"Well, that was interestin'," Willy spoke, standing next to me. Wasting no more time, I quickly took him in my arms, hugging tightly.
"I'm alive," I breathed. Willy hugged me back. I trembled slightly, still trying to get a feel for my muscles again. The feeling in my hands returned, as I was able to feel Willy's back.
"Vic, are you okay? We should get you somewhere with food, you're super pale," Liv spoke, meeting my eyes.
"Ya' need sleep, too," Willy added, "Are you feelin' okay?"
Willy pulled away to look at me.
"I'm okay, could be better, but I shouldn't complain right now," I replied, wiping my eyes.
"You poor thing, no one should have to go though what you just went through," Sara spoke.
"Thanks Sara," I replied as everyone gathered around.
"You should get Luke to drive, you look like you're about to be sick," Gus mentioned.
"Luke doesn't even have his permit," I replied, catching a glimpse of Luke. His eyes were glued to where the beam had disappeared from. "You okay Luke?"
"They're gone," Luke spoke, "My family is gone,"
I was a little taken back by that statement.
"I'm right here, angel, what-" I went to reply.
"It's not like I'm not upset about this too, you know," Luke interrupted, beginning to cry. I walked over to him slowly. "You out of all people should know how it feels to be overshadowed,"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, bending down to meet his level.
"Dote on Vic all you want, but remember that I just had my family ripped away from me, so it's not like I'm not in a state of shock either," Luke screamed, crying. I hugged Luke tightly, even though he tried to push me away. Eventually, he did accept the gesture. He's just tired. He's been through a lot these past few days, cut him some slack.
"Luke, they're not your family, they never were," I whispered softly.
"They were more of a family than I've ever-"
"Don't speak like that. I know very well how you're feeling, how it feels to have a comradery with a group, but they were bad people. You're not a bad person," I interrupted.
"I know Vic, I'm sorry, I just don't know what happened," Luke continued to cry. I watched as Sara bent down to hug Luke too, trying to comfort him.
"You're a very brave boy, Luke," She spoke. The others soon joined in the group hug, trying to comfort Luke.
"You have a very kind heart. Don't let people use it to manipulate you," Arty spoke from the back of the hug. I nodded my head in agreement.
"Vic, what am I supposed to do? I literally am bound to them forever," Luke panicked suddenly, showing me the symbol engraved on the back of his right hand. I backed off from the hug, trying to weave my way under Willy's arm. Everyone else was soon to break off from the hug after that.
"They won't be returning again. They've all been sent away," I replied softly. I wasn't completely sure how things ended up dealing out with the cultists. All I knew was that they were gone. Nick nodded at me, signifying I said something right. Good enough for me.
"I'm sorry, Liv, I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just panicked and did whatever seemed like a good idea at the time," Luke spoke to Liv, as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"Don't be. We were all in a stressful situation, let's just forgive and forget," Liv smiled back, "If I was in your situation, I would've done the same thing,"
Luke smiled sheepishly.
"You look a lot better," Liv then spoke, looking at me.
I glanced at my arm, which was still gross and numb. I could at least feel it. The rest of me felt fine, which was a complete relief.
"No one is going to believe any of this," Luke spoke again.
"Yeah, well, what's a story if everyone thinks you're tellin' the truth?" Ozzie asked.
"Uh, a story?" Gus replied.
"How'd you do it?" I asked Liv, shifting my weight.
"Nick had a sneaking suspicion the answer was back at the restaurant. We followed his gut instincts, and ended up finding a paper with a spell on it," Liv began to explain. "Since there wasn't really much of another option, we brought it back here,"
"How'd you get it to work? Jerry said Vic and I were unclean souls," Luke asked.
"I have no idea," Liv shrugged.
"You're a pure soul, chica," Tito smiled, still adjusting his legs awkwardly.
"Lucky," Luke sneered. I could hear the sirens now. They were just about here.
"We need to leave, we're gonna get mauled," I spoke.
"We can take the truck," Sara offered. I glanced cautiously towards the semi. Where on earth do we plan to go? We need some sort of a plan. Before I could offer an alternative answer; one I still was trying to think up, the animatronics were loading themselves into the trailer.
"Truck it is," Luke shrugged.
"It'd be best if we go to Nick's, the police won't track us there," Liv spoke. I nodded.
"I'll follow you guys, and-" I began to reply.
"No, no, Vic, you are in no condition to be driving right now," Liv interrupted, "I doubt you have your license with you, and you just came back to life,"
"But you don't even have your license," I retorted. Liv reached into her pocket, pulling out her Nevada driver's license.
"Got it right before I left Hayesville," She smiled. I nodded my head reluctantly, knowing Liv was right. I was still trying to get a feel for the way my body moved, so driving a 40 ton semi wouldn't be a very smart idea.
"We've made it this far, might as well test the rest of the luck," Arty called from the trailer. Holding Luke's hand, I helped him into the trailer as best I could. Still slightly weakened, I relied on his help to load myself into the trailer.
"Look, the gang's all here," Sara smiled, moving over so Luke could join her. I heard Liv crank the engine, so I shut the trailer door quickly. It was a little challenging, as my left arm had suddenly begun to hurt again. I ignored it though, not trying to bring any more attention to myself. I slid next to Willy, who instantly pulled me into his lap to hug me. I did not argue, immediately reciprocating the gesture. Feeling the trailer shift onto the highway, I closed my eyes, resting my head against Willy's chest.
"I nearly lost you," Willy spoke softly.
"Nearly," I replied, smiling.
"You better believe I'm glad you're still here,"
"I'm glad you're here too,"
"Hey, we missed her too," Ozzie spoke snidely
"I'm so glad all y'all are okay," I replied, opening my eyes for a brief moment. I listened as the animatronics turned their conversation to Luke, who was slouched glumly in the corner.
"What's wrong, Luke? Still scared of us?" Gus asked.
"No," Luke mumbled in reply.
"Still worried about Jerry?" Ozzie asked.
"None of you would understand," Luke continued.
"We put up with your sister for an entire night, we're ready for whatever ya' throw at us," Arty replied. I snickered, feeling relieved they were attempting to help Luke at all. In all my years of living with Luke, he hadn't ever approached me with serious problems. He spent most of his time hanging out with his friends, which were usually the ones to console him. Being a Halifax, his stubbornness greatly outweighed his willingness to cooperate. It ran through the entire family.
"Do you miss them, Luke?" Sara asked quietly. I opened my eyes slightly to see Luke's response. He nodded his head. I didn't want to argue with Luke, especially since he was in such a vulnerable position. His emotions are probably all over the place, just like your's.
"We're your friends too, amigo. I know you seemed close with Carlos, but I'm here for you too," Tito spoke.
"It's not the same. All of the cult members had lives. Carlos had a wife that he just wanted to see, and it's just not the same," Luke blurted out, his voice cracking.
"I know how you feel, Luke, trust me. Your heart is in the right place to care for your fellow humans," Cammy spoke softly. Luke sighed, resting his head against the side of the trailer.
"Everything aside, that was the most traumatic thing I've experienced these past eleven years," Ozzie spoke, changing the subject.
"You said it," Arty continued, turning to Luke, "I've got a bone to pick with you about tryin' to perform spells and whatnot that ya' don't understand,"
Luke looked worried for a moment, before Knighty reached across the trailer with his sword, bonking Arty's head. "Oh for cryin' out loud, would you stop that?"
"No," Knighty replied simply. That did make Luke chuckle slightly.
"Ya' know, just 'cause ya' disagree with me doesn't mean you can just knock that stick around like la-dee-da," Arty sneered.
"You deserve it," Gus shrugged. Knighty nodded his head triumphantly.
"Y'all can bend your knees?" I asked Willy quietly, my mind trying to fall asleep. Whatever thoughts I was having definitely didn't make any sense, and I probably wouldn't remember them the following morning. Willy glanced down at me.
"I've been able to sit this whole time, girly," He laughed. I laughed quietly, rubbing my eyes.
"Senora, you sound like you're about to pass out," Tito smiled. I glanced at him, nodding.
"I haven't slept for a while," I replied, "Hopefully Nick will spare a space on the floor for me to sleep,"
"Rest your mind, we can talk about everything tomorrow," Willy comforted, adjusting his arms beneath me. I kept my legs together, trying to remain ladylike. I had to remind myself I was still wearing a dress.
"What about the Mustang?" Luke asked me. I instantly opened my eyes, sitting up slightly. I had completely forgotten about my beloved Mustang.
"You used Vic's trigger word," Arty teased. I hoped greatly that it wasn't destroyed in the fire, as there wasn't any paying job in rural Nevada to get me the money quick enough to buy another.
"We can go back once it's safe to try and find it," I replied, thinking my answer sounded stupid outloud. The rest of the trip was practically silent. I kept falling asleep in Willy's arms for ten minute intervals, but kept waking up in a cold sweat. The animatronics chatted softly amongst themselves while I listened to the road beneath us. Nearing the hour mark, I was about to drift off when Liv's sudden braking woke me from my daze.
"Here!" She called, "And just on time, too, we're out of gas,"
Willy helped me dismount from the trailer onto the dirt road. The crickets chirped loudly as the desert wind rustled the trees. I stood outside a large ranch style farmhouse, surrounded by nothing but grass. Liv got out of the driver's seat, brushing her legs off.
"Let's get you all inside, I'm sure you're exhausted," Liv spoke to me.
"Are you sure no one is gonna find the truck?" I asked. The semi was the biggest thing out here.
"Yeah, this place is gated," Liv replied. I decided to trust her answer.
"I don't think we've ever been in a house," Ozzie spoke, playing with the dirt beneath his feet.
"Yes we have, silly bird, we used to go all the time to rip the souls of the innocent-oh wait, too soon?" Gus asked. Everyone laughed lightly, except Luke.
Watching as Nick exited his Camaro, I noticed his face had a look of disgust on it as he looked us over. Liv noticed and paused for a moment, seeming to read his expression.
"Oh, um, Nick needs you guys to not track blood everywhere," Liv explained.
"I can just shower," I shrugged.
"It's not you he's worried about," Liv replied, motioning for the animatronics.
"Wait, wait, wait, you're tellin' me this guy wants to give us a bath?" Arty asked, taking a step back, "Blood's been our staple accessory for the last eleven years!"
"Nick will let y'all stay here until we figure out what we're gonna do, but he takes pride in his cleaning," Liv explained.
"Figures," Willy scoffed.
"There's some soap, bleach, Lysol, and rags out back, I'll come help," Liv spoke, leading me towards the back of the house. Nick had a surprisingly large amount of land, as I couldn't see any other houses or buildings for miles out. Maybe it just needs to be light out. Maybe we're surrounded by neighbors that you can't see yet.
"What does he do out here?" I asked Liv, gazing out over the horizon.
"He's got several homes across Nevada, this is his vacation property," Liv replied. I nodded my head slowly, being handed a rag and a spray bottle. I glanced over at the animatronics, who didn't seem too enthusiastic about this idea. Neither was I, I just wanted to go to bed.
"Who's first?" I smiled sleepily. Without another word, Arty shoved Willy forward.
"Watch it-HEY you idiot, I don't-" Willy started to protest as Arty snickered.
"I knew I could count on you, step forward, I promise I'll make this fast," I sneered. Willy sighed, approaching me. Nick stepped around Willy, motioning for Gus to walk forwards. Gus didn't dare protest, as all of them seemed to have a certain level of respect for Nick.
"Here Luke," Liv spoke, tossing Luke a rag and a spray bottle. Luke purposefully missed, walking to pick up both items he dropped.
"Ooh, do me!" Sara piped, walking over to Luke. Luke's face showed great concern as he stared up at Sara. "C'mon, I don't bite. I'm not as bloody as everyone else,"
"This is the most humiliating thing ever," Ozzie spoke, backing away from Liv.
"It won't be embarrassing if you just get it over with," I called to him, beginning to spray down Willy. Since he was wearing overalls, I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to clean those. Do I ask him to take them off? Would that be weird? That's definitely weird, Vic, don't ask him to do that. Yet. I slowly began to rub Willy with the rag, doing my best to avoid too much friction. Damaging him was not something I wanted.
"This is so awkward," Willy breathed, trying to lean away from me.
"I promise I'm not trying to make this even more awkward than it needs to be," I started, scrubbing Willy's hands. I never handled blood well, so seeing it all over Willy's hands made me gag.
"I can't tell what's going on over there, I just hear gagging," Gus called to me. I could see Nick scrubbing away at Gus's back.
"I'm fine, I just don't like blood," I called back. From the corner of my eye, I could see Liv struggling with Ozzie. He kept snaking his neck back and forth, preventing her from cleaning. Moving to Willy's left hand, I paid careful attention to his claws, doing my best to get them as clean as possible. I ended up finding several bullet holes and knife gashes along Willy's body, which I didn't quite know how to deal with. Is it weird if I mess with them? Is he in pain? Before I had another chance to consider how awkwardly I was trying to dry clean Willy, Nick tossed me a needle and thread from over Willy's shoulder. I barely caught it, being thrown off guard.
"Wait, is this for me?" I asked, glancing at Nick. Nick nodded his head, doing stitchwork of his own on Gus. "Is this gonna hurt?" I asked Willy, threading the needle.
"Eh, just keep the needle moving and you'll be fine," Willy replied.
"You've been in lots of knife fights?" I asked again, pushing the needle through his fur quickly.
"A few, it's not like I can wield a knife very well though," Willy snickered.
"Would you hold still for one minute?" Liv grunted, trying to aim her spray bottle at Ozzie. Luke kept quiet as Sara rambled on about Luke, and how cute he was. I worked my hands quickly, trying to grasp the thin needle with my shaking hands. I made sure to pay specific attention to the knife gash I gave him, hoping there weren't any harsh feelings over that.
"Now, I need you to hold still so I can get your face," I grunted, finishing off the spool of thread. "I'll take that thread," Liv called as I tossed it to her. I then tried to stand on the tips of my toes to reach Willy's height. The top of my head reached his lower jaw, so there was a bit of a height difference.
"My face is fine, don't worry about-" Willy started. I instantly hushed him, trying to work my way across his mouth. If there was any blood in his mouth, I wanted it out.
"Dang, Vic, gotta get his mouth, huh?" Arty called to me.
"Can't afford to miss anything, I doubt any of y'all will let me do this again," I replied, rubbing the front of Willy's mouth. I heard several jeers and I tried to keep my face from flushing.
"You almost done?" Willy asked, still trying to move his head away from the cleaning supplies.
"This would be a lot easier if you held still," I grunted, reaching as high as I could to get Willy's head. "And I know this is awkward, but are you gonna, like, get the rest of your body?"
Willy snickered.
"Y'all are in public, I recommend keeping them on," Arty shouted to us.
"Aw shut up, we're robots, it's not like-" Willy went to reply.
"Vic doesn't need to know that," Ozzie interrupted again, before he and Ozzie burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes, glancing to Luke. Sara was doing a pretty good job of keeping him entertained with whatever story she was telling him.
"So am I, like, gonna get electrocuted or somethin'?" I asked.
"Just don't use too much water and you'll be fine," Willy shrugged. I moved down to his feet, doing my best to move quickly. Never in a million years did I think I'd be doing this. I hadn't paid much attention to Willy's feet recently, even though when I was younger, they were at my eye's height while he was on the stage. I stood up, hearing both my knees cracking beneath my weight. Stepping back, I caught another glimpse of Gus, who looked completely new. Impressive, Nick.
"Ya' done," I smiled, "Wasn't so bad, was it?"
"It was awful, thanks," Willy sneered back. I looked him up and down, making sure I got everything. Willy flicked his hands, trying to get what was left of the cleaning spray off.
"Would you stop moving for at least five whole seconds?" Liv grunted, trying to dry Ozzie with a towel.
"I don't like the water," Ozzie hissed, finally letting Liv help. I had moved onto Arty, who was even more reluctant than Willy. It wasn't until Nick shot him a glance from over his aviators that he began to cooperate a little better. Nick had moved onto Cammy, leaving Gus with a bar of soap to play with. It seemed to occupy him.
"I'll give you ten seconds," Arty sneered.
"Whatever," I laughed, spraying a rag to clean him with.
"I lost the soap," Gus then called to us, looking at the ground.
"You just used it all, we've got a few more bars over there," Liv spoke, wiping her forehead of sweat.
"It was cherry scented," Gus whined, shuffling in the soapy water.
"It's not like you can smell anything," Willy spoke.
"But it was cherry scented and in a little rectangle and-" Gus continued.
"Oh get over it ya' big baby, it's just soap," Arty started, as I began weaving the rag through his teeth. I was doing my best to avoid knocking the tops of my hands on Arty's teeth, as they were unusually sharp. "Ya' look nervous Vic, scared I'mma bite'cha?"
"Nah," I smiled, "I just don't wanna hurt you,"
"Hurt me? As if, you're a human," Arty retorted.
"Didn't stop her from whooping butt a few hours ago," Sara laughed, pausing her conversation with Luke.
"That was all Liv, not me," I smiled sleepily.
"Give yourself credit Vic, you're the one who endured all their crap," Liv laughed back.
"My EYE," Gus shouted, tripping into Cammy, who pushed him aside.
"Get soap in it?" I asked, moving out of the stumbling gorilla's way. He was clutching a bottle of industrial shampoo. I wonder if Nick owns farm animals.
"I thought it was tear free shampoo," Gus whined.
"Sham-what?" Arty asked, trying to brush my hand away from his face.
"It's tear as in it doesn't tear your hair, not tears from your eyes," I chuckled.
"Just run some water over your eyes," Liv snickered.
"I didn't think my eyes had feeling, why does this HURT so BAD," Gus complained, grabbing my towel to wipe his eyes with. I was imminently confused on everything related to the Willy's Wonderland animatronics, and had so many questions, but decided to play it all off 'till I got some sleep. Taking another glance at Luke, I noticed he was shuffling around the reeds by himself. I didn't dare bother him. He needed sleep way more than I did.
It took a solid thirty minutes to finish scrubbing the blood and guts off the animatronics. After spraying down the yard to make it look less like a bloody crime scene, we dried everything off. Nick finally let us into his large farmhouse. We had done a pretty good job, as the animatronics looked just about as good as new, minus a few scrapes and missing pieces.
"This is insane, how'd y'all manage this?" Arty asked, admiring himself.
"I'm snuggle-able again," Ozzie spoke happily, ruffling his feathers.
"I learned alot about cleaning since being here," Liv explained, "Nick has a certain technique,"
"Well whatever it is, it worked," Cammy smiled. Nick led us towards the front door of his house.
"Welcome to your temporary home," Liv smiled, leading all of us in. I had never been inside a house like this before, as my entire life was spent living in a trailer home. The front room was massive. A giant crystal chandelier hung above us. At the end of the massive stretch of room was a plasma screen TV taking up the entire wall. A kitchen was off to the right, bearing a collection of fancy kitchenware and a massive vent.
"Vic, Luke, do you guys mind sharing a bedroom?" Liv asked, snapping me from my trance.
"I don't-" Luke began to state.
"That's completely fine. We're happy to sleep wherever," I quickly interrupted him, not wanting to offend Nick.
"The rest of y'all get to sleep in the garage," Liv smiled, pointing towards Nick, who opened a heavy door leading into his spacious garage. Luke shot me a rude look as we were led to our room: a small two-bed suite.
"Thank you so much for letting us crash here, I promise we won't stay for too much longer," I spoke, stretching my arms.
"Nick says you all are welcome to stay for however long you need. Let me get you both some fresh clothes, the shower is right across the hall," Liv smiled, "I'm so glad you're back, Vic,"
"I'm glad to be here," I smiled, hugging her. Luke grunted slightly, kicking his shoes off. He waited until Liv left to start talking.
"Do we really have to stay here?" He whispered.
"What on earth are you talking about? Our home is gone, Luke," I argued quietly.
"We don't even know this 'Nick' guy. You've always been one to be weary of people, why are you trusting him?" Luke asked.
"Because he's Liv's friend,"
"You knew Liv's Hayesville friends, and-"
"Luke, please, just relax. Let's both get some sleep before we talk about this,"
Luke growled, crossing his arms.
"I didn't think we'd ever end up in a situation like this, but there's no use running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We need a plan going forward, and this is the safest place right now," I breathed. Luke didn't reply, which was fine.
"Here, I tried to find the most manly outfit I could," Liv spoke, entering the room suddenly. She awkwardly held up a camp t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts I doubted would fit Luke.
"Thanks," He mumbled, accepting his clothes.
"And for you," Liv continued, handing me a tank top and sweatpants.
"Thank you so much," I laughed, more than willing to wear anything other than the stupid dress I was in.
"I'll be in the living room if you need me, feel free to rest up and do whatever," She smiled, leaving the room.
"I'm going to shower. Please be respectful of this property, it isn't-" I started.
"Yeah, yeah, it isn't ours," Luke mocked. I shot him a rude glance, walking across the hallway to the shower. I caught a brief glimpse of the animatronics in the garage. They seemed to be enjoying themselves amongst the random pillows and Camaro.
I couldn't quite figure out how to use Nick's shower. I could tell Liv had been here, since there were bottles of hair care shampoo bottles everywhere. They could be Nick's, but I highly doubted he'd be using 'Rose Luxury Premium Conditioner for Silky Hair'. The smell of the roses was a nice alternative to the gasoline smell I had going on. Since being doused in gasoline at Jed's auto shop, I was eager to get the smell off of me. It took several minutes of scrubbing, washing, and more scrubbing, to get the smoky must off of me. I then cried for about five minutes, feeling overwhelmed with emotions. I really need to sleep. The soap felt nice on my body, and the steam made me even more sleepy. I was reluctant to get out of the shower, shivering as I shut the water off. I slipped a towel around my hair, then one around my body, and bundled my clothes together to walk back to the room.
"Took you long enough," Luke grunted, brushing past me on the way to the bathroom. I started hoping that I used all the hot water, when I reminded myself that Luke would get over himself soon. Hopefully. Luke and I had shared a dingy bathroom with Dad our entire lives, so this wasn't a big change. It was nice to have hot water for longer than five minutes, though. After drying myself off, I slipped into the tank top and sweatpants. The bra I had been provided was a little less sufficient, but that didn't bother me. The clothes were a nice fit, considering Liv and I were practically the same size. I was attempting to comb through my wet hair, when Liv knocked quietly on the door, catching my attention.
"Come in," I called to her.
"I just came to take your old clothes. Nick was planning on burning them so the police can't track you guys down," Liv spoke, holding open a black trash bag. I willingly shoved my dirty pile of clothes inside, more than happy to get rid of them.
"Thank you so much for letting us stay here, if there's anything either of us can do to-"
"No worries at all, Vic," Liv interrupted, laughing, "I just wanted to ask you something,"
"Go ahead," I replied.
"Is Luke okay?"
I paused, thinking of how to reply.
"He'll be fine, he just needs a few hours to sleep," I replied, following her into the kitchen. The kitchen was absolutely amazing. It had a stove, microwave, AND fridge, all of which were fully functional and stocked.
"I'm worried about him. Do you know much about what happened to him with Jerry?" Liv asked, leaning against the counter top.
"Not really. I just know he was under some sort of mind control until he was convinced to start doing things on his own," I shrugged.
"Nick and I interrupted one of their rituals, and I have no idea what was going on. Luke was there though,"
"I doubt anything happened, especially since y'all interrupted,"
"He just isn't acting the same. The Luke Halifax I know is always excited about everything. Something changed in your brother," Liv spoke.
"He's never had a supportive family. He just wants to fit in somewhere," I answered, resting my fist under my chin.
"Those stupid cultists brainwashed that poor kid," Liv groaned. I could hear the shower water running, which was a good sign. I was about to respond to Liv, when Willy beat me to it.
"Don't beat Luke up too bad, Jerry's been at these mind games for years," He called to us, stepping up into the living room. "Every single one of the cultists you met were manipulated into joining him,"
"They're all terrible people," Liv argued.
"Gustav was in the late stages of liver disease, and didn't have much longer to live. He became frustrated to the point of turning to Jerry for emotional support. Jerry promised him eternal life. Camilla was a street beggar. A homeless woman who would sneak into the restaurant after closing. She was eventually caught, but Jerry praised her lying and deception, and convinced her to join his cult," Willy explained, joining us at the counter top. "He got Kevin, who worked at the restaurant as a cosplayer. He loved the children and the acting. Eventually, he started believing the role of an actual knight. That's where Jerry got him. Oswald was one of the most doormat people ever. Always letting people step on him and berate him. One day, he finally snapped. Jerry jumped on that opportunity to offer him a group that would treat him like he deserved,"
"Dang," Liv whispered, "I'm sorry for being such a jerk about this, but I care for Luke almost as much as I care for you. I'd hate to see him turn into one of them,"
"I appreciate your concern, totally. I don't want to see that happen either," I replied, still listening to the running shower.
"Luke has a kind heart. He's sympathetic. He relates to 'em somehow," Willy added.
"Do you think he'll ever get over them?" I asked.
"If he's got the grit you do, no doubt about it," Willy replied, looking at me. I sneered in return.
"Does Jerry have any chance of coming back?" Liv asked. Willy thought for a moment as Nick came to join us. He was downing some sort of soda.
"Since you three are mature enough to not panic, there is a small chance that he could eventually," Willy started. Liv slammed her head against the counter, groaning.
"It's not likely to happen. The good forces are much more powerful than the dark ones," Willy explained, "Speaking of which, why aren't you asleep, girly? You look exhausted,"
"I'm going, don't worry, I just needed to talk to Liv for a bit," I smiled, "I'll be up in a few hours,"
"We'll have food for when you do," Liv called as I walked back to my room. Luke was still in the shower. I shut the door slightly, darkening the room. Crawling into the bed, I pulled the fresh blankets up to my chin. The smell of clean laundry was amazing. I felt at home, which was a different feeling to what I was used to. Closing my eyes, I let myself drift into a comforted slumber.
Luke's POV:
Vic doesn't get it. I realized that right as that blinding beam shot back into the ground, taking what was left of my dignity with it. I couldn't possibly understand how Vic didn't realize how much of a family Jerry was to me. I guess Jerry didn't really like her, which may have had something to do with it. Nevertheless, I missed them all. To make things even worse, I'm staying in a creepy guy's house, sharing a room with my own sister, sleeping about fifty feet from ex-murderous animatronics, and no one knows what they're doing.
As I expected, all the hot water had been used up by Vic, so I was sitting in freezing cold water, not wanting to get out. There was no way I was gonna use 'Rose Luxury Premium Conditioner for Silky Hair', so I just used bar soap to scrub my entire body of the weird musk I had acquired. Vic, Liv, and I spent the last thirty minutes trying to clean the animatronics, which was honestly a waste of time on my part. Sara basically forced me to sit there and listen to her talk about playing the theremin while I cleaned her. As much as I wanted to like the animatronics, I couldn't displace the feeling of longing for the cult. My cult. I was a part of it, and now they're gone.
I shut the water off, stepping onto the cold tile floor. Based on the lack of noise, I assumed everyone was asleep. The outfit Liv gave to me was obviously a girl's outfit, which made me reluctant to wear it. I didn't want to wander around the house undressed, though, so I chose to dress myself. Vic was snoring lightly by the time I shut the bedroom door and got into my bed. She was in the bed closest to the window. The sun was beginning to rise, which probably meant whoever was asleep would be awake soon. Since we didn't have to be up to see Dad at six in the morning, we could sleep in as long as we wanted. The bed I was given was nicer than the one I owned. The sheets were freshly cleaned too. I had always relied on Vic to do my laundry, which she never did. My mind kept racing as I tried to go to sleep. I doubted I'd be asleep for very long, since Vic kept making a variety of weird noises while she slept. I had never shared a room with her, which I definitely took for granted. Pulling the pillow over my head, I tried to silence the room. It was only a matter of time before I had managed to fall asleep.
My eyes began to open not long after, as I awoke in a very dark room.
"Vic?" I called into the abyss. My voice echoed for a moment, before I began to feel hot. As the darkness faded away, I found myself standing in what appeared to be Hell itself: a terrifying display of pure darkness. Am I dead? Initially terrified, I began to panic, before realizing this was a dream. When Vic was younger, she'd have night terrors, which woke everyone in the house up. This scene felt a lot like what Vic would describe.
"Luke?" A voice called to me. I turned my body to face the speaker, who looked beat up and bruised.
"Jerry?" I replied. I had never seen Jerry outside of Willy, but he looked almost exactly like I imagined. His dark brown hair was covered by a beanie, which I instantly recognized as the one Willy would wear. He had his uniform form the restaurant on, with a pair of suspenders extending over his beer gut. His face was hard to read, but his dusty brown eyes screamed agony.
"Look at what's happening to our friends," Jerry spoke, motioning to a scene of terrible events. Gustav, a larger, much older man, was laying on a hospital bed, surrounded by paperwork detailing his apparent late stages of liver cancer. Oswald, a tall and lanky man, scurried across the floor. He kept glancing behind him in fear, as if something were following him. Every now and then, he'd scream loudly, before breaking off into another sprint.
"What's happening? Where am I?" I asked, completely confused.
"You're having a nightmare," Jerry shrugged.
"I figured, but how do you know that?" Luke replied. Jerry paused.
"Because you're imagining me right now. You're imagining all of us,"
"I don't want you guys to be suffering like this, though," I protested.
"Well, Luke, this is a glimpse of what's going on right now, and you know it. Your family is being tortured for the rest of eternity because your little friends, Liv and Nick, chose to send us here," Jerry explained. I paused, still trying to find the rest of the cultists. I saw Sasha, a younger woman with long, blonde and blue dyed hair being chased by a giant crowd of children. Her skinny jeans were no help in outrunning the massive dogpile she was thrown under. She screamed loudly, trying to get out from under them. I then saw Carlos. A middle-aged man wearing a colorful jacket with medium length black hair. He was standing in front of a woman I didn't recognize, pleading with her.
"Maria, please, forgive me," Carlos sobbed loudly, avoiding a punch from the woman. Maria was his wife.
"You think I would forgive you? You never wanted what was best for us, you only wanted what was best for you!" Maria screeched.
"Maria, I've always loved you, and always will, please forgive me!" Carlos cried. I stepped back in shock.
"Jerry, please let him see the real Maria, that's not his real wife," I spoke, tugging on Jerry's restaurant shirt.
"I can't change what's going on right now. We're all damned to this place, where we'll suffer for the rest of eternity," Jerry replied, placing a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head slowly, watching everything unfold. "And to think that the animatronics got away with all of that. They took our life forces, and used innocent souls to keep themselves alive. We did the same thing, and look where that's landed us,"
"It's not fair," I spoke, looking up at Jerry, who smiled at me.
"You must really be dedicated to our family,"
"I've never had a family that treats me like a person,"
"Well your a very valued member of our group, you know,"
"Thanks, Jerry," I smiled slightly.
"You know, there is a way to fix this. Giving everyone the punishments they deserve and all," Jerry spoke, shrugging.
"How?"
"Well, you-" Jerry started
"LUKE, get up," A different voice screamed from out of nowhere. I groaned, moving my real hand to my ear. Realizing it was all a dream, and Vic just ruined it, I opened my eyes irritably. Vic stood over me, yanking the blankets off my body.
"Get lost, you idiot," I shouted, trying to grab the blankets back.
"It's time for food. You're hangry," Vic said, walking out of the room. Jerry was about to tell me how to get my family back, but now that's ruined. Standing up slowly, I stretched, feeling my back crack loudly. I had a guilty nag in my stomach, knowing very well the cultists were being unfairly tormented. I walked into the kitchen, being blasted with the smell of pancakes.
"There's the early riser, how did you sleep?" Liv asked, handing me a plate of pancakes. I glanced down, trying not to show my disdain. "Oh, Nick tried to make a happy face with chocolate chips, that's what you're looking at," She then explained. Nick did a pretty good job. Not as good as Dad's pancakes, but I was hungry, so I couldn't complain. I caught a glimpse of Vic, sitting on the floor with the rest of the animatronics. Watching her scarf down two pancakes whole disgusted me. She noticed me staring, and instantly beckoned me to join them.
"Come join our circle," Sara called.
"I'll pass," I replied, standing on the far side of the room, "I don't want to upstage your gorging session, Vic,"
Vic gave me a disspointed look, before standing up and swallowing whatever was in her mouth.
"Sleep okay?" She asked, washing her dishes in the sink. Nick stood at the stove, spraying the pan.
"Yeah," I shrugged.
"Sorry I woke you up, you were breathing really quickly so I didn't know-"
"Well you were the one making noises all night, and I still didn't wake you up," I interrupted her. Vic cocked her head, visably irritated, before returning to her dish cleaning. Liv and Vic met eye contact for a brief second, seemingly sharing each other's thoughts. Must be a girl thing. One thing's for sure, I'm not about to live here with these weirdos. I need to find my real family.
Vic's POV:
"So, plans for today?" Liv asked me as I loaded dirty dishes into Nick's dishwasher.
"Figure out what the hell we're gonna do next," I laughed.
"We're gonna admire the fact you just ate thirteen of those things," Willy called to me.
"I haven't eaten for the last few days, okay," I sneered back.
"Can't remember a time I've ever seen a kid eat that much in my eleven years of being on that stage," Arty teased.
"Maybe 'cause the food sucks," Willy shrugged.
"How would ya' know? It's not like any of us can taste," Arty replied. They erupted into a conversation, as I turned my attention back towards Luke. He was still sulking on the far side of the room.
"He looks so miserable," Liv whispered to me. I nodded softly. We all were standing in the center of the room around the kitchen counter, and Luke hadn't joined us. I knew what it was like to be anxious, so I didn't want to push Luke past his boundaries.
"Want to try and get your Mustang?" Liv asked a little louder. I could tell she was trying to find something Luke would enjoy doing.
"I'd totally go down there, but I don't want to be caught stealing or whatever," I replied. Nick moved from the kitchen to the living room, where a giant plasma screen sat on the far wall. Clicking on the tv, he flipped a few channels before coming to Vegas5 News. Hearing my name from the perky news reporter instantly caught my attention.
"Looks like they finally caught up to us," Willy mumbled. I approached the tv as Nick turned up the volume.
"This is Rebba Beryl reporting for Vegas5. Today's breaking report takes place in one of the very obscure towns in Nevada, Hayesville, where a terrible massacre has occurred. We have Denny Davis on the scene," A brunette woman spoke, wearing a button up shirt that should've had a few more buttons. The camera cut to a round man standing in front of what was left of Hayesville.
"Thank you Rebba, as you can see there is practically nothing left of Nevada's quaint little Hayesville. What was once known as the home of Willy's Wonderland is now completely burned to the ground, with the exception of the restaurant itself," Denny spoke, letting the camera pan around the town.
"Hey, it's your Mustang," Sara whispered, pointing to a blue car sitting patiently outside what was left of my trailer. I smiled, realizing there was still a chance for me to save it.
"The perpetrators were caught fleeing the scene, entering neighboring town Ely to burn down a popular Walmart on I-80. Who are these dastardly criminals, you may ask? Security camera footage from witness phones reveal the perpetrators are a set of robots from the local Hayesville restaurant. Accompanying them is Victoria Halifax, a resident of Hayesville. Footage was taken from witness phones, and has been authorized to watch tonight. Viewer discretion advised," Danny spoke.
"Well they obviously didn't get the full story," Luke mumbled from behind me. On the screen, a video camera footage was shown of Jerry and his crew ripping through the town, terrorizing and murdering people. Jerry turned towards the screaming camera man, before the camera cut out. Footage was then shown of the terrible graffiti job on the walls, detailing my own name.
"Nevada Police Department Chief Sheriff Stone has asked that if anyone has come into contact with Victoria Halifax, or has any evidence that could lead to she and the robot's arrest, please come forward,"
On the screen, my most recent mugshot was displayed, along with terrible advertisement imagery from Willy's Wonderland. Underneath all that, the stupid Facebook post with Willy and I.
"Hm, is that me?" Willy asked, narrowing his eyes at the screen.
"Of course it's you, dork, you've been holding a stance in the middle of that darn stage for your entire existence," Cammy replied.
"This is not good," I spoke, pursing my lips. Nick turned off the screen as the news anchor changed to a different topic.
"We're wanted fugitives," Sara whispered.
"I hath failed to uphold the knightly honor of duty to my land," Knighty cried.
"It's not like Hayesville didn't hate us before," Arty added.
"At least we get to join ya' in your little police game, Vic," Willy smiled, nudging me. I snickered, appreciating no one was panicking as much as I was.
"There's probably a bounty on each of us," Arty teased, "I definitely have the highest amount,"
"No one wants you, they're gonna be after me," Willy replied.
"Nah, you're both wronger than wrong. I'm the best," Gus added. The animatronics erupted into an argument, as Liv placed her hand on my shoulder.
"They won't find you here. At least Luke isn't involved with that," She said.
"I hope it stays that way. The last thing I need is for him to be left on his own. I can't even imagine what prison time they'd make me serve," I replied, glancing over to him.
"Nick and I would care for him if anything ever were to happen to you," Liv smiled, "Not that I want anything to happen to you, but ya' know, we're here for you,"
"I know what you mean," I laughed.
"We'll have to assume false identities," Ozzie spoke wisely.
"There ain't no way we could disguise ourselves as anything," Arty snickered.
"I'll need to completely reinvent myself. Everyone in Nevada has seen my face at this point," I added, realizing Ozzie was completely correct.
"We're going on in style, my friends, hopefully we get put in the same prison cell," Ozzie joked.
"You and Luke could use my last name," Liv shrugged. Honestly not a bad idea.
"Vic Hawthorne?" I spoke, trying to decide if it sounded stupid.
"I doubt anyone would be able to pick up on your first name," Liv reasoned. I nodded.
"We can just be cousins or something,"
"I can't really change your physical appearance, so you'll have to figure out something there," Liv continued.
"Dye it blue," Sara recommended. I would look absolutely terrible with blue hair, no doubt.
"You'll have to ditch your accent," Liv added.
"What accent are you talkin' about?" I replied, laughing.
"You've got a Western accent, no use denyin' it," Willy stated. I repeated a few words over outloud, trying to pick up where I was slurring.
"So, are we gonna do anything other than wait for Vicky to figure out how to change her voice?" Luke spoke.
"Did you just call me Vicky?" I asked, turning to face him. No one close to me ever called me Vicky. The last time anyone called me Vicky was when Jerry was here…
"I meant Vic, sorry," Luke mumbled back.
"Anything you wanna do, Luke," Liv shrugged, "Y'all have full access to the house, according to Nick,"
Nick nodded his head slowly, still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.
"See, back when kids didn't have phones, they spent time outside," Ozzie explained.
"My phone is dead, all my friends are dead too," Luke replied. Arty fake coughed loudly.
"Aren't we your friends too?" He asked. Luke thought for a moment.
"I guess,"
"Nick and I are your friends too," Liv smiled. Luke shrugged, "Speaking of which, did y'all end up finding the pinball machine? Nick said you guys had some interest in pinball,"
"Pinball?" Ozzie asked excitedly.
"Yeah, he's got a whole lineup in the garage. Didn't you guys spend the night in there?" Liv asked.
"It's not like we have night vision," Gus shrugged. Ozzie was the first to make his way back to the garage, pulling the steel doorknob with his beak. Nick motioned for Luke to join him in the living room in front of the tv. Luke was very reluctant, but after I nudged him forward, he trudged towards the couch. Liv and I watched as Nick pulled out a disheveled box from behind the couch, which I instantly recognized as the XBox I had given Luke for his birthday.
"How did you find that?" Luke asked, a little bit of excitement in his voice. Nick smiled, plugging it into the input system. After getting the systems to connect, the plasma screen was lit up with the XBox logo screen. Nick pulled open a drawer, motioning for Luke to come look. Luke was more willing this time, as he often enjoyed picking the games at his friends houses. Nick had a collection of hundreds of XBox games, which was honestly impressive. I smiled, watching Luke shuffle happily through his options.
"Hey, can we talk for just a sec?" Liv whispered to me. I nodded my head, following her to the garage. She opened the door, holding it open as she walked down the wooden stairs.
"Alright, so when do we get to drive?" Arty asked, playing with the Camaro's mirrors. The animatronics had managed to gather around the Camaro, while Ozzie searched for the pinball machine.
"Uh, never," I scoffed.
"Oh c'mon, you wouldn't trust me with your hotrod?" Willy asked, glancing to Liv and I.
"She doesn't even let anyone ride in the passenger seat," Liv replied.
"That ain't fair, if they let Vic on the road, they should let me," Arty teased.
"Nick and I are worried about Luke," Liv spoke, turning my attention back to her.
"I don't know what to do with him. Something changed, and I can't quite pinpoint it,'`I replied.
"Does he know how to perform any dark magic?" Liv then asked.
"For his sake, I hope not," I answered, holding my arms.
"As long as he doesn't get his hands on any spells, he should be fine," Willy called to us, playing with the license plate.
"You don't think he'd ever try to bring Jerry back, do you?" Liv asked.
"He seemed miserable with the cult. Even I could see that. But now, he's acting like they actually meant something to him," I replied.
"Did Luke say anything to you yesterday, Sara?" Liv then asked Sara, who was occupied by her reflection in the deep blue paint of the car.
"Nope, not a word to me. I felt kinda bad, seeing as he was so quiet, but then again, maybe he was just that amused with my theremin skills," Sara explained.
"I doubt it, what on earth is a theremin, anyways? If anything, Luke should become a prodigy keyboardist like me," Ozzie added, pacing around the garage.
"Has it ever occurred to either of you that none of us can actually play those?" Willy asked.
"Of course not, idiot, I'm a keyboarding prodigy just like Albert Einstein," Ozzie replied.
"Who the hell is that?" Willy asked in return.
"I don't know, but he probably played the keyboard," Ozzie retorted. Liv and I snickered.
"We were literally programmed to play the darn things," Willy argued.
"Without opposable thumbs, there's no way your dinky little bird feathers could poke the keys," Gus butted in.
"There ain't no way that you actually think you can play the keyboard," Arty added.
"I can too, you dorks just don't know what ya talkin' about," Ozzie shot back.
"If it means anything to you, Ozzie, I believe you're a great keyboardist," Cammy spoke, sounding like she was about to laugh.
"Si, senor, dream big," Tito continued.
"I'd keep an eye on him. I don't think it'd be wise for him to start trying to learn dark magic," Liv then spoke to me.
"Don't worry, he's my brother, I can handle him," I smiled back.
"You've barely been able to handle yourself for the last few years," Liv laughed. I elbowed her, silently agreeing. "But I trust that you know what you're doing with him,"
"Trust is all I can ask from you at this point," I shrugged.
"Imagine trusting me enough to drive the car, right Vic?" Willy asked.
"I might letcha someday, don't get your hopes up though," I replied.
"Just be careful, please," Liv spoke, resting her hand on my shoulder. I nodded. Luke will get over himself. I wish he'd realize how much pain I went through, then maybe he'd think twice about considering Jerry 'family'.
"We'll do our best to keep him entertained," Sara spoke to me.
"I appreciate it. I'm not sure what exactly has him on edge right now," I replied.
"He seemed to be close with Carlos, maybe I can try and help him out," Tito shrugged.
"Not a bad idea," Liv replied. I peered through the garage door, watching Nick and Luke tapping furiously on their gaming controls. They were both extremely concentrated. Luke had a bit of a smile on his face, and threw his hands in the air triumphantly once he won. Nick high fived him, which Luke accepted. I smiled, closing the door again.
"Nick is doin' a decent job of keeping him occupied,"
"Yeah, Nick is a pretty chill guy once you get to know him," Liv replied.
"Since we're here, might as well find some plan to get out," Arty called to us.
"Luke might want to stay here until he gets his emotions sorted out. More change might really stress him out," Cammy spoke.
"We might have to spend the rest of summer here. School starts in August, and Luke needs to go to school still," I explained.
"You've got a point. What about college?" Liv asked.
"I have to find a job to start paying tuition. I doubt Nevada will let me keep whatever money Dad had left," I replied.
"If you're willing to get a job at the middle school, you could still be with Luke the whole day," Liv suggested.
"Do you even know me?" I laughed, "I hate kids,"
"Just try to get along with them until you get enough money to start looking elsewhere," Liv laughed back, "They pay pretty good for front desk,"
"I'll think about it,"
"It's better than going back to Hoggentoggs,"
"I'm never going back to the food industry again," I laughed. The summer before our senior year of school, Liv and I had gotten part time jobs at one of the obscure branded restaurants in Hayesville, the local Hoggentoggs. It was family owned, and a Hayesville only, trying to profit off the success of Willy's Wonderland. They closed down shortly after, mostly due to a rat infestation. Nevertheless, it was miserable working with the other college dropouts and convicted felons that were also sick of their jobs.
"Luke will hate it if I work where he goes to school. This is the most time I've ever spent with him at once, and he's hating it," I spoke.
"He'll get over it like you said," Liv shrugged.
"What happens after you get the money to leave?" Cammy asked.
"I'll probably end up somewhere in Nevada. Hopefully in a space big enough for Luke and I," I replied.
"What do ya' anticipate will happen to us?" Arty asked.
"You guys can stay here for as long as you want," Liv replied, glancing towards me.
"I doubt any money is gonna go towards fixing Hayesville for a while, so y'all are welcome to come with us," I shrugged, "Or wait here until we find a place,"
"I miss the restaurant," Ozzie whined.
"That place wasn't gonna last anyways," Sara shrugged, "It's not like Tex wasn't operating it under the Health Department's nose,"
"I guess as long as we don't get SWATted out of here, we can stick around until I get the money to leave. I promise Luke and I will do our fair share of the housework and whatnot," I smiled at Liv.
"You guys don't need to do chores, you're staying here out of your freewill, just accept the gift," Liv sneered.
"Fine. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna help y'all out with the rent as soon as I can," I replied. Liv rolled her eyes.
"How about we all get jobs, then we'll be raking in nine times the money," Gus spoke.
"Great idea genius, who do you think is gonna hire us?" Willy smirked. Gus thought for a moment.
"Well it was just an offer, it's not like Willy's Wonderland is a worldwide franchise," Gus retorted.
"Maybe we can sell ourselves for scrap. Make Vic some money like that," Arty sneered. Everyone shot him a rude glance. If I turned myself in, Luke would probably have enough resources to find himself a better home. Giving Luke the life he deserved was at the top of my priority list. Even if that meant sacrificing my own happy ending.
Luke's POV:
Nick and I had been tied for the last twenty minutes. I'd never played a gun game quite like this, but I was beginning to get the hang of this. Nick had obviously played this before, as his technique was much more refined. I was always able to use Rich's new XBox when I went to his house, so I had some experience to work with.
"Dang, man, that's another win for you," I breathed, watching the 'GAME OVER' screen flash. Nick managed to secure the tiebreaker. Nick smiled at me, cracking his knuckles. Vic and Liv were in the garage, so the silence inside the house was strange. Vic was always the one to be home alone, not me. "So do you ever talk? Vic said I shouldn't ask you, 'cause it might be rude, but I'm just curious,"
Nick was silent for a moment, before finally removing his aviators. He sighed loudly.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you," Nick spoke. It was the first time I had ever heard his voice, but it seemed to match his face.
"I mean, I guess, I just lost my family-"
"Vic is right through that door, isn't she?" Nick interrupted.
"No, I mean, like, the cult,"
"Are they family to you?"
"Sorta, more than Vic is,"
"How come?"
"I can't remember the last time she cared about me until now,"
"How'd you end up here?"
I thought for a moment.
"Uh, we drove?"
"Before that,"
"We nearly died?"
"Before that,"
"Alright, well, Vic blew all my money on a speeding ticket, so we had to go to Willy's Wonderland for my birthday. None of my friends could show up, which I didn't quite understand until my dad told me people were murdered there to appease those freaks," I started, motioning for the garage door, "Then Vic goes and ruins the car and none of us can pay for her idiocy so she spends the night at the restaurant. Jerry finds me and helps me try and save Vic, Vic obviously doesn't give a crap about anyone but herself, I leave her alone, Dad comes home drunk and freaks out at me for no reason, I go back to the restaurant with my friend on video chat, I find Vic and Willy doin' stuff, I'm forced to leave again, Jerry tries to comfort me, Vic gets out alive, everyone somehow hates her now, which she deserves, Jerry convinces me to recite the spell to bring him back, and you know the rest,"
Nick thought for a moment.
"What about when Vic paid for your XBox? Or when she made sure to try and make you happy the day of your birthday?" He asked.
"All of those things were in her favor,"
"What about all the times she's been a mother to you? All the times she put you first? All the people she had ripped from her life. Her entire soul was nearly devoured, all on the day of her nineteenth birthday,"
I had completely forgotten about Vic's nineteenth birthday, which was, in fact, yesterday. I felt slightly guilty for that.
"Jerry put me first. He wanted to help me help Vic, and she obviously wanted nothing to do with him,"
"Did Jerry really want to help you?"
"Why else would he invite me to be part of the cult?"
"Why did he have to disguise himself if he knew you could trust him? Did you even trust him?"
"Not at first I guess,"
"If you were to go back to the way things were, would you still trust a man who has taken innocent lives for sport?"
"It's not like the animatronics haven't been doing the same thing, why aren't they getting any hate for this?"
"Do you really think they've enjoyed it?"
"I don't know, I don't talk with murderers,"
Nick scoffed upon hearing my reply, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Wait, wait, I didn't mean it like that," I laughed, trying to correct my mistake.
"Do you really hate your sister?"
"Sometimes I do, she and Liv took my friends,"
"Would you be okay if Vic were to suffer like she did again?"
"Dead people don't suffer,"
Nick raised his eyebrows at me. "I think you need to think about what your priorities are in life,"
"I know what I want, I want my cult back,"
"Do you want everything they'll bring with them?"
I gave a confused look.
"Jerry swore he'd finish everything he started. That includes destroying what's left of Vic, and continuing to destroy Nevada,"
"Do you know anything about dark magic?"
Nick was silent for a moment.
"I do not think you should get involved with that. Dark magic is a very, very dangerous power that should not be wielded by those who don't know how powerful it really is,"
"If you say so,"
"Please remember that Vic is your friend. So are Liv and I, and the rest of the animatronics. We all want to help you. We're all very concerned,"
I shrugged, fiddling with the XBox controller. It was at that point that Liv and Vic came back from the garage. Nick became silent again, giving a slight smile to the both of them.
"Looks like you've finally met your match, Luke," Vic smiled, motioning to the score on the screen.
"It's not like you've ever played XBox with me," I scoffed back.
"I've heard from your friends' parents that you love gaming," Vic shrugged, "I only assumed you were somewhat decent,"
"Yeah, I'm told so," I sneered back. Vic smirked, rolling her eyes.
"I'm about to go find you guys some more clothes. I'm gonna swing by Hayesville and see if I can get the Mustang," Liv spoke, grabbing a set of keys from a small keyholder drilled into the side of the wall.
"Be careful, I promise I'll pay-" Vic began to speak.
"No, no, no, this is on me," Liv smiled, before going back out the garage door with Vic.
"How about you go out there and socialize?" Nick spoke. I glanced at him, trying to convey my disgust with his statement. Seeing Nick's expression not change made me realize he was serious. I had nothing better to do, so I stood up lazily from the couch and walked out to the garage.
"Aye, amigo! Come join us!" Tito called, seeing me in the doorway, Liv was just pulling out of the driveway as Vic waved to her. I stepped down the wooden stairs, walking over to where Ozzie was furiously trying to grasp the pinball controls.
"Ozzie found the pinball machine, but he can't quite get the hang of it," Tito explained.
"Shush, you, I'm working on my technique," Ozzie hissed as the metal ball bounced back down.
"Do you play pinball, Luke?" Cammy asked. I looked at her, shaking my head.
"I think there may have been one in y'all's arcade room, but Vic had me using the motorcycle racers," I replied.
"Sounds about right," Willy teased, nudging Vic, who smirked back.
"You should give it a go, I need to base my skills off someone a little less skilled than me," Ozzie spoke, stepping back. I looked towards him.
"Go ahead," Sara urged. I stepped towards the colorful pinball machine, and grasped the knobs on either side. I can't even remember the last time I played this game. It's for old people, anyways. I released the ball, rapidly pressing the buttons on either side of the machine.
"Hm, you've got some competition there, Ozzie," Arty teased.
"Oh shut up, it's not like-"
I hit 10,000, finally letting the ball fall. That was actually kind of fun.
"Well then," Ozzie growled, "Out of the way, I'm still warming up,"
I stepped out of Ozzie's way, trying not to laugh.
"With those skills, you'd make a great contender with Nick," Tito smiled.
"Nick plays pinball often?"
Tito, Gus, Cammy, and Willy all made eye contact.
"Let's just say he really likes the gamel," Gus laughed awkwardly. With another few bangs and clicks, Ozzie kept poking the buttons, trying to get the ball to stay up. Vic seemed relaxed, which is something I didn't think I'd ever see again. I was beginning to relax, too.
In another few hours, Liv opened the garage door again. I was sitting on the far end of the garage, talking to Tito about pinball. Ozzie hadn't stopped, which was quite impressive. Vic squealed with excitement, seeing her stupid car being towed by the Camaro. She ran towards Liv, opening the driver's door.
"How'd you get it?" She asked excitedly, running her hand over the dented hood.
"How on earth did she manage to tow that thing?" I asked Tito.
"Don't ask me, I've never touched a car in my life," Tito shrugged. Liv and Vic spoke excitedly for the next five minutes, which was my cue to go back into the air conditioned house. The sky was beginning to darken, and I wanted food. Upon going back in, I immediately smelt steak. Interesting choice. Nick stood over the cast-iron stove, grilling a very large piece of steak.
"Need any help?" I called to him. Nick shook his head, flipping the meat over. Shrugging, I returned to my room. Without a phone to use, I was completely isolated. Vic didn't even have a phone, but there weren't many people for her to contact either. I guess I can just sit here until one of them decides to finally leave. School's gonna start soon, and knowing Vic, she's not gonna let me skip.
Vic's POV:
Throughout dinner, I was still completely overjoyed by the idea my Mustang was okay. The windshield was destroyed, but that would be an easy fix. Nick was generous enough to let it sit in the garage, just in case a patrol copter where to fly overhead and somehow spot it. I questioned how Liv managed to get the Mustang, to which she merely replied 'I just followed the rest of the looters'. Liv had even picked up some clothes for Luke, which I hope he was gracious about. I didn't get to see his reaction, as Nick was quick to invite me to eat. Liv said she'd let me use her closet, which I was fine with. The steak was amazing. I couldn't remember the last time I had meat that wasn't freezer burnt. The entire evening was completely relaxing, and had begun to feel like my normal self again. After dinner, I was the first to excuse myself to sleep. Nick and Liv both tried to convince me to stay up and watch Wheel of Fortune with everyone else, but my mind was racing, and the last thing I needed was to have an emotional breakdown. I didn't want to ruin everyone else's evening, or even my own.
Sitting on my bed, I stared at myself through the large, square mirror on the wall. I could hear the Wheel of Fortune theme song through the wall. The only light provided was from the moon glowing through the curtains. I breathed silently, watching my chest move forwards and backwards. I was so focused on the fact I was still able to breath, when the door opened. I jumped slightly, instantly flipping to see who disturbed me from my silence. Willy stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"You," I smirked.
"I can see it on your face, there's something very wrong. I didn't wanna bring it up in front of everyone, so I waited," Willy explained, shutting the door behind him. I folded my legs close to me to make room on the bed.
"As much as I appreciate it, there's nothing wrong with me," I smiled back, stretching my arms above my head.
"I know you too well, I promise ya' can tell me," Willy responded, sitting next to me.
"Alright, if you must know, I'm worried about Luke," I started, "I don't think he's realized the severity of what happened,"
"It might take him a few weeks to get over himself," Willy shrugged.
"I don't care how long it takes, I just want my brother back,"
"Deep down inside, he knows who he is. There might be a bit of fuzziness, but he's a good soul. He just needs a little bit of help,"
"You're right. I don't know why I'm so concerned, he'll pull through. But what if Jerry comes back? You heard what he said about hunting me down,"
"I swear on my own soul I won't let them hurt you again. Your soul won't hold up to any more blows for the next few years or so,"
"I'll try to avoid dark magic if I can," I laughed, "But I'm not too sure about Luke. Do you think he'd try to learn dark magic?"
"It takes a special skill set to use dark magic. I know that Nick guy knows a bit about it,"
"How on earth do either of you know?"
"Call it learning from watching,"
I laughed, running my hand over my face.
"How are you guys supposed to stay alive now?"
"I was gonna tell you sooner, but I wanted to make sure ya' were okay first. The power generated by whatever portal Liv and Nick opened was enough to make it so none of us need to keep up with the soul absorbing for a very long time," Willy explained.
"So no more killing?"
"Nun' of that, girly,"
I smiled again, brushing the hair from my face.
"All this, over a speeding ticket,"
"At least you came back to see us, I'd say that ticket worked out in my favor,"
"Mine too. I don't care what it brought after, getting to know y'all was the best thing to ever happen to me,"
"Just think of the valuable job experience you got cleaning that place up," Willy smirked.
"The minute that place touches my resume is the minute I get sent to prison," I laughed in return.
"I can't believe that after this whole thing, you've still got your brother on top of your priority list. It really says how much you care for him,"
"I really try. It's not like I'm not worried about my well-being, I just want Luke to be okay,"
"The both of 'ya are gonna be just fine,"
"I'll definitely try," I snickered.
"Speakin' of which, I just wanted to letcha know I meant what I told you earlier," Willy spoke, turning to face me, "Every single word, I meant,"
I didn't have to ask to know what Willy was talking about.
"I did too," I smiled hazily.
"And about the whole soul eating-"
"I know it wasn't your fault. It's okay," I interrupted, smiling, "You've somehow managed to get my heart unequivocally yours,"
"Good. 'Cause that's what I was hopin' you'd say," Willy smirked. I moved my body into Willy's lap. "You're gettin' all too comfortable with gettin' close to me, I'm startin' to think you like it,"
"Whatever," I mumbled happily, sitting upright and resting my face in Willy's shoulder.
"If I recall correctly, you seemed to hate my guts after-"
"Shush," I whispered, bringing a finger to Willy's mouth, "If I've learned anything these past few days, it's that they're not gonna knock if they hear us,"
"Looks like someone has learned a thing or two," Willy sneered quietly, embracing my back with his hands.
"I learned a lot more than that, but there's still so much I wish I knew about you," I breathed.
"Oh yea? Ask away girly, I'm an open book,"
"I've got way too many awkward questions," I laughed, shifting in Willy's lap.
"Are you referrin' to that whole cleaning thing earlier?" Willy snickered in reply. I nodded, hearing laughter from outside the room.
"I don't even know where to start," I smiled, rubbing my eyes from over Willy's shoulder, "Do y'all feel anything? Like, sensation wise? Touch?"
"Technically, yes. I think you humans like to call it crude touch," Willy explained.
"Is it the same everywhere on you?" I asked, trying to shift my straddle to a more comfortable position.
"My eyes are up here, and that's nun' ya' business," Willy sneered. My eyes instantly shot back up towards his.
"I just want to know," I whined playfully.
"Well I'll leave that up to ya' to figure out,"
I bit my lip, trying not to smile as my face flushed.
"Now look what you've done, I can't remember the rest of my questions,"
"Just relax," Willy comforted, pulling me into his chest.
"I've been trying for the last day and a half," I teased.
"That's true. You deserve some time for just yourself," Willy spoke, cocking his head to the right.
"If you leave me here I'm gonna cry," I smiled, letting my hands run over Willy's forearms as I brought my head back up to meet his eyes.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Vic. Wouldn't even dream of it,"
"Good. Now hush," I spoke again, running both thumbs over the sides of Willy's steel jaw.
"I think I'm supposed to be the one tellin' you to shush, girly," Willy sneered, placing his left hand under my chin.
"Do it, then, I betcha' won't,"
In that instant, Willy smashed his mouth against mine. I had done this before, and was actually prepared. I kept my lips on the upper part of Willy's mouth, doing my best to avoid his two front teeth. His lower jaw pushed firmly against my bottom lip. It didn't take too much more maneuvering to get into a comfortable position, seeing as I was given a little extra leverage on Willy's lap. I let one hand rest gently on the back of his head, while the other pulled his back firmly towards me. The sounds from outside the room slowly began to be drowned out by the sound of my heart fluttering in my ears. I was relieved I chose to clean Willy's mouth earlier, as I no longer could taste blood. I did my best to not get too carried away, but it became increasingly difficult with each movement' Willy's mouth made.
"Willy," I breathed, pausing for a brief second to catch my breath.
"Yea girly?" He purred back. I kept breathing, bringing both my lips between his jaws. My eyes shut as I let my body continue to relax. Willy's hands were placed on both my shoulders, which he continuously pulled towards him. I had my arms laced under his, meeting on his upper back.
"Please don't ever let me lose you,"
"Never ever again,"
I pulled my bottom lip against Willy's lower jaw, trying to stop shaking. Willy's lower jaw moved upwards, pulling my mouth back to the upper jaw. The warmth I felt pulled firmly against Willy's chest was so comforting. He feels so strong...Jerry wasn't kidding about Willy being well-built. Every now and then, I could feel Willy's claws poke my back as he moved. I did my best not to flinch. The soft mechanical noises he kept making were strangely soothing. As his grip on my tightened and released, I could hear his joints moving. The softness of the bed allowed my shins to rest comfortable to the sides of Willy's thighs. I kept my body firmly pressed against his, trying to maintain my composure. I began to rest the tip of my tongue lightly along the front edge of Willy's jaw, which made him growl lightly. I breathed heavily, about to continue, when the room door swung open. Damn it.
"Caught you BOTH, no use trying to play it off now," Arty shouted. I barely had the body control to turn myself to face the crowd that had gathered in the doorway. I winced, trying to let my eyes adjust to the hallway lights. There was no use in trying to pretend like nothing happened.
"Don't you idiots know anything about privacy?" Willy growled, glancing over my head at the jeerers.
"We've lived together for the last eleven years, what privacy are you talking about?" Ozzie asked, laughing. Completely embarrassed, I kept my face in a smug sneer, not bothering to rotate my body around. I still kept on hand around Willy's shoulders, but the other had to aid me in partially turning to see.
"Why did any of you think it was a good idea to come in here," Willy asked, sounding greatly annoyed.
"You said you were gonna come in here to check on Vic, not eat-" Arty started.
"Yea, well she's doin' just fine," Willy replied.
"Oh I can tell. We're leaving the door open,"
"Thanks for stayin' on your bed, Vic," Luke spoke sarcastically.
"Oh shut up, it's not like we were-" I started.
"Vic and Willy sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-" Ozzie and Arty interrupted
"Ustedes dos definitivamente parecen una pareja poderosa que anda explotando cosas por diversión," (You two definitely seem like a power couple that goes around exploding stuff for fun) Tito added. I was far too tired to even think of a snarky response, so I just sat there awkwardly, straining my neck to see.
"Leave the poor girl alone," Sara spoke, motioning towards me.
"At least you're finally gettin' her. Now you can stop complaining about how perfect she is, and how you'd do anything just to-" Gus started.
"Alright alright, I'll get out so Luke can come to sleep," Willy spoke over the jeering of the rest of the animatronics.
"Actually, senor, Luke wanted to spend the night in the garage with us," Tito smiled, motioning towards Luke.
"Don't worry Luke, I won't kick you out-" I started, trying to pry my legs from spots in the bed they had sunken into.
"No, it's fine, Tito and I wanted to stay up to talk about stuff," Luke interrupted. The tone in his voice was genuine, which was something I hadn't heard since the day of his birthday party.
"Oh, that's fine I guess," I replied, feeling slightly relieved.
"We'll have him asleep before midnight, don't worry," Sara smiled. I made eye contact with Luke. I could barely read the expression on his face, but he seemed content. He pulled Tito away from the doorway, being followed by Sara.
"We're leaving the door open," Arty called, walking away. I rolled my eyes, smiling.
"You've got a new pinball score to beat tomorrow, Vic, better be ready," Ozzie continued, following Arty. Liv stood patiently in the doorway once everyone left.
"Is that you, Liv?" I asked, still straining to see over my shoulder.
"Oh my gosh Vic," Liv laughed loudly, "You guys are so cute,"
"Leave me alone," I snickered, trying not to laugh with her.
"Alright, I'll be in the living room with Nick if you need anything," She waved, walking away. There was a pause of silence, before Willy or I spoke again.
"I'm not surprised at this point," Willy sneered.
"Honestly, me neither," I shrugged, "You gonna stay here with me?"
"If ya' want, there's no way I'm going back to the garage with the rest of those losers, they'll keep me talking all night,"
"Stay here with me then," I smiled, dismounting from Willy's lap. I pulled several pillows behind us, propping me up. I then pulled the blankets over my body, moving over to the far side of the bed. Willy awkwardly joined, leaning his body backwards against the back of the bed. I pushed into the incline, yawning sleepily.
"You don't have to stay here all night, just don't leave until I'm asleep," I smiled lightly, closing my eyes.
"Not, a, problem," Willy said, propping himself up with another pillow. He held me tightly in his arms as I breathed deeply. I kept hearing Wheel of Fortune fade in and out of my ears as I tried to calm my mind again. The hallway light had been shut off, which gave me the darkness I needed to sleep. As I lay there, I managed to clear my mind of the anxieties I was having about the next few weeks. I figured as long as Luke was beginning to become more comfortable with everyone here, I'd be fine too. Despite the cake, candy-painted blood, and guts that were gonna haunt me for the next several years, I was going to convince myself to put it behind me. I needed to become a different person to go back to living in society. Although my reputation was completely destroyed, my life was still in one piece, which I couldn't be more happy about. I was content with here I was. As my mind began to drift off to the dream realm, my heartbeat calmed down. Luke is fine. You're fine. Just go to sleep. I heard the AC unit clicking above me, reminding me of my restless nights in the trailer home. This time, however, the coils gave off a soothing noise, which ultimately ended up pulling me back into the deep slumber I've craved for the last three days.