an imaginary woman in the crowd during one of the choruses. At the end of the song, he gave a cheer and bowed before turning and grinning at the others. "Alright, what's next?!"

TWRP looked at Danny again like they were seeing him the first time again. Dr. Sung let out a whistle. "Wow…that was…"

"Really good," Havve Hogan said, causing the android to raise a confused eyebrow.

Brian quietly murmured to Dan to 'tone down the theatrics' and pulled a couple of song selections for Under the Covers 2.

~

A little over an hour later, the crew finished recording and began to pack up. As they changed out of their masks, the android silently paced around the room, now in more of a 'Model One' mode.

At least he thought he was, until he saw his friend's faces again.

Havve Hogan and Lord Phobos held themselves together pretty well. But it didn't escape Dan's notice when Dr. Sung and even Commander Meouch wiped their eyes, sniffing a few times.

That was all it took for Dan to fully regret his decision.

Brian came out of the mixing room and stood in the doorway. "Good jams today, guys."

"Same time tomorrow?" Lord Phobos asked.

"No," Dan swiftly replied without thinking.

Everyone paused, all eyes on him. Brian stepped forward. "No, Model One?"

~Fuck- fuckfuck.~ Dan backpedaled, putting on a deadpan look. "I don't know."

"You don't know what?"

"I…I don't understand that response," Dan said carefully.

Brian chuckled, giving Phobos a doubtful look. "The costume change might've confused it," he explained. "Or maybe you were right. Anyway, we'll play things by ear…"

Brian turned back to Dan and ordered him to shut down. Dan went into the mixing room and sank into a chair, closing his eyes. His previous feelings of satisfaction were replaced with tired defeat.

When Dan and Brian returned to the studio the following morning, they recorded alone.

~

Life went on.

Dan continued to record with both Brian and Arin, spending his mornings on Grumps and evenings on music. He shared the experience with Arin while they took a drink break after a moderate recording session.

"That sucks," Arin said sympathetically, leaning back on the couch. "But they're still recording with you, right? Just on off days?" He took a sip of his Monster. "So it's not a total loss, at least."

"Yeah.." Dan said softly, staring past the TV screen, tapping on his bottle of Perrier. Before he could reply, his phone began to buzz on the side table. He picked it up and raised an eyebrow, not immediately recognizing the number. He answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Dan, it's Holly! Sorry to bug you while you're working- are you busy right now?"

"Holly, hi," Dan said, eyeing Arin, who gave him a quizzical shrug. Dan noted a slight slur in her voice. "Uh, Arin and I are on a quick break, is everything okay?" He assumed Ross had left something at the office.

"Yeah, everything's good, I just had a couple questions for you, actually."

"Okay, shoot."

"Um…" Holly paused a moment before she continued. "Do you know what Samhain is?"

~

Dan was amazed by some of the lengths his friends would go to try and help him.

Holly briefly explained to him the details of Samhain. In brief, it was an ancient holiday that celebrated the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. Around the end of October and the beginning of November, there was believed to be a time where nature spirits from the "other world" could connect better to the physical plane. It was also believed that deceased ancestors could revisit their Earthly homes.

Dan figured out where Holly was going with this, his hand ghosting over his neck where her pentagram rested. "You think I might be able to connect to my body better around Halloween," he concluded, glancing at Arin.

Holly was surprised. "Uh, yeah, actually. Anyway, it could all be nonsense but I just thought I should tell you…you know, just in case…"

After speaking to her for a few more minutes (she seemed incredibly embarrassed now,) Dan thanked her for her concern and hung up. Before Arin could question the strange proposal, Dan said, "Holly said there's a Halloween party at Mark's on Saturday and wondered if you and Suz were gonna go."

Arin quickly grabbed his phone and pulled up his calendar. "Oh shit, that is this weekend. I better tell Suzy…yeah, we're going."

There was a somewhat awkward silence a moment while Arin texted his wife and Dan sipped his drink. When he was done, Arin looked up.

"Do you, uh…do you wanna go too?"

~

~Oct 29th~

It wasn't the riskiest thing he had done so far, but Dan thought it was definitely up there as he leaned against the wall next to the punch bowl and surveyed the quickly growing crowd.

A couple of days before the party, Arin had found Dan a pretty badass looking Headless Horseman costume at a local shop. And while it looked awesome, Dan had a few issues with it.

He was wearing a full suit ensemble, complete with cloak, boots, and even a pumpkin head mask that he was currently carrying under his arm. To cover his face, he was wearing a thick, black mesh hood (and his beanie beneath it to hide his hair) that from a distance could feed the illusion that he was indeed headless. However, it didn't help him as much as he tried not to overheat from wearing so many itchy layers. He was taking small sips of water between the mesh as he glanced around.

Arin was being a good sport, taking time every half an hour or so to check up on Dan. He introduced him again as "Stephen" to Mark and Amy (albeit a lot less scared and vulnerable version now). Dan lowly whispered quick replies to complex questions, explaining to them that he had a cold, hoping that people couldn't see right through his charade.

As Mark scolded Arin for never introducing his "friend," Dan took some time to appreciate everyone else's costumes. Arin and Suzy were dressed as Gomez and Morticia Addams again. Holly was reusing her Strix costume; Ross and Barry were Vegeta and Goku, wearing ridiculously tall wigs. Mark and Amy were dressed as a 20's mobster and a flapper girl. Dan didn't know where the other Grumps were; there were over 40 people at the party, including various Youtubers, Twitch streamers and a bunch of people Dan didn't know or recognize.

When the discussion had taken on a somber tone and Dan heard his name come up, he politely excused himself and drifted between the dancers and the beer-pongers to become the wallflower next to the punch bowl.

It wasn't his usual gig but Dan didn't think it safe to be the center of attention right now. Plus, he was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic as he pressed his back against the wall.

He didn't realize he'd caught someone else's notice until a 20-something year old 'nurse' walked over to him, a drink in her hand and a grin on her face. "Hey there! You enjoying the party?" She leaned against the wall next to him.

Dan shrugged, leaning down to quietly answer, "Yeah, it's alright. Mark and Amy are nice people."

"Yeah, they are." The girl took a sip of her green punch. "Halloween's one of my favorite holidays. You get to be someone else for a night, and just hang out with friends and drink and dance." Dan politely nodded, unsure of how to reply. The girl glanced over at Arin and Suzy. "I saw your friend checking on ya- did he tell you to go for the whole tall, dark, and mysterious look?" she asked, edging closer to Dan.

The question threw him off guard. "What?"

She chuckled. "You know, girls like it when guys are brave enough to approach them. But I don't mind." She turned towards him, smiling. "I'm Jessica."

A part of Dan knew this was a bad sign from the start. A louder part was blooming as a warmth below his gut. He allowed his hidden gaze to drift across her red lips, soft face, curves held in place in her tight, thin, plastic mini dress. He stuttered like a schoolboy, "I'm D-Stephen. I'm Stephen."

"Cool." The girl glanced across the room- Dan followed her gaze to a staircase by the front doors that led downstairs. "I heard there might be something spooky in the basement. Wanna go find out?" Her eyes and tone became a touch sultry as they curiously scanned Dan's dark mask.

Alarms were going off in Dan's head. ~No- nonononono. No.~ He knew better than to fall for this.

But tonight, Dan wasn't Dan- he was Stephen. And as far as he was currently concerned, Stephen was an idiot. One that had a thing for blondes.

Maybe doctors too.

Stephen took a quick glance to make sure Arin and Suzy were busy dancing before he swiftly followed behind his new friend, descending down the staircase.

~

Arin couldn't find Dan anywhere. He was beginning to panic as he circled through every room with Suzy, asking around if anyone had seen the Headless Horseman. After ten minutes or so, someone pointed him in the direction of the staircase. Suzy waited at the top of the stairs as Arin moved downwards into the darkness.

It was a gaming den with an entertainment system, coffee table and a few bulky, leather couches. There were a few doors on the right that Arin assumed were extra bedrooms or storage. It was chilly and hard to see, the only light coming from little orange and violet bulbs lining the ceiling.

But Arin didn't need to see- he could hear highly suggestive, wet sounds coming from the couch in front of him. When he stepped forward, squinting hard, he saw the silhouette of a familiar mop of curls whose body was moving against a woman he couldn't see, save for her white PVC dress, bright underneath the black lights.

"Steve's" mesh hood, beanie and pumpkin head lay forgotten on the floor. Agitated, Arin leaned down to pick up the hood. Unfortunately, his knee collided with the end of the adjacent couch. "OW, FUCK!"

The girl made a muffled, startled sound and the movement stopped. Arin knew he'd scared Dan too because in that moment, the regular lights in the room flickered erratically and the TV switched on, spewing loud static.

The girl cried out in fear and before Dan could stop her, she's pushed him away and ran across the room to head back upstairs. That left Dan on the couch, blinking through the darkness until he recognized his friend. "Oh, hey Arin…"

After rubbing his knee a minute, Arin stumbled and grabbed the TV remote from the armrest, quickly switching it off. Then he threw it aside and stomped over to Dan, grabbing his shoulders. He became even more upset when he saw the lipstick smeared all over Dan's face. "'Oh, hey'? Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"

Dan was gonna throw back a smartass joke about his head missing when they both heard voices from the top of the stairs, quickly descending. Arin grabbed Dan's arm and pulled him up. "Just come on!"

They needed a hiding spot and fast. Arin dragged Dan over to one of the doors off to the side that he suspected was a closet, opening it and shoving him inside before following behind and shutting the door. The room was indeed a large walk-in closet that was stuffed with old clothes, boxes, and random electrical equipment.

Arin let go of Dan and threw the mesh hood & beanie at him, quietly steaming. "I really didn't think I was gonna have to parent you today!" he loudly whispered, folding his arms.

Dan wrinkled his nose at the hood. "Do I really have to put on both? This thing is hard to breathe in…" When he glanced up and saw the look on Arin's face, he wished he hadn't said anything.

Arin sighed and closed his eyes. "Yes you do! Listen, I know there are a lot of people here that don't know you, but at least a handful do! And if that girl talks to one of them and tells them that she was making out with some tall, curly-haired guy with weird thumbs," Arin made weird gestures in the air with his hands, his eyes wide, "what the fuck am I supposed to do if they're smart enough to figure out that some weird shit is going on?! What then?!"

Dan nodded, feeling guilty. Arin was right, there was no excuse for his behavior. He quietly slipped the beanie back on. "…Sorry. I guess I got carried away," he said lamely.

Arin looked at his friend, dropping his arms as he calmed down. "I get it, cute girls everywhere, Halloween, you wanna have fun. But keep the hood on, and your pants, please. If you need action that bad, I'd give you a sweet handy anytime," he added with a small smile.

Dan giggled softly, feeling immediately better knowing all was forgiven. He slipped the hood back on. "I know you would, Ar. Sorry again."

"It's fine. You might wanna find a bathroom though- there's red all over your face."

~

"What are they doing in there?"

Felix didn't have his ear up to the door but he was close to it as he fiddled with a party popper in his hand. "They're whispering. Sounds like a lover's quarrel!" Marzia giggled quietly beside him.

"You guys are so mean," Signe said from the couch. Sean laughed next to her as he fiddled with the TV remote to see if he could find a good horror movie.

Suzy approached them from across the room, her hands on her hips. "What's going on down here? Has anyone seen my husband?"

Just then, Arin and "Stephen" fumbled out of the closet. They were surprised when they were suddenly covered in confetti and Pewds shouted in his silly voice, "Well well well! Look who's coming out of the closet!"

Arin rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly, feeling warmth in his cheeks. "Uh oh, you caught us," he said, playing along as he gave Suzy a sheepish look. Beside him, Stephen was fighting hard not to laugh.

"So? How was the sex?"

Arin shrugged. "Meh, kinda gross actually. Sticky, humid."

Everyone giggled, Sean looking back over at Stephen. "Ouch, you gonna take that, man?"

Stephen bent over, shaking in silent laughter. Above them all, the lights flickered gently again until they went out.

~

~Oct 30th~

Dan didn't know what his plan would be for returning to the hospital. He did know that he was gonna go to the movies with his friends early this afternoon.

The original plan was to see the new "It" after the party yesterday but when the festivities were over, everyone was far too tired. They all rescheduled for Sunday with a hope that the crowds would be much thinner at the theater.

Dan liked the new plan because to his surprise, Dr. Jackson shot him a text that morning, asking him what he was up to.

Dan felt a little guilty about the previous night's activities but he really had no reason. After all, he wasn't dating his doctor. But nowadays, whenever she told him about how proud she was of him as he told her about his recent recording sessions, his stomach would do a little involuntary flip, every time.

When she spoke to him about her usual work week, mumbling about computer programs and what cup of coffee she was on, Dan could only wonder what else was going on inside her busy head.

It's true that the holidays affect all single people a little differently. Some people become cynical and hole themselves up in their houses, watching Netflix alone all day. Others see the holidays as an opportunity to present themselves to the world as confident and attractive, ready to conquer a date and perhaps find a potential mate too, or at least have a good time.

Sometimes it simply meant rubbing someone's back during the scary parts of a horror movie and holding their hand as you walked close together down the street.

That evening, the Grump crew (minus Brian and Brent) strolled in a large group down the center of the boulevard, laughing and animatedly discussing the movie as they searched for a place nearby to have dinner. A few cars got frustrated and honked at them, which split up the group but didn't interrupt the conversation.

"That was so good!"

"Pennywise was so creepy!"

"I liked the part when…"

"Finn was hilarious!"

"Our little Finn is growin' up!"

Dan and Dr. Jackson were a bit more quiet and relaxed than the others as they listened to them all chattering loudly behind them. They smiled at each other. Dan could tell she still had some leftover jitters; he squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Sorry if that was too much."

"Nonono, it was good! Really well done." Katie looked up at him, her eyes sinking into warmth as she studied his features. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For inviting me. You didn't have to."

Dan shrugged. "I figured you could use a break from work." He thought for a moment, looking down at his sneakers. He decided to be bold. "You know, we could…do this again sometime, if you wanted. "

Katie's eyes widened. Before she answered, Arin and Suzy caught up to them. "Hey! What'd you guys think of the movie?"

Katie and Dan briefly shared their favorite parts of the movie. Then Katie was asking Dan about his career and suddenly he and Arin were talking about Game Grumps, how they recorded, what they played, and some of their favorite moments on the show.

The four were so caught up in discussion that the bright lights in their periphery didn't faze them.

As they laughed together, they didn't immediately realize the changing tone of the conversation behind them.

"What is he-"

"Is he gonna slow down?!"

"He's not…!"

"Guys, GUYS! BUS!" There was a shrill shriek, the sound of running. Pure panic was in Ross' voice when he shouted "ARIN, GUYS, MOVE! NOW!"

The four looked back and time seemed to slow to a crawl as they stared into the tall headlights of the six-o-clock bus, going well over the speed limit.

Suzy had the quickest reflexes; she had heard Holly shriek and already ran off to the sidewalk, yanking Arin so hard that he fell atop her.

He didn't see what happened. But Arin heard an incredibly loud boom explode close behind them, followed by screeching tires, metal scraping harshly across the pavement.

Things slowed down even further for Arin, becoming white noise as his ears buzzed.

He didn't even realize that he was standing up again until Suzy was squeezing him tight and screaming.

He didn't realize that Katie was running to them from around the bus until he saw the tears streaking down her crimson face, a mountain of chaotic words spilling frantically from her mouth.

He didn't know why everyone was still shouting until his eyes caught a glimpse of the smeared blood on the ground.

Stains that led to a beanie of curly brown hair.

Dark, wet.

As Suzy shook him and a siren sounded in the distance, the last clear thought Arin had was how interesting the light of the street lamps looked bouncing off the pieces of wiring and scattered metal on the ground.

Flickering lights.

~Like fireflies~

Then numbness.