„Fuck." Grumbled Barney when he realized that Ben ws still missing. Where the heck that little brat could be? He was always so quiet, like a mouse, and now he sleeked away just like a mouse.

And what if he… escaped somehow? This thought flinched his stomach although he knew that escape was not possible. But he checked the doors on the corridor, just in case, and he felt a rising anger. Such a little bastard, he wants to ruin all his fun.

The door was locked. He pushed the handle, checked the keys in his pocket. Everything was just as should be. So he went back to the room and called for Ben with an overdid honied voice:

„Where are you, little boy? Stop hiding from good ol' Barney!" His voice sounded playful and nice, although he didn't really felt so playful and nice at the moment. He was a bit tired, and being uncertain about the kid's whereabout made him nervous. He walked by the wardrobes next to the wall and he hit all of them with his fist.

„If I have to search for you, it would be worse for you! So be a good little boy and come forward!"

There was no answer, of course. Barney checked under the birthday table, although he didn't believe that Ben was hiding near to his friends' bloody corpse. But there were many other furniture and video console next to the wall, the little brat was probably there. Barney walked there, ripped open the wardrobes and he shook the ones that were locked. He also kicked into the consoles, so forcefully that they hit the wall and then tilted back to their place. If that bastard is hiding behind them, he will regret it, because these consoloes weighted like a hundred of kilogramms. Even if he ws not there, hearing those dumping noise they made by hitting the wall would cause him great fear. This thought cheered up Barney a little bit, helped him to forget about tiredness.

He made some pause while hitting and kicking the furniture, to be able to hear if his victim made some noise. And he had luck, he heard some very quiet noises under the furniture in the corner which were covered with a fabric. Barney jumped there, ripped off the cover and bent down.

There was the last child, cowering in the furthest corner of the desk he was hiding under, holding the crappy marionette in his arms which was supposed to be in the puppet show. Scott made Barney to lock this puppet away, and he slightly remembered that he hid it in an other room, but he didn't really care. In an other time, it would probably bother him how that thing got here but not now. He was focusing on Ben now. Barney crouched, make sure to cover the escape route with his body to prevent the little boy to break out.

„Come here, it's time to finish the party!" He said this with a smile which even he felt was not really convincing. „Come, and you will have your birthday gift."

He provided his hand which was still had blood dried on it. He was thinking about the way he will kill Ben. He wanted to choke him too like his sister, to compare the experience, but the musces in his arm started to ache by now.

„You killed them." Said Ben. His voice was calm, almost creepily calm. Tears were flowing on his face, his eyes were red, his face was pale, but there was no fear in his voice. It sounded more sad than scared. „You are the dark man I had nightmares about. You are evil, very evil."

„Come on!" Said Barney, still with that silky voice. „Let that crappy old puppet go and come here! You'll see that I'm not that bad."

Looked like Ben wasn't listening at all. He hugged the marionette and retracted in the darkest corner. Barney tried to catch him but he didn't reach him even with his arm fully stretched – and hearing that oddly calm voice, he didn't feel the mood to crawl after him.

„I know that you are evil." Ben continued. „She told me that."

„Who are you talking about?" Barney started to be very nervous. Did this kid talk to somebody? But who? There was nobody else beside them, wasn't it? He suddenly felt really silly, crouching back on the room.

„She wanted to save us. She tried. She told me to hide, and she show me where. She didn't want me to see the things you were doing… but I heard everything." His voice choked, but the next time he talked again, his voice was calm again. „She see your thoughts. She didn't want to, but she needed to look into them to save Jenny. She is very sad that she didn't succeed. She…"

„Who the fuck are you talking about?" Barney was yelling. Ben's words made him feel somethng that was incnveniently close to fear and he didn't like it. For god's sake, this kid is ust playing with him, he wants to make him angry, and hell knows that he succeeded!

The man squeezed his head and shoulder under the desk and grabbed Ben's arm. He tried to tousled him out, the marionette fell out from the boy's arms, but he didn't give up easily. Ben's tearful eyes were suddenly filled with hate, and he snapped to Barney's eyes. Barney snetched his head and hit it to the bottom of the desk, while the tiny nails were scratching his face. He involuntarily recoiled from the sudden pain and Ben snatched at the chance and broke out. Being smaller, more agile and desperate, he clearly sleeked next to Barney, making him lose his balance and upsetting him while he was moving back.

Ben was at the other side of the room while Barney was getting on his feet, but he didn't run to the corridor, he stopped next to the desk where Betty's body was lying. He looked at his sister with silent mourn, then looked at Finn and Joey who were lying on the floor.

He didn't run away even when Barney approached him with rage on his face. He just stood next to the desk, his eyes looked like they were filled with horrible wisdom.

„Oh you will regret this, I'm sure." Barney groaned like a beast. He felt really humiliated, it was ridiculos how Ben escaped him. And he was sure that boy is secretly laughing at him.

He found the hammer on the floor and, without loosing the sight of Ben, grabbed it. But maybe the blood made the grip slippery or the kid's staring eyes confused him, but the hammer slipped from his hand and fell. It sounded awkwardly loud as it hit the floor, because the kid made no noise, only the man's angry huffing were audible on the silence. Barney started to feel like an idiot and it didn't made him happier.

He didn't grabbed the hammer again, he decided that he will squeeze the breath out of this little fucker with his bare hands, no matter how hard his arms were aching. He need to prevent any awkward situations the little bastard is planning.

He leaned on the desk, pretending he was very exhausting, and snarled at Ben.