After grabbing a duster stick from the supply closet, I made my way north. Sara's treehouse was located near the back of the stage. Tex must've forgotten to turn off the fog machine, as a thick layer of fog blanketed the floor. The treehouse itself was located in what had been deemed the "Fairy Forest". I hadn't traveled back here much as a kid, so I had forgotten most of the layout. The time I had spent here was dedicated to watching Willy on the stage.

Tripping over a faux bush, I tumbled to the floor, rolling over my good arm. I sighed, not getting up. I really wanted to nap, but I doubted letting down my guard at a place like this was a good idea.

"Let's talk boys," Sara spoke from above me. I screamed, rolling onto my stomach to try and get away from her.

"Boys are losers. Everyone is a loser," I shrugged, regaining my composure. I stood up, brushing my shirt off.

"I'm sure that's not what that one guy thinks," Sara started, "What's his name again?"

I scoffed, "There's not a lot of guys in Hayesville,"

"Aaron, wasn't it?"

"Ew," I replied.

"He seems to like you," Sara stated, following me as I tried to move away from her.

"Everyone thinks he likes me," I shrugged, "Which is part of the reason I don't like him,"

"I understand, it's hard to find love in this cruel world," Sara sighed. I glanced at her.

"I guess," I replied, beginning to dust the plastic trees.

"Well being single isn't a bad thing for you, I suppose,"

"Nah, people are too much work,"

"People, huh?"

"Yeah,"

There was a very awkward moment of silence, as I continued to try and avoid getting dust on my face

"Has Willy told you yet?"

"Told me what?"

"Oh never mind,"

I turned my body to face Sara, unsure if what she was not telling me risked my life.

"Please tell me, if it involves me being here there's a huge chance my life is at stake," I replied, trying to smile.

"I can't, I'm good at keeping secrets," Sara replied, cocking her head to the right.

"Best friends don't keep secrets from each other,"

Sara was quiet.

"Best friends?"

"Aren't we friends?"

"Of course we are, girl friend. The bestest of friends," Sara laughed, her arms extending upwards. "But Willy wants me to stay nice and quiet about this,"

"Am I going to die tonight?" I asked Sara. She was quiet again.

"I won't let my best friend die," Sara replied. I smiled, feeling my eyes cloud. Stop crying, it's not like you've never had a friend that supports you...Liv….

"Thank you," Was all I could manage to say.

"It's what best friends are for!" Sara laughed, extending her arms towards me. Unsure of what was going on, I reciprocated, and awkwardly maneuvered to hug her back. That seemed to be the right move, as her hands came together on my back. I could hear a high buzz coming from inside her, as she took her arms away.

"Now get yourself a-cleanin', you only have a few hours before daydawn," Sara stated, as I backed up. I nodded, trying to process the emotions running through me. I felt cared for. I felt like something, or should I say something, appreciated me and cared about my life.

As I dusted Sara's forest, I became increasingly tired. The strange emergency LEDs mixed with Sara's purple lights were making me sleepy. I figured if I got out of here alive the first thing on my agenda was to take a long nap. Dust was everywhere, which was causing me to sneeze. I wasn't allergic to anything, but whatever was in the dust was giving me a very bad sneezing fit. I had eventually moved onto her treehouse, which was a challenge, as it was not built for people my size. I never considered how big I had actually gotten since being a kid until I tried to squeeze myself through the treehouse door.

"How do you get in here?" I called to Sara as I tried to wedge my hips through the entrance. No matter how much I twisted and turned, my back-half was stuck outside.

"It takes some practice, it's a lot more spacious inside," Sara called back. She was right. The inside was disproportionately larger than the entrance, which I had become awkwardly wedged in. The dusting stick was extendable, so I figured I could try and reach each of the corners even though I was stuck. There were assorted books and games sprawled across the floor, each of them having a variety of cheesy fingerprints on them. Disgusted, I made the decision to avoid those. The corners were easy enough to get, even though I was only utilizing one arm. The left corners were a little harder to get, but I managed just fine. I was about to start backing out, when I felt something graze my left thigh. Startled, I kicked my leg, trying to look behind me. I could barely see the shine of Knighty Knight's armor.

"Alas, the fair maiden is stuck!" He shouted. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not stuck, I'm trying to get out," I grunted, shoving my body backwards. My left shoulder had been left exposed after Willy tore the sleeve off, and was beginning to scrape against the side of the entrance.

"You're in there tighter than a lid on a pickle jar," I heard Gus say.

"Oh my," I heard Cammy say. Embarrassed, I quickly and forcefully, sending my body back out. I winced in pain as my chest was pushed against the door.

"I've been trying to get everything, it's not like I'm not trying," I replied, descending down the ladder. I nearly tripped over myself again, trying to force myself to stay awake.

"It's only 4am, you can't be tired yet," I heard Ozzie say from the ball pit area.

"I'm not tired," I tried to make an excuse.

"It's like you're not even trying, you are most definitely tired," Ozzie retorted.

"Alright, maybe I am," I shrugged, smiling at him, "But I'm almost done,"

That was the truth. After the Super Happy Fun Room, I'd be good to wait until Tex opened back up. The walk to the Super Happy Fun Room had been engraved in my memory. I had walked there many times when I was a kid. It's where I first met Liv. Ozzie, Sara, Cammy, and Gus had maneuvered from the Fairy Forest back to the stage, and seemed to be watching me with Tito and Arty. The only one that wasn't with them was Willy. Turning my attention back to the door of the Super Happy Fun Room, I rested my hand against the door knob. The windows had been completely blacked out, so it was impossible to see inside. I guess the only way to know is to actually go in there. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my adrenaline. It's only one room, just wipe down a few things then get out. Twisting the door knob, I was caught off guard by a voice behind me.

"You look scared," Willy spoke. I yelped, turning around quickly.

"Me? Never," I smirked.

"Need me to go in there with 'ya? 'Ya know, for the emotional support?" Willy offered. I shrugged.

"What do you care?"

"About you, yes, girly,"

"I mean, I guess. I don't want to be in here any longer than required," I stated, twisting the door knob. It was a little tricky to wedge the door open, as the door liner had become dislodged and was preventing the door from opening properly. Once I got it open, I was blasted with the smell of sweat and body odor. The room was dimly lit by the glow of emergency blacklights and neon-splashed carpet. Various cartoonish posters of each of the animatronics were hung across the room, and the reflective glimmers of a small disco ball danced across the room. A random blow up pool contained different stuffed prize animals, most of which were rotting out. There was a small trampoline in the corner that had a big hole in it. No wonder Tex doesn't let customers in here, it's a wreck still. And, of course, a crime scene.

"Damn," I breathed. There were three tables lined up, and various chairs of different shapes and sizes were strewn throughout the room, "It looks so familiar,"

"Oh yeah?" Willy asked, as I stepped in the room. Looking around, I could almost remember every single party I ever had here.

"Yeah,"

"Ya doin' alright kiddo?"

I didn't respond, as the dancing lights were making me sleepy. "Is there, uh, anythin' I can help with?"

"No, no, you're fine," I started, "Actually wait, Willy,"

Willy stared at me. "Talk to me,"

"I've been talkin' to 'ya this whole time, girly, what do 'ya want to hear from me,"

"I wanna know why you've got a rep for murder,"

"Didn't we tell 'ya already?"

"Y'all said you killed whoever disrespected the property," I started again, "But there's gotta be another reason. There's gotta be more behind the ritual story,"

I had finally choked up enough confidence to ask, and I wasn't about to let the moment slide. Willy was quiet for a moment, before sighing.

"Alright birthday girl, 'ya wanna know the truth? Well here's the truth" Willy started. I sat down atop one of the tables, awaiting his response. His awkward standing in the doorway was making me mildly uncomfortable. "The stupid ritual worked. But it didn't work the way those nutjobs wanted it to. 'Ya see, instead of transferring themselves, they transferred their souls, and that's the only reason we can communicate with you just like another human would. Nothing else was transferred. Not their emotions, not their intentions, just pure life force,"

I blinked.

"Unfortunately, nothin' comes for free. In order to keep ourselves alive, we gotta keep bringin' in souls,"

I had to think for a minute. "Why would you wanna stay, uh, alive so badly?"

"It wasn't somethin' we really cared about at first, until we realized how nice it was to be sentient. Like, you humans take it for granted, bein' able to communicate and all. For once, we had actual personalities. For once, we had a life."

This was a lot of information. "Fortunately, your little Sheriff and that bowling ball of a man Tex were completely confident the ritual worked. After we got out a few times, they started bringin' y'all in. We made a deal with them, as you know, that they need to feed us, or we'll eat them"

"So that's what happened to the kids that were in here with me?" I asked.

"That's about the size of it. But don't worry, girly, I took care of 'em for 'ya. You won't have to clean up any blood tonight," Willy replied, shuffling to the left of the door. I watched him carefully.

"Why am I not dead," I asked.

"You?" Willy replied. I nodded my head.

"Well, uh, 'ya see," He started. I motioned for him to continue, "I like you more than I like those kids, and as luck would have it, we got to them first,"

"Lucky me," I sneered, trying to distract myself from the fact there are people slaughtered in this restaurant.

"Did that help at all?" Willy asked, cocking his head to the right. I kicked my legs underneath me.

"I guess. As long as you were honest," I replied, staring at the weasel.

"C'mon there's somethin' else eatin' ya. Other than me, of course," Willy teased. That made me scoff. "Oh sorry, too soon?"

"No, no, you're fine," I smiled. "Why Liv's parents though?"

"Liv…" Willy paused. "Wasn't she your little buddy?"

"She is,"

"It's not like any of us knew who they were. You were the last person Jerry hurt before their attempted ritual. It was the night Liv and her parents were supposed to clean for the night,"

"Liv loved her parents, though," I started.

"They weren't very nice,"

"To y'all? They loved Liv. Even though I was little at the time, I still knew what love was. Something I never got at home,"

"They're just people, she got a new home anyways,"

"You're playing it off like humans are worthless. We're not. Liv loved them. If it was the night of the ritual, couldn't y'all have held off until a week or so? It's not like you just got souls put in you," I argued.

"That's not really how it works, 'ya see," Willy argued back, beginning to approach me, "We don't know when our next meal is gonna be. So we jump on every chance we get. And that night, Liv's parents were the only choice. Liv would've been included, but she was found before we could get ahold of her,"

"Liv cried for days. She lost her parents, she lost her home, she lost her friends," I started, "It completely changed who she was. Once I got out of the ER, the first person I went to consol was her. I can't even begin to tell you the kind of emotional trauma that brought upon her,"

"She-"

"Ever since the night you guys took everything from her, she's been planning on burning this place to the ground. The only thing stopping her was me, do you understand? She loathes this place. And since I've been the only one in the entire town sticking up for you guys, she's begun to hate me too," I shouted. I could see Tito popping his head in from the door.

"Now you listen here-"

"You listen to me," I shouted, my confidence beginning to wane, "I get you guys need to eat to keep yourselves alive, but isn't there some other way to do it? Maybe, you know, just not be alive? People have lives. They have families. If you want a soul to tide you over, you might as well just take mine,"

"You better watch that mouth of yours before something bad does end happenin' to 'ya,"

I tried to interrupt again, my anxiety beginning to grow. Willy approached me slowly. "Don't try and tell me what I do and don't understand, especially when you're in no place to know what it's like,"

I knew this conversation was not headed in a positive direction. I needed to leave."I'm done in here, I've finished cleaning the restaurant. I was up in the vents earlier, and I'm positive there's an outer exit," I breathed, standing up, keeping my hand close to the pocket with the pocket knife. Not looking at Wily, I turned around to face the only ventilation exit in the room. I had to move fast. Climbing atop a chair, I punched the vent mercilessly, hoping Willy would let me go. Willy, unfortunately, wasn't about to let me leave. His surprisingly strong hand grabbed a hold of my left arm, piercing the wound. I screamed, trying to jerk my arm away. I failed, toppling off the chair. If it hadn't been for Willy's strong grasp, I would've hit the floor. My left arm twisted painfully as my body hovered above the floor. I winced getting to my feet quickly.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying to pry my hand from his grasp. My heart pounded loudly in my ears. No matter how much I thrust my body away from Willy, his hand wouldn't budge.

"You can't leave," He shouted back, his voice deafening. Thrashing around like a rag doll, my panic was getting the best of me. Without another thought, I grasped the pocket knife, clicked it open, and shoved it into Willy's chest. Doing so made him let go, letting me tumble to the floor. I panted, backing up from him slowly. Willy stared at his chest, before slowly grasping, and removing the knife. A black liquid dripped from him and the knife as he chucked it to the side. My hands were beginning to shake. This was not good.

"Were you planning this the whole time, Vic, did you come here to hurt us?" Willy asked, his head turning to look at me. Oh no. I had just made things very, very bad. A knot formed in my stomach, as Tito spoke from the doorway.

"Bad move, chica,"

Scampering to my feet, I made a run for it. I had never run so hard in my life, butmy adrenaline mixed with pure fear propelled my forward. I nearly smacked my arm on the way out of the Super Happy Fun Room, hearing Willy behind me.

"Willy, stop!" Sara shouted.

"Para, señor,"(Stop, señor).Tito added. I threw myself through the front eating area, trying to find my way back to the kitchen. My legs shook beneath me, and my mind raced with complete nonsense. I couldn't focus. Crying, I weaved through the chairs and tables, vaulting over the last one. I nearly tripped, doing everything I could to stay on top of both feet. Sprinting down the hallway, I stopped, seeing Willy at the other end.

"Stop running, you piece of sh-sh-" Willy started, glitching over his cursing. "I'm about to give you a little taste of how it feels to be, oh what did you say again? 'Just not be alive?',"

I threw my body through the kitchen door, vaulting on top of the stove. Extending my wounded arm, I cried, feeling my pulse through the wound. Willy had made it bleed again. In order to get through the vent shaft again, I'd need as much body strength as I did before. I did not have that anymore, as my body had grown too tired. My shaking arms and lack of balance was not sufficient enough. I slipped, hitting my back on the stove. Tumbling to the floor, I screamed in pain. I had bruises beginning to form on my knees and elbows. My head throbbed with pain. Looking up for a brief moment, I saw Willy standing in the doorway. Beginning to sob, I painfully pushed myself towards the wall. This situation was all too familiar. I've lived this before. Last time, I was wearing a dress and a plastic necklace. Last time, I was eating cake with Liv. This time, I was alone. Thrashing across the floor, I did everything possible to get away from Willy. My legs had completely given out, as I had exhausted all my energy. Tears streamed down my face, plastering my hair to my cheeks. My hands, dirtied from the kitchen floor, were of no use now. They, like the rest of my weak body, were a trembling mess. I watched as Willy cornered me between both counters. His mechanics whirring loudly, he stopped right in front of me. I sobbed loudly, curling into a ball. My mind had shut off, and I couldn't think of any way out of this situation. All I could think of was how this time, I wasn't going to be walking away from this situation. I watched Willy raise his powerful arm above him, glaring down at me. This scene had been engraved in my mind, and now, it was beginning to replay; with Willy, the knife, me...

"You're gonna be a real hearty meal-"

"JERRY!" I screamed as loud as I could, covering my ears. I had completely broken down. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I wailed, tears kept falling, beginning to pool on the tile beneath me. My crying had overpowered Willy's voice. My entire body trembled as I kept myself curled in a ball. My face, covered in tears, was cold. "I just wanted to celebrate with Liv, please don't hurt me Jerry," I sobbed.

Through my tear covered eyes, I saw Willy lower his arm.

"Did you just call me...Jerry?" He asked.

"Vic," I heard Sara gasp from the front door.

"Please don't hurt me Jerry, please don't," I continued to sputter. I hiccuped several times, anticipating my life's end. My entire body refused to cooperate. My head pulsed with pain as my ears buzzed loudly. Through my clouding vision, I watched Willy's knees bend to meet my level.

"Don't hurt her!" I heard Ozzie scream from the front door. I screamed even louder, covering my face, trying to block everything out. I was having a full blown anxiety attack, and that was all I knew. I was in fight or flight, and my body wasn't cooperating. I had completely broken.

"I don't want to be hurt again, Jerry," I whimpered, choking on my tears. Then, all at once, my body shut down. I had completely passed out.