Vic's POV:
I slinked my body around the familiar plastic tables surrounding the Willy's Wonderland stage. I knew this was a dream based on how clean everything looked, and how little people seemed to care I was tripping into them accidentally. It had been almost a year since I had actually set foot in the restaurant, but my frequent nightmares made it so I never forgot how to navigate.
This dream in particular had started off peaceful. I didn't quite know what was going on, but I knew I had to find Willy. The stage was completely empty, so I figured they had to be around here somewhere. None of the unfamiliar customers seemed to notice the empty stage. Moving towards the Super Happy Fun Room, I kept my wits about me. My dreams never stayed peaceful for long, as I was frequently putting myself into trouble's way. That was my way of attempting to resolve whatever was haunting me, but it didn't really work. The sooner you wake up in a screaming fit of terror, the better.
"Willy," I called down a dark hallway. I saw the glowing exit sign at the end.
"'Scuse me, miss?" A small voice spoke from behind me, tugging on my shirt. I flipped around, initially irritated that someone from the crowds could hear me. A little girl stood there, wearing a blue dress covered with random stains. "I'm looking for Willy too, I know where we can find him," She smiled. I stared at the girl, watching her move in front of me. She looked familiar.
"Wait," I called, as she placed her hand on the Super Happy Fun Room door. She glanced back at me. "Let me get the door, there might be someone-"
Before I had a chance to continue, a pair of gloved hands phased through the doorway, grabbing the screaming girl and pulling her through. I sprang forward, rushing to the door. I banged on the glass loudly, trying to see through. I pressed my ear up against it, trying to hear for any signs of life. Using the back of my heel, I kicked at the hinges, trying to bust the door down. This thing is built like a fort, I cant get these hinges to budge.
"Oh, Vic," Another familiar voice chided from inside the room.
"Leave her alone!" I screamed through the door, pulling mercilessly against the handle. Finally, it snapped off. I flung open the door. My eyes were greeted with a familiar sight. The girl was obviously me, there was no doubt about it. The sparkly pink outfit, the strange assortment of plastic necklaces, the sparkly crown atop my long, brown hair, and the laughing and smiling with who I instantly recognized as a younger version of Liv. None of the laughing children in the room seemed bothered by the fact that the younger version of me was literally pulled through a solid door. I saw Liv's parents in the back of the room, taking photos with a camcorder. The lights were turned on, which was a nice, familiar alternative to the emergency LEDs. There were several strange decorations lining the walls, which I didn't bother to stare at. The younger version of myself stuffed her face full of cake, which definitely confirmed the fact that was me. Liv played with one of her presents, a small doll, while the other unfamiliar children shoved pizza into their mouths. My memory raced, as I tried to remember what happened next. My stomach dropped as I realized what that was.
"Alright, time for games!" Sasha shouted loudly from behind me, causing me to jump in place. No one seemed to see me, as all the kids in the room instantly swarmed from the area, following Sasha out of the room. Even Liv's parents, who I didn't stop staring at until they left the room, were gone. I didn't think I remembered what they looked like that well. They were both young, and complemented each other perfectly. My eyes instantly shot back to my younger self, who was still happily indulging in a slice of cake.
"Now don't you wanna join the other chilluns'?" A chilling voice spoke from behind me. I didn't even need to turn towards the source to recognize who it was. I remembered all too well.
"Willy?" The younger version of me tried to say with a mouthful of cake.
"It's not Willy," I said, my teeth clenched. There was nothing I could do in this situation. No one could hear me, and no one could see me. I've found that out time and time again in these dreams.
"That's right! I'm Willy," Jerry spoke, trying to do an awkward slide to the right. He was wearing that stupid costume that was supposed to resemble the actual thing. I doubted it was ever washed or sanitized in the least, as there was strange staining all over the hands and chest. The younger version of me gave a delighted squeal, instantly disregarding all sense of self preservation to run towards who she thought was Willy the Weasel. Embracing Jerry in a hug, she stared up at his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"Well I noticed you didn't seem to be havin' fun with the other kids," Jerry replied. The honest answer was I was shy. I was as introverted, shy, and unwilling to socialize as a hyped up squirrel. This came from years of being a social recluse. I didn't have any friends, and Luke hadn't been born yet. Liv was the first person I met who really wanted to talk with me. It's not like I couldn't socialize. In fact, I was quite good at getting what I wanted from those around me. I just didn't like to talk. Spending time at Willy's Wonderland was the one way I got my socializing: through 'talking' to the animatronics. I used to think Willy was somehow magical, in the sense he could talk to me, until I realized many years later it was just a man in a costume. A man who tried to stab me. A man who wasn't Willy.
"I wanted to see you," The younger Vic smiled.
"Well, girly, it's always a pleasure seeing you here," Jerry smiled mischievously back. There were only a few times I actually got to talk with Jerry. When it was someone else's birthday, and I was invited, or it was my birthday. "Now, don't tell Liv, but I've got a gift for you too,"
"Really?" Younger Vic asked, pulling her hands to her face.
"Yea, but we have to keep it hush-hush, alright?" Jerry asked. She nodded quickly, holding her hands over her mouth. I held my breath, feeling my heart begin to pound loudly. I didn't want to see this happen again. I had already felt it once, and that was enough for me.
"Turn around, this is gonna be a surprise," Jerry whispered excitedly, helping me turn around. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, as a knot formed in my throat.
"Promise you won't tell?" Jerry asked.
"You promise," I repeated back loudly, beginning to cry.
"I promise," Younger Vic smiled, completely unaware of the sharp hunting knife Jerry pulled from an insert in his costume.
"Leave her alone!" I screamed, stepping in front of Jerry. To my surprise, Jerry paused in front of me.
"Oh, sweet Vic," He spoke to me, as the blood drained from my face, "You can't save yourself now," Jerry's hand caressed the side of my face, as I was stuck in place. My muscles had stopped cooperating. Jerry threw me to the side, causing me to hit the floor. I whipped around like a madwoman, watching as Jerry raised the knife above my younger self.
"Run!" I screamed at her. It was no use, she couldn't hear me. There was nothing I could do, except scream with her. It was a horrible sound, the sound of skin ripping apart. The sound of blood vessels breaking beneath the blade. The sound of my exasperated self trying to scream again, but failing. Her muscles had stopped working too, out of fear and anxiety. Curse your stupid anxiety reflexes.
"Jerry stop!" I cried again, watching the scene unfold from the floor. In an instant, the younger me dropped to the ground, gasping for breath as she cried in pain.
"Willy, help," She panted, completely out of breath. Jerry knelt down next to her.
"You think I'm going to help you, you little rat? I came here to watch you die," Jerry hissed, kicking me.
"Stop!" I screamed as loud as I could, trying to see through the tears in my eyes. This immediately caught the attention of both people.
"Ah, look, it's you!" Jerry smiled motioning for me.
"Help, please," The younger Vic breathed. I scrambled towards her, turning her onto her back. She screamed in pain, as I tried to hush her.
"It's alright, I promise, SOMEONE HELP!" I shouted as loud as I could. My voice cracked loudly.
"No one can hear you, Vic," Jerry hissed, "See, this is what you've become,"
"Please," Younger Vic breathed, holding my hand. I cried, trying to compress the wound to stop it from bleeding out. I hadn't been able to see the damage Jerry had done to me. It was bad, and I wished I hadn't seen it.
"You've become a soppy, sad, placemat of a person, who spends her life getting in trouble and running from it," Jerry shouted.
"That's not true," I shouted back, trying to sooth myself, "This dream is a lie!"
"Not to her, it isn't," Jerry replied, pointing to the younger Vic, who's breathing was becoming more shallow.
"This isn't real," I cried quietly, holding the child's shaking hand.
"There's nothing you can do except watch her die. The way she was supposed to," Jerry growled, kicking me. I quickly scooped the younger Vic into my arms as she cried out in pain.
"I'm right here, it's gonna be okay," I comforted, holding her close. She cried against my shoulder.
"I want my Dad," She choked.
"I want him too," I replied. She obviously didn't understand who I was. How could she, she's just a figment of my imagination. In a sharp shot of pain, I found myself arching my back and screaming towards the sky. I remembered this pain. The younger Vic cried loudly, as I kept my hand firmly pressed against her wound. Jerry towered above me, staring down at for breath, I strung several curse words at him.
"You're going to wish you never let Liv send us back to rot in Hell," He hissed, removing the headpiece to his costume, "Now, this is the last face you'll see before you die,"
"Go to Hell," I replied, completely out of breath. The pain had taken over, and spread through my lungs.
"I'll meet you there," Jerry smirked, bending down to yank the cold knife from my back. My nerves had only become vaguely aware of its presence, so having it yanked back out sent another wave of searing pain through my right side. I winced, breathing quickly. I groaned, trying to suppress the pain. Jerry caressed the side of my cheek, as I bit at him.
"Feisty little bugger, aren't ya," He retaliated, retracting his hand, "Well, I've had my fun, your turn, Vic,"
Jerry snapped his fingers, standing back up. The child in my arms stopped breathing. I cried, bringing her away from my chest to check her vitals. Her eyes were wide open, and locked on me.
"What the-"
Before I had a chance to finish, the child lashed at me, pinning me backwards. I screamed, as her sharp teeth collided with my face. I rolled to my left, trying to avoid hitting the open wound against the cold ground. Everything began to fade to black as the smaller, much stronger version of myself ripped her teeth and fingernails into my skin. I felt the cold breeze of the AC flood over the open wounds, as she continuously lashed at them. I kept trying to force her off, becoming weaker by the minute.
"Lay off," I cried, trying to pry her off of me.
"You ruined my life!" She screamed, continuing to beat mercilessly against my ripping skin.
"No, I didn't," I grunted, flinging her to the floor, "Jerry did,"
In that instant, she sulked back into the dark shadows. The only thing I could hear was the steady, fast, pulse of my heartbeat pounding through my ears. I didn't dare speak. Before I could turn around to survey the back, a hand grasped my hair, and another pinned a knife across my throat.
"Sleep tight, girly," Jerry whispered, his lips grazing the side of my ear as he spoke. Slashing the knife across my throat, I screamed loudly, feeling blood run over my body. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, I couldn't breathe. I thrashed rapidly, trying to get the sickening pain to leave my body.
"Leave me alone!" I gasped, hitting behind me, my hand struck something, which made my eyes fly open. I cried, sitting up in place and gasping.
"Vic, wake up," A muffled voice spoke. My hearing was beginning to return again, and so was my vision. I was on the floor of my bedroom. Willy crouched in front of me. I breathed heavily, feeling my neck. I was a complete mess, but my neck and back seemed fine again.
"Holy Hell," I cried, running my sweaty hands over my face.
"It was just a dream, you're okay now," Willy comforted, helping me shakily to my feet.
"It was a dream," I echoed, letting Willy lift me back into bed. This was the typical routine with these situations.
"I'm right here. I promise nothin' and no one is gonna hurt you as long as I'm here," Willy soothed, standing in front of me as I sat awkwardly on the bed. I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. I looked around me, silently reassuring myself I was back in reality. I felt slightly drained, but was awake nonetheless.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking up at Willy.
"Hey, hey, don't apologize, ya' didn't do anything wrong," Willy replied.
"I feel like I've woken half the house up," I continued.
"Haven't heard anything from 'em since you started screaming five minutes ago," Willy shrugged. I scoffed in reply.
"It's finally Friday," I smiled, hugging Willy from my seated position on the bed. His powerful arms rested above my shoulders, due to the fact the bed was pretty short in height.
"The last school day of the week," Willy reaffirmed.
"I swear these kids have it out for me," I chuckled, letting my face rest against Willy's chest.
"I'm not sayin' you should let me have a go with 'em, but if any of them ever give you more trouble than you want," Willy paused.
"They're just trying to figure out who they are," I scoffed, smiling, "I was the same way at one point,"
"Still. My offer stands," Willy shrugged. I nodded, closing my eyes.
"What time is it," I mumbled, trying not to fall back asleep.
"Nearly six," Willy replied. I opened my eyes, waking back up.
"I gotta go wake Luke up," I replied, looking up at Willy.
"That's probably a good idea," Willy replied, "Are you doin' alright now?"
"I should be fine. Thanks," I smiled, standing up to peck him gracefully on the side of the face. Waking Luke up was a feat of strength in itself. The patience it took to not yell drained me each time. Stepping out into the brisk twilight air wearing nothing but a sports bra and sweatshorts, I paced towards Luke's cabin, holding my arms tightly. Twisting the doorknob, I didn't care about making noise.
"Luke," I cooed sweetly, "It's time to wake up,"
Luke snored loudly. The inside smelled like body odor, and there were several empty store bags littering the floor. "Luke," I repeated, this time a little louder. Luke kept snoring.
"Luke!" I shouted, yanking the blanket from his body. Luke growled, groping for the blanket blindly.
"Vic," He muttered, "Get out,"
"It's Friday. TIme to get up for school. We're leaving in fifteen minutes," I spoke, flicking the overhead light on and off. Luke shouted several rude things at me as I exited the cabin. The sun began to peek out over the horizon, signaling the start of the day. As I reentered the house, I mentally decided the kind of outfit I wanted for today. I was expected to maintain a professional standard, in accordance with Ms. Bonstance's school policies. Today's outfit consisted of a pair of patterned, blue dress pants and a white collared blouse. I complemented the look with a stone necklace, and curled my hair lightly. After finishing my makeup, I gathered together my bag and paperwork, then took a muffin from Nick, who always offered to make breakfast for Luke, Liv, and I. Liv left for her college classes around the same time Luke and I left for school, which made for a nice morning. Willy ruffled my hair as he passed me, before going back out into the garage to join the others.
"You look like you slept well," Liv joked, watching me eat my muffin.
"Yeah," I smiled, shrugging.
"Do you even sleep? I can see the dark circles under your eyes, you can't use concealer for that," Liv replied.
"Insomnia," I said, throwing the muffin wrapper in the trash.
"Uh, huh," Liv spoke slowly, watching me carefully.
"Alright, fine, if you want to know I keep having these weird night terrors," I whispered, making sure Luke wasn't listening.
"I figured something was going on, 'cause there's only so much screaming you can do before someone comes to check on 'ya, and considering what could possibly be going on, I didn't want to interrupt," Liv sneered.
"Geez, Liv," I laughed, blushing, "But they're all about Jerry, which is weird. I only get them when Luke is especially moody. I think something is going on with him,"
"Hopefully we'll find out today. I get off early, so I'll help Nick with the party before you both get home. Luke still doesn't know, right?" Liv asked.
I shook my head, "Not that I know of,"
"Good. Well, it'll be fun," Liv spoke, pursing her lips and nodding. I nodded in agreement.
"Let's go, Vicky," Luke called from down the hallway. I winced at the name, turning to face Luke.
"Did you eat something?" I asked.
"Yeah," Luke lied. I looked at Liv, who shrugged.
"Alright, let's go then," I spoke, fiddling with the Mustang keys in my hands, "Thanks for the breakfast, Nick," I called, walking out into the garage.
"Have a good day at school, Luke," Tito called. Ozzie furiously pounded at the pinball machine.
"Remember it's Friday, it's pizza day," Arty reminded. Friday was the school's pizza day, which was ordered directly from the cheapest and worst pizza joint in the entire Rockwell county.
"And remember not to eat the glue," Gus shouted, as we got into the Mustang. The animatronics usually spent their mornings in the garage, either talking or watching Ozzie try to perfect his pinball game. Cranking the engine, Sara opened the garage door for me. I pulled out carefully, before accelerating down the road. Luke and I rarely spoke to each other on the drive to school, as there was nothing to talk about.
"Sleep okay?" I asked. Luke nodded, seemingly focused on the road outside. "Get your homework done?" I continued. Luke nodded again. It was fortunate I remembered my meeting with Ms. Bonstance, as my usual meetings were usually forgotten.
I kept my eyes on the road, taking careful note of the usual morning traffic. Most business workers had their duties out of town, in more known areas like Vegas or Reno. The onramp to US 4 was normally pretty backed up around this time, which is why I took the backroad to the school.
Pulling into the employee parking zone, Luke was quick to jump from the moving vehicle before I had a chance to park. I rolled my eyes as he didn't bother to shut the door. Shifting into park, I exited the vehicle, watching Luke veer away from the crowd of other students entering the building. I knew he didn't like to socialize with the other kids, but I always assumed there were one or two guys he would talk to. He spent a lot of time in the library, which was a nice alternative to many other things kids his age would be doing.
Listening to my kitten heels click against the asphalt, I clutched my bag as I walked towards the employee entrance. I kept my eyes focused on the door, hoping none of my coworkers would have the audacity to strike up a conversation with me this early in the morning. Unfortunately, Rudy Albright, the college student IT leader, was quick to notice me.
"Hawthorne," He called, catching up to me. I sighed lightly, pursing my lips, "How's it hangin'?"
"I'm doing fine," I replied simply, taking a deep breath. Rudy had been the school technician for all of their laptop, computer, and projector needs. He was hired last school year, which somehow gave him the self-given authority to show me the ropes of the school. I never bothered to explain to him I had gone to this school for six years straight.
"I'm doing absolutely fine too," Rudy stated. He was wearing a pair of khakis and a button up collared shirt. "Lunch break. You and me,"
"Don't you remember that I use my lunch break to grade papers," I replied again, opening the door for myself. Rudy caught it behind me, slipping through the door to follow.
"Oh c'mon, Vicky-"
"Victoria," I instantly corrected.
"Victoria, it'd be fun. There ain't a girl like you for miles out here," Rudy continued. I walked quickly seeing my classroom doorway approaching.
"I know there isn't, but I'm not seeking a relationship right now," I smiled at him, meeting his emerald green eyes.
"You can't tell me someone beat me to you," Rudy spoke as I fiddled with my Mustang key lanyard. I had become proficient at finding the little gold key that unlocked my classroom amongst the dozens of little charms I had attached.
"I'm just not looking for a relationship," I restated. That was the honest truth, as a relationship with anyone would mean I would have to keep up my identity lie for longer than necessary. Rudy was an okay guy, but I wasn't about to start sharing personal life details with someone who liked to recall his exes on the regular.
"I'll ask again later, girls would give anything to have the chance your gettin'," Rudy spoke, before walking down the hallway. I don't like being manipulated like that.
Setting up my classroom table, I glanced at the digital clock on my desk, displaying the ugly cyan colored time of 8:36am. The bell was about to ring, and class was about to start. Today I'd be administering one of the last tests for the school year, which was going to be interesting. There was a cheating problem in this class, even though I was teaching at an elementary school level. I wasn't one to judge though, as there was a time I repeated algebra twice. Someone entered the room, catching me off guard for a brief second. It was Emily Matherson. One of my best students, who deserved to be in a higher class. The only reason she was taking remedial English was because her previous school she moved from in Texas didn't supply us with her class transcripts. I would often give her higher level assignments, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
"Good morning, Ms. Hawthorne," Emily smiled, taking her seat at the front of the classroom.
"Good morning Emily, excited to be done with school for the week?" I smiled back.
"Yes, ma'am," She nodded, her blond curls bouncing. She reminded me of Kathy.
"Any plans for your weekend?" I asked her, placing my bag on the floor to prevent any of the other students from stealing what little cash I carried with me.
"No, not really. How about you?" Emily asked in reply. I shook my head as the bell rang. Emily quickly pulled out her homework papers and notebook. She was always one to get her assignments back to me on time. I wish the other students took as much pride in their studies as Emily did. I hadn't been a very good student until college, which Luke constantly brought up. I always insisted we let by-gones be by-gones, but Luke wasn't one to give up a grudge like that.
Luke's POV:
I listened to the bell ring, quickly shutting the book I was reading. The back corner of the library was where I enjoyed spending most of my time, as there was rarely anyone who ventured back there. For a public school that spent all of their budget on advertising the junior varsity football team, I found it strange that they managed to have several books on the history of dark magic. I initially found them shoved in the back corners of the lower shelves, which made sense. I found the information fascinating. Like Vic had told me, the powers Jerry harnesses are strong. I didn't quite realize how truly powerful they were till I started to learn about them. Jerry approved of my research, and even encouraged it. The cult and I agreed that my school studies were useless, and there would be no need to know how to 'factor for the quantity of x' when I joined them. Vic was very persistent about me taking more care in school, but I didn't care what she thought about me anymore. All she considered me is a spineless drag-along.
"Luke, time to go to class," The librarian spoke to me. I had just finished putting away my book.
"Yes, ma'am," I replied irritably. I knew it was time for class. The bell just rung, give me a minute.
The walk to class was spent avoiding Andrew and his gang. Unfortunately, there aren't many places to hide in a hallway surrounded by nothing but lockers. I usually kept my head held down in order to avoid making accidental eye contact with anyone. I never found trouble with anyone on purpose, I mostly kept to myself. My first class of the day was located furthest from the library, which meant I had to keep up my pace to make it within the late bell. After my first two detentions, Vic told me I'd be suspended after the third one. That meant no access to the school's laptops and dark magic books, so I had to start being on time. Speaking of Vic, she completely forgot about my hand wrap today. She seemed to be extremely forgetful. I never brought it up to her, as I avoided all conversations possible. I blamed her nightly routine of sleeping with an animatronic weasel.
My first class, science, was pretty boring. After taking my seat right as the late bell rang, the class was instantly given permission to continue working on the lab assignment from yesterday. My partner, Angelo, was pretty good with science, so I didn't have to do too much work. Angelo really liked to talk, though, which was annoying.
"Do you wanna keep time today?" Angelo asked excitedly, handing me the stopwatch. I shrugged, accepting the offer. "Alright. I'm gonna pour the baking soda, you record the reaction time,"
"That's fine, I guess," I sighed, grabbing my pencil from my backpack. The crumpled lab paper that sat in front of me contained answers I got solely from Angelo. Vic was pretty good with science, as there was a time she was supposed to be a physics major. After she failed half her upper level college classes first semester in university, she changed to something that wasn't science related.
"Oh wow, wasn't that neat?" Angelo asked, watching the bubbles rise from the flask, "What's the time?"
Realizing I hadn't been paying attention, I quickly spat out a time that probably didn't make much sense. Angelo did some math on his paper, before giving me the answers. My science teacher, Dr. Craig, never asked for our assignments back. I had an A in his class because of that, which Vic was proud of. I couldn't care less.
My next class was history. One of my better classes. Per usual, Mrs. Pearce was still on a pregnancy leave, so Ms. Wells, one of the high school history teachers, was our substitute. The lesson went fine, right up until she started talking about Hayesville. For the last few weeks, our lessons had been primarily focused on current events.
"And what could be better of an example of the death of a community due to the psychotic nature of others, than the recent Hayesville attacks," Mrs. Pearce started, instantly grabbing my attention. "As you all know, what happened in Hayesville was truly tragic. Many lost their lives due to the reckless nature of the perpetrators,"
"Have they found them yet?" Someone from the far side of the classroom asked outloud. Mrs. Pearce paused with irritance, before continuing.
"No, neither Vic Halifax nor the possessed robots have been found,"
My stomach knotted. Not due to the fact Vic was still being hunted, but the fact I could be taken into custody with her for being associated with all of that.
"The history of Hayesville's dark past originates at the restaurant they got their spot on the map for. Willy's Wonderland. Have any of you ever been?" Mrs. Peare asked the class. One or two people raised their hands. I didn't out of fear of being noticed. "For those of who who don't know why Willy's Wonderland is so infamous, I highly recommend you get out from under the rock you've been under, and take a look at the news. Back in the day, Willy's Wonderland was ran by one of the most notorious, psychotic, and downright horrible men to ever walk the face of God's green earth," Mrs. Pearce continued. I gripped my pencil tightly, not appreciating the way she was referring to Jerry. "Jerry Robert Willis has an unknown history. It's believed he came from out of state in 1984 to found his restaurant. It isn't known if his initial intentions were to prey upon his own customers, but-"
"Isn't that the place with the dancing rat?" Someone else asked from the front of the classroom, interrupted Mrs. Pearce yet again. Mrs. Pearce sighed loudly.
"The main attraction of Willy's Wonderland was a cast of animatronic characters, resembling humanoid animals. This entertainment was the first of its kind out here, so naturally, people flocked from all over to visit. Jerry continued to expand his work crew, and his business gained popularity. It wasn't long before people started going missing,"
I took a quick glance at everyone in the classroom, trying to see what their reactions were.
"After a while, higher forces got involved, but not before Jerry and his entire staff killed themselves. A deserving, unnatural, undignified death for someone as scummy as them,"
I clenched my jaw.
"Fast forward a few years, and word gets out from Hayesville that the robots are in fact possessed by Jerry and his staff. We get one of the town's egotistical teens, Vic Halifax, to end up all over the news-" Mrs. Pearce continued.
"Wasn't she the chick that-" The same kid went to interrupt again.
"We all know what she did, let's keep it school friendly," Mrs. Pearce kept speaking. I scoffed loudly, instantly pretending like I had a cough.
"Anyways, it took about five days for the entire massacre to start. The entire town of Hayesville was lost to the terrible nature of some of the worst people to ever exist and a teen girl with severe issues,"
"How did Jerry get away with it for so long?" Someone asked.
"Well, when you're as emotionally, verbally, and physically manipulative as he was, destroying lives is easy. Jerry cared about no one but himself, and so-"
"That's not true," I whispered, doing my best not to say it outloud. I quickly glanced at the clock, trying to determine how much more of this I had to endure. I couldn't wait to tell Jerry all the terrible things the school was saying about him, and how much I didn't believe it. Jerry had promised me that everyone in this stupid school would get what was coming to them. I sure hoped he had something special in store for everyone who dared talk bad about our cult.
Vic's POV:
"Hey," I whispered harshly, rapping the tip of my pencil on my desk, "Eyes on your own paper,"
The person I directed the comment at instantly moved their eyes back to their test, as well as several others I hadn't noticed earlier. There was a small spot on my desk that had been covered in pencil marks from using it to get the attention of the class. I wasn't ever one to yell. Emily had been one of the first people to turn in their test in the previous class. She was the only one to get a perfect score, which was usual. "Five minutes left," I spoke, causing several people to jump. It was almost time for the lunch break, which meant I had to attend the requested meeting with Ms. Bonstance. I was not looking forward to that, since I didn't have any excuses to vouch for Luke with. His identity, like mine, had been completely refabricated. With all the lies I had to tell to keep myself a secret, it became hard to remember all of them. Especially since I was supposed to be keeping track of Luke's identity too.
The bell rang loudly as everyone rushed towards my desk to slap their test down. I leaned back in my chair, waiting for the crowd to flood out into the hallway. I sighed heavily, thumbing through the papers. Most of the students had finished, which was a good sign. Normally, like I told Rudy, I spent my lunch break grading paperwork to avoid the cumbersome task at home. However, I couldn't postpone my meeting. I quickly bundled the tests together, before locking my door on the way to Ms. Bonstance's office. Her office was located in the administration office, which meant I had to see the front desk ladies. All three of them had a constant scowl on their faces, making it hard to not sneer back. As I expected, the three women watched me enter the administration office.
"ID?" One of them asked, making me purse my lips. I fumbled with my pocket, before pulling out my school-issued ID card to show to them. She nodded, giving me permission to continue walking. I had only ever been inside Ms. Bonstance's office once, when I was initially going through the hiring process. Her office was large, and was strangely bare. Her diplomas from several universities hung high on the wall, and the dinky plastic chair for the visitors made her luxury cushion tower over them.
"Take a seat, Victoria," Ms. Bonstance spoke, seeing me enter her office. Ms. Bonstance was a large woman, with an intimidatingly tall stature. I always thought she'd make a great wrestler. Doing as I was told, I pulled the plastic chair away from her desk to sit. "How are you liking this school?"
"It's very nice, I love all the students," I replied, forcing a smile.
"Very good. Now, I called you here to discuss your child, Luke," Ms. Bonstance starting retrieving a stack of papers from the side of her desk.
"I'm so sorry I didn't get your letters, Luke didn't-" I started.
"He turned it into the office today, no need to worry. We need to discuss his slipping grades," Ms. Bonstance interrupted. I fell quiet. "Has he shown you his report cards for the last few terms?"
"No, ma'am,"
"Why not?"
"He discards them as soon as he receives them, and I have no way of returning them," I spoke honestly. Ms. Bonstance placed three papers before me, detailing the slowly declining grades of Luke Hawthorne. He started with all C's the first semester, before they slowly began to fall.
"He's at risk of needing to repeat the seventh grade. We'd rather not make him retake the classes, as we want to make sure he keeps up with everyone else," Ms. Bonstance explained, "Is there any home dynamic we should draw attention to?"
"No, he is very happy at home," I lied.
"Is there a father in the picture?"
"No, ma'am,"
"Is there anyone else in the home?"
"We live in an apartment alone,"
"I see. We have excellent tutoring services for after school, perhaps Luke would be interested in that?"
"We're a little tight on budgeting right now. I can't afford to send him to tutoring," I explained, holding my hands in my lap.
"Can you afford to care for him? Having a child is no small task, Victoria,"
"Yes, ma'am, I understand. And I can," I replied. I was becoming very annoying with Ms. Bonstance's invasive questioning.
"Very well. Understand now that this school prides itself on the success of its students. Failure of even one of them cannot and will not happen,"
"Yes, ma'am,"
"You're excused,"
The meeting was a complete waste of my time. Walking past the office ladies, I heard them whispering about me. As far as the school knew, I was a single mother caring for my child in an apartment, and barely getting by paycheck to paycheck. I was pretty good at forging the truth, as I had done it in Hayesville quite frequently. As I approached my doorway, I could see Rudy coming from the other direction. Calculating the distance between him, the doorway, and I, I picked up my pace, hoping to beat him to my room. Much to my demise, he noticed my speeding up, and followed in suit.
"Grading papers, huh?" He asked, placing a hand on the border of my door above my head.
"I had to go drop some stuff off at the front," I lied, quickly grasping my key lanyard.
"So, maybe no lunch, let's just talk," Rudy offered, staring at me.
"I need to focus on getting these papers back, the year is almost over," I explained, opening my door. Rudy followed closely behind me inside.
"Oh c'mon Vicky-"
"For the last time, my name is Victoria," I interrupted, turning to face Rudy. I hated confronting people, but he's left me no other option.
"Who is it?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes in confusion.
"Who's the lucky guy that's won your heart?"
"I told you earlier, I'm not looking for a relationship," I explained.
"I really doubt that a girl as beautiful as you-"
"Cut the crap, flattery won't get you anywhere with me," I sneered, "Listen, Rudy, you're a great guy and an amazing friend. But I'm genuinely not looking for a relationship with anyone right now,"
Rudy stared at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
"So, is this gonna change in the future?" Rudy asked. No. Especially not with you.
"I don't know, I just need to focus on myself," I replied.
"Alright. If that's really the case. You know with all the weird stuff that's been going around, it'd be nice to have a nice man to protect you," Rudy shrugged. I already have one, sucker.
"I don't need protecting,"
"You seem like a tough girl and all, but I doubt you'd be able to handle yourself against raging machines,"
I smiled. "I'm sure I'd have a way around it,"
The bell rang loudly, signifying the end of the lunch period. "Now, my class is about to start. You need to go now,"
"Fine. But remember, I'm only a call away," Rudy winked. I had only turned my back to him for a second, when his hand slapped my backside. I was quick to react out of sheer shock, instantly backhanding his baby-face in retaliation. Rudy looked shocked, despite the fact he should've known full well how I would react.
"Get the Hell outta here," I hissed. He was quick to leave without saying another word, which I was glad for. Right on time too, as my next class began to file in for the day. I took a sip from my water bottle, preparing myself for the rest of the day. Only a few more classes to go.
Luke's POV:
"Well what's it gonna be, Hawthorne?" Andrew spat in my face, his horrid breath making me gag.
"You suck," I hissed, trying to turn my face away from him. A crowd of other students had gathered around us, blocking the hallway. I was outnumbered four to one.
"Fine. No lunch money, no mercy," Andrew spoke menacingly. I rolled my eyes. Andrew and I were about the same height, but he was much stronger than I. Jerry had prepared me for this exact situation. All I had to do was wait for Andrew and his cronies to make the first move. Just like Jerry predicted, Mike was the first to throw hands. I was quick to react, instantly dodging him. Vic was always on me about getting into fights, which was strange, since she always had some sort of injury from her frequent fighting. People pulled their cameras out to watch the five of us duke it out over five dollars I had in my pocket. A waste of time, honestly, as I knew I'd end up on the ground soon, probably with a black eye. It didn't take long for my prediction to come true, just as Jerry's had. Andrew spat in my face, grabbing the five dollars from my hand.
"Let this be a lesson," Marc shouted as they walked away. The crowd dissipated as I got to my feet. It was Vic's money, I didn't care about it anyways.
My last few classes were pretty boring. I ended up skipping my last class to go to the library and do some extra research. I was just about done with learning about the history of dark magic. In fact, I knew several spells by heart. Jerry just had to initiate me into the cult, and then the powers of dark magic would be mine. In the library, I parked myself in front of one of the outdated desktops in the back of the room. I always remembered to delete my search history, just in case any of the staff or students got nosy. Jerry had instructed me last night to finish memorizing the spells to bring them back. They were pretty complicated, having many terms I couldn't pronounce. I was also instructed to gather several items from the local store, which I did using Vic's credit card. I had done this before, so knowing what to buy was easy. Since I had my own room completely separate from the rest of the house, it made hiding everything easy. Unfortunately, certain figures, specifically Tito, liked to come into my room to 'chat'. Tito was nice and all, but I didn't like talking with the animatronics. Talking with Tito made me feel especially guilty, because I was leading him on to believe I actually enjoyed talking with him.
I was deep in my research when the final bell rang. I sighed heavily, making sure to delete my search history. If I hurried, I could get to Vic's car before Andrew found me again. There was a backwell staircase for fire emergencies I often took, because the fire alarm-triggered door had stopped working. Slinking down the cement staircase, I listened to the heavy door shut on the level above. I peered my head through the exit door, making sure no one was watching. Once the cost was clear, I quickly paced towards Vic's Mustang. I saw her beginning to leave the school as well. Yanking at the door handle, I waited for her to unlock the car.
"Careful with the doors, Luke, I can't afford to make any more car repairs," Vic breathed, unlocking the car. I quickly got into the passenger's seat, shutting the door loudly. Vic sighed, putting on her ski goggle sunglasses. After pulling out of the parking lot silently, she began to run through her usual list of questions that I always had the same response for.
"How was school?" She asked, eyeing me from the rearview mirror.
"Fine," I replied, pretending not to see her staring.
"Excited for the weekend?"
"Sure,"
"Well you should be, I've got a surprise at home for you,"
That was definitely a change.
"What kind?" I asked.
"You'll find out when we get home," Vic smiled. I didn't want to wait, I wanted to know right then and there. The anticipation of trying to figure out what the surprise was made the drive home feel longer. I watched Vic from the side mirror, noticing a bit of sleepiness mixed with stress. What does she have to be stressed about? She's got everything she could ever want. I'm the one that should be stressed.
As she pulled into the driveway, she fumbled with the garage door opened, nearly dropping it.
"Geez, Vic, coordination much?" I asked. Vic looked hurt, which was surprising. I'd always known her to be a tough, take-no-crap girl. Ever since she came out of that damn restaurant alive, she's changed. Without another word to her, I got out of the car before it had stopped, and made my way to the front door. I noticed Vic wiping her eyes, right before I entered the house. I let the door shut behind me, hearing Vic's driver's door open. All the lights in the house were out.
"Is anyone home?" I called, trying to find a lightswitch.
"Now?" I heard Gus whisper from somewhere.
"SURPRISE!" A cacophony of voices cheered in the darkness.
"That's your cue, Gus," Cammy spoke. The lights flickered on slowly.
"Surprise!" Gus called, standing in front of the lightswitch. Vic entered the room from behind me, stopping.
"Oh wow," She smiled. She just finished crying, I could hear it in her voice.
"Happy early birthday you two!" Liv called, standing in front of the animatronics Nick was there too, holding an ornately decorated cake, "And, happy anniversary of banishing the cultists to Hell!"
Oh. So THAT'S what this is all about.