As I expected, the rest of the weekend seemed to drag on. Despite the fact that Luke's birthday was going to be on Monday, I hadn't bothered to buy him anything. I figured the high end 4-wheeler he was gifted would be enough to tide him over. I had eventually gone on to explain to Willy exactly what happened at the fair, to which he had some very useful insights:

"So 'ya see, Vic, the fact that her cult mark had faded means her cult had been destroyed for good. No bringing them back together."

"How are the marks connected?"

"Each cult has a group contract. To end the contract, it's gotta be destroyed,"

"And I'm supposed to destroy it, how?"

"Ya' can't, girly, unless you're a part of a cult. One of the cult members has to be the one to do it,"

"So when the contract is destroyed, the cult ends?"

"Yup,"

"I doubt any of Jerry's morons are gonna be willing to end the contract, so that means I have to bring Luke to his senses?"

"Yup,"

Apparently, there is a spoken contract that binds dark cults together. Luke hasn't yet taken part in the spoken contract ritual, which gives me hope there's still time to pull him from his little 'phase'.

Sunday night, I lie in my bed patiently, waiting to drift off to sleep. Willy was behind me, which made me feel more at ease. The entire day had been spent at home trying to convince Liv to take money from my bank account to pay back what I owed her for the fair. We were only there for about fifteen minutes, so it really was a waste of her money.

"Do you think this week will be any better?" I whispered, staring at the faint outline surrounding the door from the hallway night light.

"We can only hope, right?" Willy replied softly. I nodded, closing my eyes. With any luck, Luke would start appreciating his newfound freedoms of riding around on a 4-wheeler without me. Maybe he'll start treating you like an actual human.

"Happy early birthday," Willy sneered. I groaned, trying not to laugh.

"You already told me last night,"

"Well you seemed pretty, uh, wrecked last night," Willy snickered. "Didn't want you forgettin' now,"

"I know, I know," I smiled, "You should sing,"

"You want me to sing?"

"Yeah,"

"Why on earth-"

"'Cause it'll help me sleep,"

Willy sighed, pulling me closer with his left arm.

"Fine. I'll do the little gig so you can sleep,"

"Thanks," I smiled, closing my eyes.

"I don't know if you remember, but I didn't actually sing any of that nonsense, I was just supposed to lipsyn-"

"I don't care, you dork,"

Willy sighed again, adjusting his legs. I listened to the sound of the mechanisms in his hip joints moving.

"It looks like we've got a very, very naughty birthday girl in the audience tonight. Can you join me in wishing Vic Halifax a very happy birthday?" Willy started, tapping my shoulder. "It's your birthday, and we want you to have fun, it's your birthday, and I think I forgot the rest,"

"Oh stop that, if I remember it, you can remember it,"

"So let's party everyone," Willy continued in a sing-song voice, "I think I was supposed to pop out a line about the Super Happy Fun room, but I don't remember it, then I gotta talk about food, then-"

"You're the worst," I laughed, holding Willy's hand close to me.

"We're all friends, we like to dance, even though none of us even know how," Willy continued to sing.

"Okay, okay, thanks," I laughed, turning towards him.

"The Super Happy Fun Room is super happy fun, join us in the fun room, where we'll sever half your limbs,"

"Oh my gosh, Willy," I sneered.

"Alright I'll stop, satisfied?" Willy asked.

"For now," I smiled in return, closing my eyes again.

"Happy early birthday Vic," Willy mumbled, resting his jaw over my head.

"You already told me,"

"Good,"

My slumber ended up being pretty settled, which I was happy about. No dreams are better than nightmares. As usual, my Monday mornings involved a very slow, painful wakeup. Since my screaming fit didn't wake me, I relied on Willy to test his patience on getting me out of bed. I felt bad for him, because I really wasn't myself in the mornings. Willy seemed okay with it though.

"Wakey wakey girly, time to get up," Willy purred in my ear. This instantly pulled me from my sleep, causing me to whine loudly.

"Five minutes," I mumbled, trying to shove myself down into the blankets.

"You're gonna fall right back asleep, and when I wake you up again, you're gonna say the exact same thing," Willy grunted, sitting up.

"No," I mumbled happily, keeping my eyes shut.

"I'm gonna have to get you up myself then," Willy spoke again, pulling the blankets off of me. I curled into a ball, feeling the cold air hit my skin.

"Willy," I whined, groping blindly for the blankets.

"Hm, that sounds familiar," Willy teased.

"Oh my gosh, stop that," I laughed, opening my eyes to sit up. I stretched, letting my elbows crack.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, better than usual,"

"Better than last night?"

I sneered at Willy, slipping off the bed.

"Any night that doesn't involve me on the floor by the next morning is a good night,"

I fingered through several outfits in the closet, trying to decide what to wear today. It's only Monday, might as well wear something to lighten your morning a bit. There wasn't anything I'd rather wake up to than Willy. In fact, I almost looked forward to his daily starts.

I listened to Willy fiddle with the blankets as slipped on a floral blouse and a pencil skirt, doing my best not to trip on anything in the dark.

"I'll see you after work," I said, embracing Willy.

"I'll be here when ya' come back. I'll even try and make your favorite tea again," Willy replied, hugging me tightly. As I broke from the hug, I grazed Willy's face gently before walking towards the bathroom to finish my hair. I heard Nick in the kitchen, which was normal. I waved to him, trying to see if Luke had managed to get out before me. I didn't see him, so I could only assume he was in his room still. Maybe he'll manage to get out of here before me, then I can tell him I'm proud of him. Kids like that kind of reinforcement, right?

Luke's POV:

My Monday mornings were usually pretty bland, so having something to wake up for was definitely refreshing. I even managed to be up five minutes before my 6am alarm rang. My eyes opened quickly, as I flew from my bed. I had already packed a drawstring bag full of everything I'd need for the ritual, plus a few things I didn't want to leave home without, including my 4-wheeler keys. I had driven 4-wheelers before with Vic when we were younger, which wasn't a very good parenting choice in hindsight. Several concussions later, my parents finally realized that Vic and I shouldn't be left alone with vehicles like that.

I slipped into the house, adjusting the beanie over my head. I wanted to make it out the door before Liv and Nick spotted me, but I was too slow.

"Good morning Luke," Liv smiled, eating a muffin at Nick's table.

"Mornin'," I replied, twisting the 4-wheeler keys in my fingers.

"Are you heading out already? Want some breakfast?" Liv asked.

"Nope, not hungry, I'll eat at school," I replied, very obviously lying. This caught Nick's attention, as his eyes followed me right out the garage door. Nick hadn't spoken to me since we played on the XBox nearly a year ago. He didn't seem to speak to anyone, including Liv. Liv and Vic had become good at reading Nick's expressions and deciphering what he was thinking, but I didn't pay enough attention to be doing anything like that.

"Luke-" I heard Vic start to call to me. I wasted no time in shutting the garage door before I could listen to any more of her. All the animatronics were in the garage, with the exception of Willy, of course.

"Buenos días, chico," Tito spoke, waving to me.

"Have a good day at school," Sara smiled.

"Go forth and commence your dawn of education," Knighty added. I pursed my lips, nodding, trying to act like I cared.

"When you get home, we can start another game of Scrabble!" Gus shouted happily, as I exited from the garage. Little do they know, they won't be seeing me after school.

The 4-wheeler was pretty fast, and had off-roading capabilities too. This enabled me to get to the school much quicker than Vic and the Mustang. Mounting the vehicle, I pulled away from the house and began to trek towards the school. It's hilarious how Vic is completely oblivious, despite the fact that I've told her I'm going to bring the cult back. I guess that's what happens when you spend all your time isolated like her.

I had zoned out during the drive to school. By the time I got there, I realized I was much later than anticipated. So much so that Vic's Mustang was already parked. Well, maybe I took a wrong turn. Parking next to her, I ran towards the building, not wanting to be late. I knew time was going to drag until the ritual because of how excited I was. I had several classes to get through first, though. First of which being science. I had completely forgotten to do the lab report, but I didn't care enough to try and copy down answers from Angelo. I managed to get into my seat by the time the late bell rang.

"So, excited for today?" Angelo asked, adjusting his glasses along the bridge of his nose.

"No," I replied, tugging out my science notebook.

"I am, we've got a test today, and it's got some math concepts I've been studying extra hard," Angelo spoke excitedly.

"There's a test today?" I replied.

"Good morning, class," Dr. Craig spoke, standing up from his desk. Dr. Craig was one of the tallest men I had ever seen. I think he even managed to out-height Willy. "Please pass up your lab reports so we can begin our exam,"

Angelo offered to take my lab report up until he realized I hadn't done it.

"That's okay Luke, there's always the next lab," He smiled. Not for you, there isn't.

The exam was very complex. Even if I had studied, I doubt I would've been able to comprehend any of it. Even the first couple questions had me completely confused. I kept trying to glance over at Angelo's paper to see what kind of answers he was coming up with. Each of his neatly boxed answers were surrounded by loads of random math that I couldn't quite read. I ended up taking the entire class time to finish, mostly just so I wouldn't have to do any extra work after. The disappointed frown Dr. Craig gave me when I turned in the exam signified that I had failed yet another lab. Whatever, it's not like I care.

In the hallway, I was greeted with none other than Andrew Setter and his cronies.

"Hey there, Hawthorne, did ya' see my news broadcast?" He sneered, slamming me against the lockers. The other students moved out of the way.

"Leave him alone, Andrew," I heard a small voice say from my left. Emily Matherson stood there, clutching her school books to her chest. I rolled my eyes.

"Get lost, Emily," I mumbled. Andrew let go of me, walking towards Emily. She stumbled backwards in fear, as Andrew shoved her to the ground.

"Setter!" I heard a loud voice scream down the hallway. Ugh, why now Vic? This caught Andrew's attention, causing Emily to scramble back to her feet. The crowd of kids looking to get a good recording of a fight began to walk towards their classrooms.

"Hey, it's your hot mom," Andrew teased.

"She's not hot, and she's not my mom," I growled back.

"Setter, principal's office, now," Vic spoke, pointing her finger down the hall. Her outfit made her movements seem really stiff, as you can't move very fast in a pencil skirt and high heeled shoes.

"C'mon, Ms. Hawthorne," Andrew replied, glancing at his friends.

"Go. Now," Vic growled. Andrew shrugged, walking towards Mrs. Bonstance's office. His friends were quick to flee the scene.

"Go to class Luke," Vic spoke in a very monotone voice. I overheard her making sure Emily was okay as I had begun to walk away. I knew Emily was one of Vic's favorite students.

"Can I please have lunch with you today, Ms. Hawthorne?" Emily had asked.

"I wish you could, but you need to go be with your friends," Vic replied sweetly. Bad move on your part, Vic.

History with Ms. Pearce went as it normally did. She still hadn't moved off the topic of Hayesville, and seemed extremely focused on telling us what a horrible person Jerry was.

"During his time running Willy's Wonderland, he focused on luring away unsuspecting children to be killed. Amongst those children included.."

I had begun to drone her out, when I heard her mention Vic.

"And Victoria Halifax,"

"Isn't she alive though?" Someone from the back of the class asked.

"Yes, she is still alive, she managed to escape from Jerry with only a stab wound," Mrs. Pearce explained. And a very messed up concept of reality.

"Why did she end up teaming up with him?" The same kid asked. I was becoming bored again, so I continued to ignore the conversation. I hoped whatever Jerry had in store for Mrs. Pearce would be something she deserved for trashing his name like that.

By the time lunch finally arrived, I had never felt more relieved. As soon as the bell rang, I let the other students race through the hallway first. This was normally a time Andrew came to try and find me, but I assumed he'd still be in the principal's office. After making sure I wasn't being followed, I quickly slipped down the hallway towards one of the most centrally located classrooms. Fortunately, Vic's classroom was a few hallways down, so she didn't have any reason to be snooping through this area. As I entered one of the classrooms, I instantly realized it was one of the high school science rooms. There were strange equations hung up on posters all over the room, but it looked pretty unoccupied. Spilling the contents from my bag, I instantly began setting up the ritual spot. Just like I had been learning and studying for the last year. Everything was finally coming together. My adrenaline pushed me to try and rush, but I knew I had to take my time. According to Jerry, this ritual needed to be done with exact precision. No mistakes could be made. The chalk I had brought with me stuck well to the tiled ground as I organized and lit my candles using Vic's lighter. I turned around to lock the door, before stepping back to marvel at my work. A strange presence seemed to fill the room, as I stared down at the art I had made. I felt powerful. Stepping inside the center of the floor, I began to slowly chant the exact words I had taken the year to memorize. I closed my eyes, feeling power surge through my veins. I could almost hear Jerry chanting the words in unison, as a faint green glow seemed to fill the room. I continued chanting, getting faster and louder. The lines I had drawn on the ground glowed brightly, as a strange white noise filled my ears.

"Keep it up Luke," Jerry spoke. I kept chanting. A ghostly presence placed its arms on my shoulders, causing me to quicken my breathing. My fear soon faded, as the ghost began to chant with me. I felt connected to it, like I somehow knew who it was. Then, all at once, a deafening boom filled the air, and the earth seemed to shake. I fell to the ground as the candles flickered out. Books and lights came crashing from the shelves surrounding me. Scampering to my feet, I stood before Jerry Robert Willis and his cult. He looked exactly like I pictured him to be. They all did. Jerry looked over his arms, examining his body.

"Well I'll be darned, Luke," He chuckled, "I must say, I like your beanie,"

"Jerry, I-I can't believe it's actually you!" I replied, running towards him. We made eye contact for a brief moment. I felt a sense of security. All I need to do is follow my commands. Jerry hugged me tightly, as the other cultists began to congratulate me.

"I can't remember the last time one of us performed a spell with that kind of accuracy," Carlos laughed.

"He's definitely proven himself worthy of us," Sasha added.

"We went from possessing animatronics to being ghosts, and now we're trying to go from ghosts to possessing animatronics?" Oswald asked. At that moment, I saw several figures move in the glass surrounding the doorways. It was Andrew Setter and the rest of the bullies.

"Aye, Jerry, look who came to join us," Gustav spoke, motioning towards the door.

"Luke's told us all about them, haven't you?" Jerry asked, glancing towards me. I nodded, feeling excited. With a swift push of his hand, Jerry sent the door flying from its hinges. Andrew, Marc, Mike, and Jason gasped, completely petrified with fear. I followed Jerry and the cult out into the hallway.

"I've heard quite a bit about you," Jerry started, looking Andrew over, "And I don't quite like how you've been treating a member of my family,"

"W-what the," Andrew paused, "Luke?"

"That's right Andrew," I sneered.

"I knew there was something off about that kid," Marc mumbled under his breath.

"Care to speak a little louder?" Camilla asked, as the cult began to circle about the bullies.

"What is going on," Andrew asked, trying not to let the fear show in his voice.

"Watch carefully Luke, we're about to give you a little demonstration about what happens when someone from our family is picked on," Oswald explained, cracking his knuckles.

"Dude, Luke, we're friends, right? This is a big misunderstanding," Jason laughed, looking like he was about to cry.

"How do you feel about these boys?" Sasha asked me. I glanced towards them, meeting Andrew's pathetic eyes. For once, he didn't look so tough.

"I don't like them," I replied. I watched the color slowly drain from their faces.

"I don't like them either," Oswald replied, giving me a high five.

"I guess it's settled then," Kevin shrugged.

"Wait-" Marc started. I hardly had time to blink, before Jerry and the crew lunged forward with several weapons in their hands. I had never heard screaming like that. I guess I had heard people die in Hayesville, but never paid attention to the way it sounded. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Jerry was the first to step back from the carnage, giving me a decent view on what had been done. Andrew, Marc, Mike, and Jason were no more. Jerry inhaled loudly, drawing my attention.

"Ah, the sweet taste of souls drained from living humans," He whispered.

"Something I didn't think we'd taste again," Camilla added.

"Thanks to Luke, we're back in business," Carlos laughed, patting my back.

"LOCK. LIGHTS. OUT OF SIGHT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL," The pre-recorded voice spoke on the intercom. All the lights flickered out, as I heard several of the classroom doors locking. Jerry laughed mischievously.

"Let's get this show on, we don't want to keep our audience waiting, do we Luke?"

"No, Jerry, we certainly don't,"

Vic's POV, 15 minutes before the ritual:

"Hola, senora," Mr. Sanchez spoke, walking into the teacher break lounge. Since the lunch bell rang, I was off doing my grading duties. Most of the classes were still going on, with the exception of the junior high students who were at lunch.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sanchez," I smiled, picking up some of the paperwork I had stashed here earlier, "I meant to find you earlier, but it slipped my mind. Did someone come into my classroom over the weekend?"

"I don't work over the weekends, but I made sure all the doors were locked before I left. Is something wrong?" Mr. Sanchez asked, a worried look spreading on his face.

"Everything is fine, nothing was taken, but my fire extinguisher is gone," I replied, shrugging. Mr. Sanchez looked puzzled.

"Every classroom is supposed to have one," He replied.

"I know. I had one on Friday, I remember seeing it before I left. When I came back, my door was unlocked and it was gone,"

"Perhaps the administration is replacing them?"

"Probably,"

Mr. Sanchez dropped his key lanyard onto the wooden table, and pulled out a delicious looking sandwich. I took note of a young man's photo glued inside a clear frame.

"Is that your son?" I asked, zipping my bag shut.

"Yes. This is my son, Carlos," Mr. Sanchez replied. I paused for a moment. Carlos...Carlos...why does that name sound so familiar?

"He looks like a nice young man," I smiled. Carlos was dressed in a strikingly colorful jacket, was thin in stature, and had a head of long black hair.

"He was my pride and joy," Mr. Sanchez laughed, "Until one day, my poor boy was taken from me,"

I stopped what I was doing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I know how it feels to lose a loved one," I replied softly.

"It was so unexpected. One day he was completely fine, then the next he had become a shadow of his former self. Carlos was full of energy, always looking to have fun. What he became, though," Mr. Sanchez sighed, "Day after day he'd pine away, locked in his bedroom. Finally, I had no choice but to kick him out. He just wouldn't do anything. He became a street beggar, living off the consolation of others. I tried to help him out, but there was only so much I could do for him,"

I nodded my head slowly.

"Eventually, he met Maria. A beautiful young woman who I thought was perfect for him. Just what he would need to get him back on his feet. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Maria passed away unexpectedly, and Carlos fell into a pit of despair and insanity. When I would visit, all he would talk about was some sort of cult,"

My stomach dropped.

"A cult?" I repeated.

"I never knew what he meant by that. He'd talk for hours about it. About that restaurant. About Geraldo,"'

"Jerry?" I asked again, feeling the anxiety rise in my voice.

"Si, si, that's the one. One day, I remember coming to visit, when I noticed a strange tattoo on his hand. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Carlos kept denying it was anything of importance, so I believed him. But then," Mr. Sanchez paused, wiping his eyes, "Then he was gone. He died a horrific death,"

"Mr. Sanchez, is it too rude of me to ask how Carlos died?" I asked slowly. Mr. Sanchez shook his head, grabbing his keychain to look at Carlos's picture.

"He was found by the police. He commited suicide with several employees from that awful restaurant," He sighed. I blinked.

"I don't dare speak the name anymore, it only makes things worse for me,"

"I understand, sir,"

"I never thought it would come to that, Carlos could've had such a bright future," Mr. Sanchez shook his head slowly, "I don't know where I went wrong,"

"I-" I started.

"Eventually, those nasty lies began to spread. And now all of Nevada thinks my son is destroying lives inside an animatronic," Mr. Sanchez interrupted, "It just doesn't seem right. I know my Carlos, he wouldn't do something like that,"

I stared at Mr. Sanchez, trying to decide what to say. Telling him too much information will instantly tie you back to Hayesville.

"I don't think your son is possessing Tit -I mean the animatronics," I stated, fumbling over my words.

"You don't?" Mr. Sanchez asked, looking at me.

"No, sir, I was raised to believe that the cultists didn't possess them," I replied, trying to decide if I was giving myself away.

"Well you're one of the smart ones," Mr. Sanchez laughed, punching my shoulder. I smiled cautiously, forcing a laugh. "At least my boy is at peace now,"

I nodded my head, not sure how to respond.

"I best be getting back to my break, have a nice day, Vic!" Mr. Sanchez called as I got up to exit the room.

"You too, Mr. Sanchez," I smiled, closing the door behind me. That had been the first positive interaction I participated in since the first bell rang. I had broken up a fight involving poor Emily, yelled at several classes for being too disruptive, and was 'accidentally' pushed into a door by Rudy. I guess once you hit the bottom of the barrel, you can only go up from there, right? I was very, very wrong. Right as I began to relax, I was instantly thrown to the ground by a deafening earthquake. I moved away from the lockers, as I had been trained to do so in case Nevada had some unexpected catastrophic earthquake. I prepared myself for the worst, clutching my bag close as I sprawled on the ground, when everything suddenly stopped. I breathed heavily, maneuvering myself quickly to my feet. I rested an arm against the wall of lockers, trying to reconfigure my balance. I glanced around, hearing children begin to cry. I can't remember the last time we had an earthquake in Nevada. This one wasn't too bad, hopefully everyone will shut up about it for the rest of the day. I was preparing myself for the aftershock, when I was caught off guard by a strange cacophony of laughter. Then, the lockdown alarm began to sound. The emergency lights flashing down the hallway, accompanied by the strange woman's voice over the intercom: "LOCKS. LIGHTS. OUT OF SIGHT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL,"

Wasting no more time, I quickly began to pace towards my room. Breaking into a trot, I had rounded the corner into my classroom, and was beginning to lock the door. Did we just get bombed? Hopefully the kids at lunch are okay. All the staff here had been trained on what to do during an emergency lockdown situation: lock those doors and pray to the Heavens you live to see another day. I noticed the classrooms across the hall beginning to lock up as well. Two of them were currently in session. A scream suddenly threw me for a loop, causing me to drop my keyfob in surprise. I instantly recognized the tone of voice as belonging to a young girl. I hesitated, trying to decide if my life was worth risking to save another. Liv did it for you. Go help her. Taking a deep breath, I slinked down the hallway as quietly as I could, hearing the loud alarm blaring in my ears. I could hear talking from the other side of the hallway. I couldn't quite place the voices, because the alarm was so freaking loud. They're either students or whoever broke in. I'm unarmed, so this is gonna be fun. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to confront whoever wasn't adhering to lockdown protocols, adjusted my posture, then rounded the corner. There wasn't a single person in sight, other than little Emily Matherson lying on the ground, surrounded by other locked doors. This was a junior high hallway, so no one else should be in the classrooms. Emily must've left early from lunch.

"Emily? Are you alright?" I called to her, quickly pacing towards her. Emily didn't move. "Emily?"

Right as I approached her, I saw Emily slowly get to her feet and turn to face me. Her eyes were full of tears, and she had bruises up and down her arms.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hawthorne," She cried.

"Emily, what's the matter, I'm right here sweetie," I tried to help, crouching down to meet her level.

"I really tried, I did, I'm sorry," She kept crying, wiping her eyes with her shaking hands.

"We need to go, there's something bad going on," I spoke, standing back up and beginning to tug on Emily's hand. Emily didn't budge.

"He told me I had to, he'd hurt me if I didn't," Emily explained, showing me the bruises on her arms.

"Who did that to you?" I asked.

"Jerry from history class," Emily sobbed loudly, falling to her knees. I paused for a moment. Do I know a student named Jerry? At that moment, a pair of hands grasped my neck. I didn't think twice before trying to whip around with my fist. Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain. I had become absolutely frozen. My muscles had completely seized up, and I was stuck facing Emily.

"Emily?" I asked, watching the little girl back up from me.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here?" A chilling voice cooed in my ear. I gasped, feeling a wave of heat rush over me. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"No, no, this can't be happening," I laughed, trying not to cry.

"I'm so sorry," Emily cried softly.

"Why, no, no, please tell me this isn't real," I continued, trying to thrash my body from it's stuck position. The alarms slowly began to fade in my ears, as my vision began to cloud. A man ran his finger across my neck, drawing my nerves back to reality.

"This is very, very real, girly. And it's all Luke's doing," Jerry spoke, walking in front of me. Jerry and I made eye contact as the rest of his cult members entered the scene. Sasha grabbed Emily, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Leave her alone," I growled, "She didn't do anything to you, she doesn't know what's going on,"

"Oh, Emily knows plenty about what's going on, right?" Sasha asked, gripping Emily's arm tightly. Emily nodded her head quickly. "Why don't you tell Vic what you learned about her?"

Emily was quiet for a moment.

"Speak," Sasha growled.

"Y-you're Victoria Halifax. The woman that helped murder Hayesville," Emily whispered.

"Emily, I-" I started.

"That's right. Vic here was a huge help in making sure we took care of every single soul in that awful town," Jerry explained.

"That's a lie, don't believe a word they say Emily, it's all-"

"You want to talk to us about lying? You've been disguising yourself poorly for the last year!" Jerry barked, coming close to my face. I could feel his hot breath against my skin.

"Jerry," I said, teeth clenched, "Where is my brother?"

Jerry paused, his eyes darting between mine.

"Last time I asked, Luke had no intention of speaking with you," Jerry replied, cocking his head to the right.

"If he won't speak with me, I'm gonna speak with him. Now let Emily go, and let me talk to Luke," I growled.

"Emily here seems to really look up to you. In fact, she's one of the first people we've found," Jerry started.

"With the exception of four others," Gustav sneered. I widened my eyes.

"She was right on her way to see you once she finished her lunch," Jerry shrugged.

"Emily, I am so sorry," I spoke, getting a very good sense about what Jerry was going to do to her. If I had just let her eat lunch with me, this wouldn't be happening to her. She's the last person who deserves to be caught up in this nonsense.

"I figured you'd come running to the sound of one of your best students rolling in pain, and sure enough, here you are," Jerry smiled, "The little ankle biter didn't come quietly though, it took a little bit of convincing for her to realize the kind of person you actually are,"

"I'm not what they say I am, Emily," I spoke, not taking my eyes away from Jerry's. His cold stare pierced my soul, seemingly staring right through me.

"I don't really have time for this, but I promise you and I will get reacquainted soon," Jerry sneered, "We've already cut phone lines, turned off security cameras, and turned off the generator, so there really isn't anything you guys can do,"

"Please don't, this is a school, these are children you're talking about," I cried.

"Do you think that stopped Willy?"

"Don't you dare bring him into this,"

"I can't wait to hear how you two have been keepin', but we've got to take care of some business first," Jerry spoke, cracking his knuckles.

"Stop, stop it right now!" I screamed, watching him turn towards Emily.

"Wave bye bye!" Jerry taunted, forcing Emily to wave her arm.

"Ms. Hawthorne," She cried, "What's happening,"

"Just leave her alone!" I screamed. Without another word, Emily was gone. I gasped, feeling tears fall from my eyes. I could barely see what damage Jerry had done through the cloudiness, but I definitely didn't want to. Emily didn't deserve to die. I cried, falling to my knees.

"She was just a child!"

"Ah well," Jerry shrugged, flicking a bloody knife, "Time to get a move on. Luke, you comin'?"

From the shadows, emerged Luke. His confident posture and evil stare sent chills down my spine. I got to my feet slowly.

"Luke," I breathed, shaking my head slowly, "What have you done,"

"I brought my family back, Vicky, and now you're going to watch us take back what's rightfully ours," Luke sneered, joining the cult.

"It doesn't have to be like this, just step away from them and we can work this out-" I started, beginning to back up. Jerry hasn't killed you yet, there's still time to run.

"Jerry, can you finish Vic off?" Luke asked loudly, looking up at Jerry. I gasped.

"Soon. You see, your sister is excellent leverage for getting her boyfriend to do my bidding," Jerry replied, sneering at me. Luke thought for a moment, before nodding. I need to get out of here. There's a chance I can still get a hold of the police station from my phone, or maybe someone who knows a thing or two about getting rid of Jerry.

"Leave them alone," I warned, beginning to back up.

"I've waited this long to finally return to my rightful property, and I'm not about to let you ruin it again," Jerry retorted. Kicking off my heels quickly, I broke off into a full sprint down the hallway.

"Don't even try to catch her Luke, there's nowhere for her to hide here," Carlos snickered.

"This place won't be standing for too much longer, we'll have taken half of these chickens by the time she gets to the front," Oswald added. I tried not to trip as I barrelled myself down the echoing hallways. The loud alarms kept blaring above me, and my eyes wouldn't stop crying. I should've listened to Luke. He told me he was going to bring back the cult, and I played it off. Several loud crashes echoed from the classrooms I passed, as people screamed in agony. There was nothing I could do for them at this point. I couldn't stop Jerry by myself; I didn't know a single thing about dark magic. The only thing I could do was silently blame myself for not being more attentive to Luke. It's too late for that, now people are going to die. Several explosions from the science classes behind me sent hot heat down my back. I panted, beginning to feel exhausted. Rounding the corner into the school lobby, I threw my body into the office. A terrible sight lay before me: all three of the front desk ladies were dead.

"Beat 'ya to it," Arthur called, stepping over one of their bodies. I breathed heavily, backing up against the wall.

"Everyone here is dead,"

"No, you can't do this," I panted, not taking my eyes from the grisly scene before me.

"Oh, we definitely can. And with help from your brother, we will," Arthur snidely spoke.

"Luke is not one of you," I replied, eyeing a phone sticking out from one of the office ladies' pockets. Several explosions rang in the distance.

"That's not for you to decide," Arthur spoke. My eyes shot towards him. He's right, you know. I wasted no time in sprinting from the scene and into the smoky school again. There was a fire. Coughing loudly, I positioned my body as low as I could as I ran through the halls. They're not going to kill you yet, you can use this to your advantage. My eyes scanned through the cloudy smoke, as the heat began to rise. Finally, I noticed one of the telephones bolted to the cement walls. I instantly dialed 911, checking around me for any signs of the cultists. The phone rang several times, but the line seemed busy. I didn't have time to call them again, so I dialed Nick's home phone. With any luck, one of the animatronics will know a thing or two about getting ahold of the police.

"This is Nick's residence, and definitely not a robot speaking," I heard Ozzie speak through the phone.

"Ozzie," I gasped for breath, "It's me, Vic,"

"Vic? What's going on? Are you alright?" Ozzie asked.

"You need to get ahold of the police, then get out of the house, Jerry is-"

Before I had a chance to fully explain, the phone box sparked and ignited. Flint seared the skin on my face, causing me to drop the phone in agony. I turned quickly to face Jerry. Without another word, I swung my fist towards him. This had no effect whatsoever, as my fist literally phased through him. I breathed for a moment, trying not to cry again.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, holding my arms.

"Well, eventually, your soul, obviously," Jerry shrugged, beginning to approach me as I backed into the wall, "Your soul will be all the more worth it to take if it's in pain,"

"What are you talking about," I breathed, feeling the wall for any sort of weaponry I could use.

"Souls that suffer the worst always taste the best," Jerry smiled, standing in front of me, "I think it's time for us to get reacquainted, now that you've exhausted yourself, might as well turn this into something beneficial,"

"Maybe for you," I growled, inching away from him. I was at the end of the hallway, and Jerry had managed to back me into the corner.

"I must say, you look nice, all dolled up and such," Jerry sneered, cocking his head.

"Flattery won't make me any more willing to give up this time," I hissed back.

"Vicky?" I heard an exhausted voice shout from the end of the hallway. This instantly caught both Jerry and mine's attention. It was Rudy. His clothes had been tattered and burned.

"You guys, everyone else is dead, what's going on," He breathed, approaching us. Rudy seemed completely oblivious to who Jerry was.

"You must be Rudy," Jerry spoke, turning to face him. Rudy paused for a moment.

"Are you Vicky's boyfriend?" Rudy asked. I fake gagged loudly. Jerry chuckled for a moment, which caused Rudy to keep standing there awkwardly.

"No, I am not Vic's boyfriend. I know you're trying your hand at her, though," Jerry spoke.

"Vic, is this guy bothering you?" Rudy asked.

"Go call the police," I hissed. Rudy instantly began to take note of his surroundings, putting together the mental puzzle pieces that I was currently cornered, and Jerry was wearing a Willy's Wonderland t-shirt.

"Wait, are you Jerry?" Rudy asked, seeming to not care that Jerry and his crew have murdered nearly all the people in the building.

"I usually go by that name, yes," Jerry smiled evilly, as he turned his full attention to Rudy, "Do you want to know who Vic rejected you for?"

"Please don't, Jerry, this is completely unnecessary-"

"Wait, Vic, how do you know this guy? And aren't you supposed to be a robot?" Rudy asked, a sense of fear beginning to form in his voice.

"Oh, you haven't realized yet? This is Vic Halifax," Jerry replied. Rudy looked at me.

"Look, Rudy, I'm sorry I lied, but I had nothing to do with the Hayesville-" I started to speak.

"And you're saying I got rejected for who exactly?" Rudy interrupted. Jerry and I made eye contact.

"You, Rudy, got rejected for an animatronic weasel," Jerry mocked. Rudy blinked.

"Are you talking about that rat-lookin' thing from Willy's Wonderland?"

I rubbed my forehead, trying to decide if I should take the time to leave, or try and save Rudy.

"That's the one. You got rejected for a freakin' robot," Jerry continued to taunt. Rudy looked at me, disgust smeared across his face.

"Are you serious Vic?" Rudy shouted, spewing several curse words throughout his sentence. I shrugged.

"However, I have to hand it to Vic, you did somewhat deserve it, being the perv you are," Jerry continued.

"Excuse me?" Rudy scoffed.

"I may be part of one of the most murderous cults in Nevada, but I'd never swoop as low as you," Jerry continued, "Which is why I won't feel as bad about killing you,"

With a swift upper-cut movement, Jerry's knife was lodged inside Rudy. He sputtered for a moment as I shut my eyes. Jerry didn't waste much time relishing in his kill, before sliding Rudy off his knife and turning his attention back towards me.

"Now, where were we girly?" He asked, twisting his bloody knife in his hands. I had droned out the alarm sirens by now, and was focusing solely on Jerry's chilling voice. Jerry's free hand pinned me against the wall. "I'm much stronger now, even without Willy. I shed my mortal shackles a long time ago,"

"You deserve to rot in Hell," I spat, trying to wriggle free from his grasp.

"You had your rest for an entire year, so how does it feel to finally be back in action?" Jerry asked, drawing the tip of his knife lightly along my cheek.

"I wish you stayed put," I replied, trying not to move my face.

"Ah well, it never hurt a little girl to wish," Jerry sneered.

"You're not going to get away with this, and neither is Luke," I whispered, as Jerry's hand tightly wrapped around my neck.

"We already have," Jerry whispered back, tightening his grasp, "I've turned your brother into the very thing you've sought to destroy, and there's no stopping him now,"

"I've seen it done before, and I'm not afraid to do it again," I replied, gasping for breath.

"Hm, I'd like to see you try," Jerry breathed. I could almost feel his face against mine, as I tried to kick free from him.

"P-please, don't hurt me!" I heard a muffled child cry. This instantly caught my attention, as I strained to see over Jerry's shoulder.

"Want to see?" Jerry asked, yanking my body away from the wall. I cried in pain as he held me at the front of his chest. I tried to pry both arms from him, but whatever Jerry had become was much stronger. It's the souls, Vic, he's killed all these innocent people, and it's given him strength. Before me, I saw one of my students inside one of the demolished art classrooms. Angelo Santos. He was backed into a corner by Kevin, who was wielding a massive sword just like Knighty Knights. Bodies scattered the ground, making me feel sick.

"Angelo!" I screamed, still trying to break free from Jerry's grasp. With every movement, I felt his fingers tighten on my thin arms.

"No use tryin' to pull that stunt," Jerry grunted in my ear, struggling to restrain me.

"What's your favorite subject, kid?" Kevin unexpectedly asked. I stopped thrashing. Angelo looked equally confused.

"Um, math?" He replied cautiously.

"I like math too, my favorite part is division. Are you good at division? " Kevin asked again.

"Division? I'm pretty good," Angelo replied again, even more confused than before.

"I just so happen to be good at it too," Kevin grunted, swinging his sharp sword through the air. I screamed, hearing Jerry laugh maniacally in my ear.

"Looks like you're not quite up to my level," Kevin chuckled, wiping the blood from his sword. I didn't know how much seeing death would sicken me. Especially innocent bystanders like children.

"What did they ever do to you?" I cried, finally giving way to Jerry's grasp. His grip didn't loosen, bruising my arms.

"Nothing, really, they're just souls," Jerry shrugged, throwing me to the ground finally. I scampered to my feet. I could hear fire crackling in the hallway over, and the smoke was beginning to condense.

"What are you planning on doing? Burning this place down?" I shouted, "This is a school for cryin' out loud,"

"We're just doin' what Luke wanted, obviously," Jerry replied, wiping his knife on his shirt.

"My brother isn't a monster,"

"He is whatever he wants to be. If you can't take a hint, he wants to stick with us," Jerry sneered. "Now, we're going to turn you right over to the police, because you are going to be the sole survivor of this little incident. Understand?"

"No," I breathed, rubbing my head. I was beginning to form a bad migraine, and all I wanted to do was to wake up from this nightmare. I knew this wasn't a dream, though, this was very real.

"Good. Now, let Uncle Jerry take you outside. When you wake up, you'll remember everything, don't worry," He sneered, placing his hands over my eyes. I tried to jerk them away, but a strangely calming force overcame me.

"Stop that," I tried to speak, feeling myself tripping.

"I'll let Willy know you said hi," Jerry jeered, as I fell to the ground. My eyes were shut, and I was beginning to fall asleep. As much as I forced myself to stay awake, it was absolutely useless. Finally, I passed out. My mind was fully conscious, though, as I was still able to think. They're going back to Nick's house, and they're going to try and possess the animatronics. With any luck, Ozzie understood what you were saying and somehow got everyone out of the house. Jerry is playing you like a fiddle, and there isn't anything you can do about it. I couldn't feel my body, or feel my surroundings. I couldn't speak or smell either. I could hear, however, and I wish I hadn't been able to.

"Got the lighter?" I heard Sasha ask.

"Yup, it's right here," Luke smiled.

"Hm, this is Vic's, isn't it?" Gustav asked.

"Yeah, she likes to write her name on stuff," Luke replied.

"It'll make it all the more sweet for her. Get ready so say 'bye' to your school," Jerry laughed. The cultists all erupted into laughter. I heard the loud clanking of metal pipes, as the wheezing sound of gas filled the air. They're breaking the gas lines. They're going to burn the school to the ground. As much as I felt like crying, I couldn't. My body just wouldn't let me. All I could do was listen to the horrible, terrifying sound of Rockwell Junior Senior High exploding into a fiery inferno of flames, and the approaching sound of police sirens in the background. I didn't want to wake up at this point. I didn't want to face the fact that the cultists and my very own brother had just killed hundreds of innocent people. Their evil laughter faded into the distance, as I heard the revving of Luke's 4-wheeler. Hopefully the animatronics got out of there. By the time I wake up, I'll be able to get ahold of someone's phone and get Liv to help me out. Luke obviously isn't going to help. The sirens grew closer, as my feelings began to return. Then my muscle control. Then my vision. Then my screaming, agonizing, tears as they fell from my face.

"Ma'am, ma'am, it's all right," An office spoke, instantly pulling me from the sight. Everything was ablaze. Everything I had held dear, all the students, all the teachers...everything and everyone was gone. I felt horrible. This wasn't supposed to happen. The only thing I could do at this point was fall into the officer's arms in a wave of sheer despair. My tears fell, as several fire trucks began to show up. They will not get away with this. I will not let these innocent people die for no reason. I will avenge them.