If Dad hadn't banged his fists like a madman on the cell bars, I would've stayed asleep for another few hours. I woke up quickly, my back aching from the uncomfortable bed I slept in.

"Wake up, Victoria," He shouted at me. I rubbed my eyes, sitting up in place. The misty morning light shone through the windows as the ceiling fan creaked slowly.

"It's gonna be about fifty to get her out right now. You'll have to take up the car with Jed," I listened to Sheriff Lund explain. She sounded tired. Dad cursed, pulling out several crumpled bills from his cargo pant pocket.

"She's just a reckless teen, she'll grow out of it," Sheriff Lund comforted.

"Knowing Vic, she'll end up in prison before she grows out of it," Dad barked back.

"Now don't encourage her. Vic has a future ahead of her,"

"A future, huh? About as much future as anyone else in her family has had,"

Sheriff Lund was quiet, before standing up to get me out of my holding cell. I stood up, stretching.

"I'll see you before you know it," I smiled.

"Let's not word it like that. Go turn in your application," Sheriff Lund replied, handing me my Walmart application. I had nearly forgotten about that. She unlocked the door, letting me out. Dad glared at me.

"Let's go Vic," He growled, walking towards the door. He let me out first, kicking my heels on the way out. Slamming the door behind him, I knew I was in for an uncomfortable walk to Jed's Impound.

"You just had to do it, didn't you," Dad said, after a few moments of silence. We both knew the exact route to get to Jed's Impound, as both of us have walked it several times together. "You know it's Luke's birthday, and you've blown half his birthday money. That was my paycheck for the next few weeks. What do you have to say for yourself,"

"I'm-"

"Do you ever think about anyone but yourself?"

"I-"

"Depending on how much we can get the Mustang off of Jed for will depend on how long you're gonna be grounded,"

"What abou-"

"What do you want?" He screamed at me, turning around. I took a step back.

"I'm sorry, okay, I already have Luke's present so it's gonna be fine," I finally spoke. That was a lie, I had temporarily forgotten about Luke.

"With the gas we have left, Hayesville is our only option for the party. I'm gonna talk to Tex and-"

"Why?"

"Vic just shut up, okay?" Dad barked back.

"The only place we can hold the party at this point is Willy's-"

"There's got to be somewhere else," I interrupted again. Dad tripped over his words, turning around to raise a threatening hand at me. I back off. "Maybe you should've thought twice before spending all our money, you son of a-"

"Well if it isn't Hank Halifax!" Jed shouted over to us. Just in time. I sulked behind Dad as he turned to walk towards Jed.

"Hey Jed," He spoke.

"How long has it been now, at least a month?" Jed laughed. Dad didn't laugh back. "Well I guess y'all are here for the Mustang?"

"Yep," Dad sighed, accepting a large folder of paperwork from Jed. I watched, waiting for him to speak to me again.

"Here's the keys, Vic, wanna come help me find it while your Dad signs some papers?" Jed asked. I pursed my lips, nodding slowly. I walked around Dad, following Jed into the impound. Jed waited till he was far enough away from Dad to start talking again.

"Got yourself in trouble again, aye Vic?" He asked. I nodded. "Ah, don't worry about it. I'll cut you guys a deal today. When I was younger I was a bit of a trouble maker too. It's not unlike teens now 'n days, you know?" Jed continued. I sighed, partially listening to him rant about his past. I looked around for the Mustang amongst other cars that looked like they hadn't moved in at least ten years. "Isn't that a funny coincidence?" Jed concluded. I looked at him, nodded, and smiled. I had no idea what I was agreeing to. Still thinking about the conversation Dad and I had earlier, I accepted the keys back from Jed. He was still talking, but I had turned my focus to the impending arrival of Luke's birthday party. I didn't want to go back. Despite my beliefs that the animatronics are not possessed, eleven years hasn't been long enough to heal. Physically, only a scar remains. Mentally, I'm still terrified of Jeremy and what he did.

"Here Jed, save these for the next time we find ourselves in this situation," Dad growled, handing Jed back his paperwork. I unlocked the Mustang, and was about to get into the front seat, when Dad barked at me to get out. I guess he wanted to drive home instead.

After a few 'goodbyes' from Jed, we were back on the road. Dad didn't speak to me the entire ten minute drive back to our house, nor did he bother to turn the radio back on. The only thing I could hear was Dad's heavy breathing. I watched his tight grip move around the steering wheel, leaving indents in the leather. He was really mad this time around.

Pulling in front of the trailer, Dad was the first one to exit the vehicle. He didn't bother to wait for me. I leisurely got out of the car, shutting the door. It locked, signaling it was safe to leave it alone. Entering the house, I saw Dad sitting in his recliner. I couldn't quite read the angry expression on his face.

"Sit," He spoke, pointing to the couch. Not replying, I did as I was told. As soon as I was comfortable, he leaned towards me.

"Alright Vic. Today you wasted about seventy dollars and a third of a tank of gas. What do you have to say for yourself," Dad spoke, his eyes locked on me.

"I'm sorry, sir," I replied, trying to sound genuinely apologetic. I wasn't.

"It's the same deal each time. At least Lund and Jed feel bad enough to cut back their prices a little, but this can't keep happening,"

"It won't happen again," I knew that was a lie too.

"It better not. I woke up in a good mood today and I'm not about to let you ruin it. So, I'm going to offer you a deal,"

"Okay,"

"You can either spend a week grounded, which means no phone, no friends, no leaving. Or, you can go to Willy's Wonderland with Luke tomorrow,"

"Oh,"

I was somehow expecting that offer, but I didn't expect it to be presented like that.

"And you're not the least bit worried?" I replied. Luke had never been to Willy's Wonderland, because he was born after Liv's eighth birthday.

"I don't believe those rumors, and you know that," Dad responded. Of course I knew that, he was the one that influenced my beliefs. "They're dead, and Tex has taken good care of the place since. I doubt Luke's heard a single word about any of that, and I doubt his friends are wise enough to know either,"

"What about Luke's friends' parents?" I genuinely doubted any of their parents would let their children go to Luke's party now.

"Call and ask,"

"So, can I just drop him off or something?"

"No, you have to monitor him. I don't want his photo ending up on Lund's wall," Dad replied. He was referring to the missing persons board next to her desk.

"What about my photo," I asked, sneering.

"Is it a deal or not," Dad barked. I considered my options and alternatives. If there was one thing I hated worse than Willy's Wonderland, it was being grounded.

"You've got yourself a deal," I replied, relieved this conversation was about to end. My anticipated fear had not completely set it, and I wanted to keep it like that.

"Good. I've got a list of Luke's friend's parent's phone numbers you need to call and figure out if they want their kid at that hell hole too. Then you'll need to find Macadoo and talk to him about the whole setup. I've left some money on the counter 'cause he probably won't let you in without a down payment. We've got a bin of stuff in the storage room you can use," Dad explained. I nodded in agreement. "Very well,"

Dad's willingness to let me off easily was surprising. I had expected a harsh beating, but if he forgot, that was fine with me. He grunted, rising from his chair. I watched as he walked over to his room for his afternoon nap. "Don't wake me until five," He shouted, slamming his door. I nodded again. The trailer grew quiet. I didn't hear Luke, which meant he was probably hanging out with his friends. There were several places I could look for a gift for him, one of which was Aaron. I had only just pulled out my phone to text him, when he called me. Picking up the phone, I was greeted with loud music in the background.

"Vic?" He shouted over the music.

"Yep," I replied, moving my legs onto the couch.

"What are you doing?" Aaron asked.

"Nothing, where on earth are you?" I asked back.

"At Chris's. Wanna come over?"

No, I definitely did not.

"Sure. I'll be there in five," I hung up the phone. Sighing, I got up from the couch to go change clothes. After popping a stick of gum in my mouth to offset the minty taste of toothpaste, I left the house, making sure to shut the screen door quietly. I knew where Chris lived, as him and I were often partners for high school science fair projects. I rarely let anyone over to my house, as Dad didn't like the people I associated with. I couldn't blame him, I didn't like them either. Cutting through the grass behind my cul de sac was often the quickest way, so that's the route I would take. The path had been traveled so many times, and had been worn down from all the foot traffic. Chris's trailer home was much larger than my own, even though he was an only child. He still lived with his parents, both of whom were always out of town for business. Climbing the series of steps to his front door, I rapped on it loudly. I could hear the beat of their music from inside. It took several minutes, and lots more knocking, before Aaron opened the door. I could hear him talking from behind the door, but couldn't make out what he was saying. As he opened the door, I stood there awkwardly.

"Vic!" He smiled, ruffling my hair. I stepped up into the trailer, smoothing back down my hair. Liv, Chris, Kathy, and Dan sat in a circle, empty soda cans and potato chip bags surrounding them.

"Oh, hey Vic," Kathy smiled, looking at me.

"Hi Kathy," I breathed back, not wanting to be here any longer than I had to. "I only came over here to ask for a favor,"

"You finally getting in on it with us? You know we make a great team when we work together," Liv asked. I sneered at her, popping a gum bubble in my mouth.

"Do any of you have anything I can give to Luke?"

"I've got a pair of Jordans," Dan spoke up.

"I've got an XBox 2 with a box," Aaron added.

"How much is the XBox?" I asked him.

"I can make some arrangements," He smiled. I rolled my eyes. "I'll give you the XBox for fifteen if you don't get a single speeding ticket for the rest of the month,"

"What?" I replied, laughing. "Why do you care?"

"Word travels fast, Vic, Lund has your mugshot on Facebook," Aaron shrugged.

"You're the only one who gets up there within a day. She usually waits a few days for anyone else," Liv added.

"I don't want you getting sent to jail. Hayesville wouldn't be the same without you, 'ya know," Aaron answered. Everyone snickered.

"Fine, lemme see what I have" I mumbled, digging into my pocket. I gave Aaron a crumpled twenty dollar bill I had probably stolen from Dad. "Keep the change,"

"I'll go grab your XBox," Aaron smiled, leaving the trailer. Without Aaron, my interactions with everyone else became a lot more awkward.

"Luke's birthday is coming up soon?" Kathy asked. I nodded.

"Tomorrow,"

"You taking him anywhere fun?" Dan asked after.

"Unless I get back the impound money from Jed, my Dad insists on Willy's," I replied. There was a pause.

"And you didn't invite us?" Dan laughed.

"Definitely not. The last thing I need is to get roped in with y'all for attempted arson. My Dad would literally kill me," I explained.

"Oh, we know," Chris mumbled.

"And you're okay with going?" Kathy asked.

"It's that or being grounded for a week," I replied, shrugging.

"Just sneak out," Chris irked.

"My Dad-"

"Would literally kill you, we know," Liv mocked. None of them knew him like I did, which was probably for the better.

"Let her have her opinion, she's not hurting anyone. And don't make fun of her Dad, he's a beast," Kathy said. She wasn't making anything better.

"So, how about this. You go tomorrow, and if your theory checks out, we won't go through with our plan," Liv said, ignoring Kathy like I did.

"You can't just try to burn buildings like that. Possessed robots or not. Besides, didn't you mention there was someone doing nights?" I replied.

"There was, it's almost noon. We should go check it out," Liv smiled. "If he's dead, we'll know exactly what happened. And if you end up dead tomorrow, we'll know what happened."

"How am I supposed to prove those things aren't possessed?" I scoffed.

"Ask Willy?" Chris butted in. Liv snickered.

"Okay, maybe I will," I sneered, right as Aaron opened the door.

"You should come with us when Aaron gets back," Ben offered.

"I'm good, you guys have fun," I replied. As much as I wanted to see the latest night janitor exit the green metal door triumphantly, I had my anxious doubts I'd be wrong.

"Here you go, Vic. Did I miss anything?" He panted, handing me a heavy ripped box.

"Thanks," I smiled, "I think I've overstayed, see y'all tomorrow,"

"We can only hope," Liv shouted after me. She, Chris, and Dan erupted into laughter. Not bothering to catch the door on the way down the stairs, I made my way back through the grass towards my trailer. I wasn't the least bit bothered by Chis and Liv's jeers. I was; however, bothered by their idiotic plan to try and burn down Willy's Wonderland. For so long, they had tried to rope me into their plan. Due to my personal opinions though, I would continuously argue against them. Tomorrow would be a great chance to prove them wrong. Hopefully there would be a way to do it.

"Hello? Is this the Parkman residence?" I asked over the phone, trying to swallow my gum. I could hear Dad snoring from his room, meaning my talking would no longer wake him.

"This is Lisa Parkman, who is this?" The woman on the phone responded.

"Ah, yes, this is Vic. Luke's older sister," I replied. Hopefully Mrs. Parkman hadn't checked her Facebook today.

"Vic...that name sounds familiar. I didn't know Luke had an older sister," She replied.

"Yeah, he doesn't talk about me I guess,"

There was a slight pause.

"Oh. You're Victoria Halifax," Mrs. Parkman said, her tone changing instantly, "I know your name from the Sheriff's department,"

"Yeah, well I just wanted to ask a quick question on Luke's behalf,"

"Oh. What do you need," She asked, sounding quite irritated.

"Luke's birthday is tomorrow, and he wanted Devin to join his party," I explained.

"Place and time?"

"At Willy's Wonderland-hello? Ma'am, are you still there?"

She hung up on me. Taking her answer as a no, I crossed Devin Parkman's name from the list, and moved on to the next number. Punching the number into my phone, I waited for a response.

"This is Matt Beyers, how can I help you," A man said over the phone.

"Hi Mr. Beyers, this is Luke's older sister. We're celebrating his birthday at Willy's Wonderland tomorrow and wanted-"

"Is this a prank call?" Mr. Beyers asked.

"No sir, I-"

"My son is not to go anywhere near there, and you should know better than to be letting Luke near there, Ms. Halifax,"

Before I had a chance to respond, he hung up the phone. I grunted, crossing Josh Beyers's name off the list. There were only a few people left to call. Placing my phone to my ear, I readied myself for the next person on the list.

"Hello?" I asked as soon as they picked up. A moment of silence passed.

"Hello Victoria, how can I help you," The voice spoke.

"Hi Ms. Waters. Luke's birthday party is tomorrow, and he wanted to invite Lucy,"

I used to babysit Lucy when she was much younger. Ever since I got my license, however, they've been avoiding contact with me.

"Lucy is busy tomorrow, sorry," Ms. Waters responded.

"That's okay,"

Ms. Waters hung up the phone before I had a chance to say anything else. Crossing Lucy Waters's name off the list, I moved to Luke's best friend, Rick Mayfield. They had been the bestest of friends for as long as I can remember. When Dad wasn't there for Luke after the divorce, Rich and his family were.

"Hank?" A man asked over the phone, sounding slightly worried.

"This is Vic, Mr. Mayfield," I responded.

"Oh, Vic. Nice to speak with you again. How can I help you?" Mr. Mayfield asked.

"Luke is celebrating his-"

"Yes, yes, he's over here talking about it right now. He says it's a surprise party," Mr. Mayfield interrupted. Since he mentioned it, I could faintly hear Luke's yelling in the background.

"Yeah, we're planning on holding it tomorrow-"

"Where will it be? And what time?" He interrupted again. His habit of interrupting was no different in person.

"Well we're planning on holding it at Willy's Wonderland," I started. I waited awkwardly for an anticipated interruption, but Mr. Mayfield was quiet. I could still hear Luke and Rick over the phone. "Don't tell Luke, it'd ruin the surprise," I spoke, becoming very annoyed at the lack of cooperation from everyone I'd called.

"Out of everyone to go there, I didn't think you'd be planning a party there," Mr. Mayfield finally replied. I rolled my eyes. Once a rumor in Hayesville, always a rumor in Hayesville. Nothing ever leaves here.

"I don't have the money to go anywhere else," I answered bluntly.

"I see. Well, I'll have to talk to Beth and talk it over. Don't take it personally, we're just very cautious. You understand, right?"

I thought of several things to say, and several not-so-nice alternatives.

"Yeah,"

"Great. We'll get back to you soon,"

He hung up the phone. I crossed Rick Mayfield's name off the list. Out of all four kids on the list, none of them would be showing up. I didn't feel bad in the least. I projected that blame onto Dad, who picked the location in the first place. It didn't matter to me, we'd only be spending a few hours there anyways.

I wrapped Aaron's XBox with newspapers I had dug out of the recycling bin. Since gas had always been a luxury, Dad and I usually wrapped gifts with the Hayesville newspapers we got biweekly. There was never any good news, just stuff about sports and a crossword puzzle or two. I could never figure out the crossword puzzles. I hummed softly, writing Luke's name in black sharpie across the top. I hoped Dad had a gift for him too. Maybe some of his friends would give him stuff even if they didn't show up. Hearing my phone vibrate, I glanced at the screen on the floor. A text from Aaron read:

Aaron: Yo Vic

Vic: what

Aaron: Liv just left

Vic: what

Aaron: She literally left with that guy

Vic: What guy

Aaron: the night janitor. He walked outta there and the whole place was clean and he was alive still lol

Vic: i knew it

Aaron: Tex was sad to lose the car, but that's karma, right?

Vic: Ig. Where'd liv go tho?

Aaron: After the guy got in his car she kinda just followed him

Vic: lmao ur kidding

Aaron: Liv didn't even say anything she just left with him. The guy didn't even say anything about it. He just let her get in the car.

Vic: And Lund didn't stop her?

Aaron: Lund was so pissed when she found out. I doubt she'll go after Liv tho, she's a legal adult now afterall

Vic: Did Liv know him?

Aaron: She mentioned seeing him once or twice but that's it

Vic: And she just left with him?

Aaron: Yep. Chris is sad lol

Vic: What a loser. What about the animatronics?

Aaron: If you must know they looked okay from the entrance after that guy left. And by okay I mean terrifying still

Vic: Ur such a wimp

Aaron: Cmon don't be a jerk Vic

I left him on read, typing in Liv's number. My phone rang several times.

"Vic?" She asked.

"Liv, what are you doing," I breathed. As much as I disliked her, having what was left of our friendship broken again would be devastating.

"Oh, Aaron told you already?" She replied. I could hear the roar of an engine in the background.

"You left with that guy," I scoffed, trying to decide how to feel. I was somewhere in between laughing and crying.

"I did. You know I hate it here, Vic. I've always hated it here. You and I have always hated it here," Liv started to explain. I nodded, even though I knew she couldn't see me, "I'm gonna catch a ride with this guy somewhere far, and I'll see where the road takes me from there. I just needed to leave. I hate it in Hayesville, there's so much negative energy surrounding it,"

"Liv please come back, at least let me come with you," I choked. Never in a million years would I have guessed Liv would leave. I had taken what we had for granted. The frenemy-like relationship we had going for so many years after the incident was plenty for me. More than I could ever ask for. The last conversation I had with her was spiteful, and I regretted that deeply.

"I can't Vic. Nothing and no one will get me to go back there," She replied, "You were my childhood best friend, Vic. Those memories are irreplaceable. I know we've been jerks to each other the last few years, but you really have meant alot to me,"

"Dude just please tell him to turn around, we can talk about this in person," I pleaded.

"And I know we've had different views about things, which kinda drove us apart, and I'm really sorry about that. What happened to you that day was truly awful, and I'm sorry I've been so insensitive about it,"

"I'm sorry too Liv, just please-"

"So this is goodbye. Keep in touch though, I will miss all of you so much," Liv ended.

"Bye Liv,"

She hung up the phone. I set it down, running my hands over my eyes. She really did it. She just got up and left everything behind to go start new. I had to give it to her, it was an amazing idea. But I was really going to miss her. I wish I had realized she was planning on leaving earlier; I would've made amends with her before she left.

Aaron: Vic?

Vic: I just got off the phone with her

Aaron: ?

Vic: Liv isn't coming back

Aaron left me on read, which I was okay with. It was time for me to move on.

Tex Macadoo would not pick up his phone. No matter how many times I called, and no matter how many irritated voicemails I left, I got no answer. Dad still hadn't woken yet, meaning there was still time to finish setting up Luke's party. I decided to go and find him myself. Grabbing the cash Dad had left on the counter, I considered the few places in Hayesville Tex Macadoo could be: with Jed at the auto shop or at Willy's Wonderland, and I had a sneaking suspicion as to which one it was.

My worn Vans offered little protection to the unpaved roads. I had owned them for years, and was trying to make them last just a little longer. With a Walmart employment I'd be able to buy another pair. Willy's Wonderland was about a ten minute walk from the trailer. I had to follow I-80 for a bit, which was sometimes very dangerous. Semi trucks would occasionally drive through Hayesville for a quick rest stop. Avoiding being hit by the careening trailer was often a challenge. I made sure to avoid going near Chris's neighborhood, as I was unsure if everyone was still gathered there. Tex's black Lincoln Delray was easily spottable from across the road; it stuck out just as much as Willy's Wonderland did. Tex had a pair of cow horns strapped to the front, which I wanted to do to the Mustang, but Dad said no. Willy's Wonderland, on the other hand, was quite undecorated and uninviting from the outside. Graffiti from years of buildup had been haphazardly painted over, and the entrance was marked by a taped paper on the front green doors. The large logo sat atop the building, bearing a cartoonish, grinning, Willy the Weasel. Most of the lights had burned out. I stared up at the building, trying to gather my thoughts. With a swift step, I crossed the road quickly and entered the cracked parking lot. Fortunately, Tex Macadoo was outside. Unfortunately, he was with Sheriff Lund, who spotted me before Tex could.

"Now what on earth are you doing here young lady?" Sheriff Lund shouted as she turned to face me. I approached them.

"I'm, um, here to ask about a birthday party," I replied. Just hearing the nervousness in my voice was making me anxious.

"Why Ms. Halifax! I haven't seen you or your father for a long while now, how's it keepin'?" Tex asked, extending his hand. I shook it, forcing a smile back.

"We've been good, Luke's birthday party is tomorrow," I replied.

"You're booking it here?" Sheriff Lund asked, furrowing her brow.

"It wasn't my choice, okay, I don't have the money to take him out of town," I explained.

"Well it's not like Willy's is the worst place on earth, is it?"

I opened my mouth to respond.

"We're so happy you chose us to help celebrate! Now, let's get you some paperwork, and we'll just need a small down payment to seal the deal," Tex smiled enthusiastically.

"To make sure you and your friends aren't gonna come burn down the joint," Sheriff Lund snarled at me. With Liv gone, I had assumed she'd be relieved. I guess not.

"No ma'am, I wouldn't do that," I replied, digging in my pocket for the money Dad had given me.

"Twenty dollar, please," Tex said, extending his hand again. Counting out two tens, I placed them in the palm of Tex's hand. He shuffled them for a moment, stuck them in his pocket, then opened the passenger side of his car door to get the paperwork. "So, a few things have changed since you last visited here,"

"I expected that," I replied, accepting a small stack of papers and a small pen. Thumbing through them, I paid careful attention to where each of the signature lines were.

"The big change being the Super Happy Fun Room is no longer in operation," Tex said, clasping his hands together. I glanced up at him, continuing to thumb through the papers. "Secondly, we've got hardly any staff, so if you want any food, you gotta tell me now so I can go find- I mean make it,"

"That's alright," I replied, signing my name several times. "We just need a small cake,"

"Interesting of y'all to come back here, Luke's never been, right?" Tex asked. I shook my head. "Well he's in for a real treat then, right Lund?" He continued, nudging Sheriff Lund. She was not amused.

"Do you still have the animatronics?" I asked, reading over a paper about safety.

"Of course Willy and his crew are still in there, the sign reads 'Willy's Wonderland' not 'Tex's Wonderland'," Tex replied, as if it were obvious.

"Right. Dumb question," I smirked, handing back the completed paper work. I didn't remember Dad ever having to fill paperwork out when we came here.

"Alright. You'll just show up tomorrow morning and we'll have a table set up for y'all," Tex explained. "Is it just gonna be you and Luke?"

"I tried to reach out to some of his friends, but none of their parents wanted them to go," I shrugged. Sheriff Lund eyed me suspiciously.

"Well, the usual customers nowadays are mainly just out-of-towners, so I'm sure Luke will have no trouble finding some new friends," Tex grinned, flipping through my paperwork. I shrugged, knowing very well Luke was going to hate it here.

"Sheriff Lund, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well that's none of your business young lady," She replied, folding her arms.

"Any business with this place usually finds its way back to be eventually," I smiled, shifting my weight to my right side.

"I'm here making sure people like you don't come runnin' round wrecking the place," Sheriff Lund replied.

"Out of everyone in Hayesville, do you really think I'd be the one to burn this place down?" I scoffed. Tex looked slightly pale.

"No, but your friends do. You'd be the kind of person to run off with the animatronics," Sheriff Lund laughed.

"You think what now?" I replied

"With all the talk you do about Willy, we'd think you'd just run off with him," She smiled. I didn't quite know how to feel about that sentence.

"Well, whatever gets me out of Hayesville," I forced a laugh, trying to play the conversation off like a joke. I couldn't tell if it was too soon for a joke like that.

"You better not take that seriously," Sheriff Lund replied, pointing at me.

"Cool your jets, I'm not about to run off with one of those things," I snickered, lowering her finger. Sheriff Lund retracted her hand quickly.

"Well, I gotta go back in, we've got some parties going on and I can't afford to miss out on the fun!" Tex butted in awkwardly.

"I've gotta go too," I said as I stepped backwards.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Vic," Tex called to me from the front of the building. I gave a small wave, walking back down the road. Sheriff Lund continued to eye me from the parking lot, which was more awkward on my part than hers. I kept my eyes forward, not wanting to make any more eye contact. That conversation was awkward enough, and the last thing I wanted was to make things worse.

The sun was setting by the time I got home, which meant Dad would be leaving for work. After hiding Luke's present under my bed, I had parked myself in front of the tv. Dad shuffled around the kitchen for a few minutes, chugging down some soda and a piece of pizza he had brought home a while ago.

"Did you do everything I told you to?" He grumbled from behind me.

"Yeah, I guess," I replied, "None of his friends want to come,"

"None of them? Maybe I should've called them instead," Dad said, piling some energy drinks into his backpack.

"I wasn't the issue. They don't want their kids at Willy's," I stated, turning off the tv.

"Bunch of idiots, there's nothing wrong with that place anymore, never was," Dad shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

"They had issues," I replied, smirking.

"Oh yeah? Like what, Jeremy?"

I went to respond, but was instantly cut off. "It's natural selection, Vic,"

I widened my eyes at his response.

"That is so disrespectful," I gasped.

"What, do you care?" He shouted in reply, "You're not dead,"

"I would've been," I muttered.

"Why don't you wanna go?" Dad yelled.

"The place gives me the creeps. There are so many people that died there, and I don't think-"

"Afraid 'ol Willy's gonna do a repeat offense?" Dad interrupted. I cocked my head, visibly irritated. I watched him carefully as he slipped the backpack over his shoulders and began walking towards the front door.

"Don't ruin what good memories I still have. It was just a costume, not the animatronic," I growled.

"Well when Luke asks why none of his friends showed up, I guess you can be the one to tell them you're the one that blew his birthday money on another stupid speeding ticket," Dad laughed, slamming the door behind him. I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. I listened to the engine of the Mustang roar into the distance. Shutting off the tv, I went to prepare dinner for myself. Luke was always fed at one of his friend's houses. The entire neighborhood seemed to know our financial state, even though it's not like theirs' was any different. We just didn't know how to handle ours. Our fridge and pantries were bare, so I had limited options. I wished I had gone to Walmart instead of doting over Luke's birthday party details; that way I could've submitted my application and got some food for the rest of the month. That could wait till tomorrow. After Luke's party, of course.

After settling for what was left of Dad's pizza, I waited patiently for Luke to come home. He usually came home around ten, and usually brought some sort of snack with him. He never shared with me, though. Hearing the front door open, I turned from the dinner table to face Luke.

"Hey there," I waved as the door shut behind him.

"Hi Vic," He replied.

"You ready for your party tomorrow?" I asked, playing with a water bottle cap.

"Yeah, I'm excited," Luke smiled, "I hung out with Devin and Rick today, and they both are pumped,"

"Oh are they now?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my chest.

"Are they gonna be there when we get there?" Luke asked in reply, pulling out a seat from the table to join me.

"Uh, yeah, hopefully," I replied, hoping my lying wasn't too obvious.

"Where are we going exactly?" Luke asked again.

"That's part of the surprise, but I know you're gonna love it," I smiled, lying yet again.

"Aw come on, that's no fair," Luke whined.

"Don't worry about it, you'll know tomorrow morning," I laughed, trying to convince myself Luke was going to actually enjoy it.

"Alright, if you say so Vic," Luke smiled.

"Now you go get ready for bed. You've got an important day tomorrow, and I doubt you'll want to be sleepy," I said, pointing towards his room. Luke did as he was told, hugging me on the way to his room. Not wanting to prolong my anxiety, I turned off the house lights and went to my room. Shutting my door behind me, I stared at myself in the mirror on the wall. My slender body made it easy to fit into most of Liv's hand-me-downs. We shared a lot of clothes when we were younger. As we got older, she would pass down clothes she didn't fit anymore. She used to own the band shirt I was wearing.

Wearing nothing but an ill-fitting sports bra and some joggers I 'borrowed' from Aaron, I lay atop my bed, listening to the broken air conditioner coils. There was so much that could go wrong tomorrow. As long as it just happens to you, you can make it so Luke still has a good time. No matter how many hours I tried to convince myself that Luke was going to enjoy it, I knew very well he was going to hate me. Since the divorce, he stopped relying on me and Dad, and turned to his friends instead. I wanted very much to be part of Luke's life, but I doubted this was going to help.

Rolling over, I turned my phone on. No notifications. No messages. Typical. I assumed Liv's friends had consoled each other, rather than me. None of them knew of the weird relationship Liv and I had after what happened at Willy's Wonderland. They played it off as me being cold. That was far from the truth. Although it was Liv who initially shut me out, we still talked. She was the only friend I was able to keep for a while.

As my thoughts began to calm down, I was finally able to shut my eyes. I needed the sleep even more than Luke did, as he had no idea what was in store for him. I was able to convince myself that seeing Willy and his 'friends' again would relieve some of my built up anxiety. Relishing that thought was the only thing that got me to sleep. I had always enjoyed the animatronic show when I was younger, despite how weird it was. In fact, most of my childhood photos have the band in the background. Dad didn't take many photos of me, but the ones he did have usually had Willy in them. Willy the Weasel had been my childhood companion. Jeremy dressed in a Willy the Weasel costume was not my childhood companion. I had to keep the two mentally separated for my own sake. I hoped tomorrow would solidify the gap and relinquish the rising fear that something very terrible was going to happen.