"Out, both of ya!"
"Gramma, c'mon!" Dollface whined, "I'm hungry!"
"Out!" Gramma chased them like chickens out the front door, both girls complaining.
"Why's Uncle Sebbie here?"
"Yeah, and why's-"
"What did I say?" Gramma snapped, pushing them out the front door, "Ya spend all yer time outside, and th'one tie I want ya out there, ya won't leave!"
Gramma snapped the screen door shut and pointedly locked it, "Now go find someone else t'bother!"
She slammed the heavy green door as well, making sure the twins couldn't get inside.
"Oh, fuck you!" Dollface shouted at the door, turning.
"What a bitch." Regina grumbled, following Dollface down the front steps. Her stomach growled, "And I didn't even get breakfast, either."
Grumbling, they sat on the steps. The door creaked open, and Regina expectantly turned, only to get a dog thrown in her face.
"I hate animals!"
"But sir, Courage is your childrens' pet! They love him!"
"I'm trying to conduct business, not run a goddamn zoo!"
Regina winced at the whimpering Courage who'd usually be barking at newcomers. Regina cradled the senile lapdog, growing afraid of the tyrant now quieting down inside their home.
Finally, Dollface stood and stomped down the sidewalk, "C'mon Reggie, we don't gotta take this shit!".
"Hey, where are you going?" Regina scampered after him, setting Courage down to sleep.
"I'm gonna find somethin' t'do. Ya comin'?"
"Sure beats sitting around here!"
Walking into town and taking a right, Dollface found herself on Hurricane Lane.
Her ears perked up as she got closer to a small house, a stone cottage owned by cousin Mike, and ran to the front stoop.
"String Bean!" She ran over to where her lanky cousin was sobbing hysterically against her girlfriend, Thorne, and landed on her knees, "String Bean, what's wrong?"
String Bean replied with a wail, curling further into Thorne and clutching a piece of paper.
"Ya can go inside." Thorne quietly said.
"Reggie stay out here."
"First of all-"
"Shut up, Reggie." Dollface stepped around the girls and entered Mike's apartment.
Her head began to hurt.
Dollface stood in the cleared-out living room with String Bean's kid brother.
Lars glared at Dollface, then set a box on a folding TV dinner table.
"All this shit." He muttered, "All this shit. An'he still couldn't be fucked t'clear it out his damn self."
Dollface stood silent as Lars sucked in a shaky breath.
"Ever since we got that stupid letter in th'mail, she's been whinin'. Won't even let it go."
He was quiet, calming himself. She didn't blame him for being mad.
Her head hurt.
We need t'get that letter! Dollface exclaimed to Michael.
"Ma's in th'other room."
Dollface nodded and looked into the short hallway where six-foot Tracey was dragging another trashbag.
Usually, her demeanor was more upbeat and confident, but for now, she looked deflated.
"I can't believe that asshole."
Furrowing her brow, Dollface slunk to Mike's room just past Tracey and greeted Gerald.
"Well, looks like he's finally lost it," Gerald said, holding a picture. Dollface went on her tiptoes to see the picture.
It was of Mike and his wife, Raina.
Dollface!
Dollface stepped back, ears ringing.
Michael, something's wrong, I'm scared.
Dollface, I'm right here.
"We knew it was only a matter of time b'fore he wandered outta town. Look." Gerald pointed at a set of pill bottles on the dresser next to him, "All started when we ended our careers t'gether. I went an'got more degrees over in Columbia while he kept trainin' fer th'force an'got married. When he was passed over, that's when this shit started."
"I never knew." Dollface said, quietly.
"He didn't want ya kids t'know. He especially didn't want his niece and nephew t'know." He said, "It was close after Raina died."
Dollface approached Gerald once more and asked him, "What d'ya think caused him t'leave?"
Gerald sighed, "M'brother has always been a lil'flighty. Looks like he stopped takin' his meds an'wrote th'note b'fore wandering off."
"Can I see it?" Dollface asked.
"If ya kin git it away from String Bean." Gerald said, "Good luck. She's been holdin' on t'that since we got it th'other night."
"Hm."
Dollface, do ya really think we need that note?
Gerald sighed again, pulling a chain from his pocket, "Give this t'm'girl. I think she'd need it more than me."
Dollface snatched it and studied the object.
A set of dogtags.
"It's no use fer him if he left 'em here over a month ago." Gerald said, "I have m'own, just in case I go missin'."
He pulled out his dogtags from under his sweaty teeshirt as proof. He tucked them back in, adjusting his beard and wiping his sweaty brow. "He's no better than Jason and that son uva'bitch Krueger."
"Were you…?"
A question best left unanswered.
C'mon baby-gurl, let's get String Bean her tags.
Dollface quietly walked through the small house on Hurricane lane and sat next to String Bean, still sobbing and clutching the paper.
Hunched over and sitting as a boy might, Dollface managed to get String Bean's attention away.
String Bean snatched the dogtags, dropped the paper, and leaned numbly against Thorne.
Dollface grabbed the note and began uncrumpling it.
"C'mon Reggie."
Regina snarled but stood anyway, following Dollface down the sidewalk.
Dollface began reading it to Michael.
That doesn't sound like him.
Yeah, but according t'Gerald, this was comin'.
Still doesn't sound right. Is that even his handwriting?
Wait- you're right.
Dollface checked her bag, pulling out a small sketchbook.
"What's the holdup?" Regina glared, standing overhead against a feverishly blue sky. The clouds were textured like scales or wool. She put her hands on her hips, "We have places to be, you know."
"Chillax, I just need t'see somethin'." Dollface said, flipping through the battered book. She landed on a back page, "Aha!"
Sitting on her knees, Dollface spread the note on the page just under Mike's birthday message from the year before.
You're right. It's similar though. If he's as crazy as Gerald says he was though…
Wait.
Yeah? What's wrong.
You've seen him, recently.
Dollface sat up.
"Reggie?"
"Yes?" Regina had been tapping her foot the whole time, annoyed by the sudden pause, "I'm hungry. You better be ready to discuss a late lunch with me."
Dollface glared up at her and stood, saying, "Fine. I'll take ya t'Dairy Park fer pretzels later. Or d'ya wanna split a bag o'Bacher's?"
Regina glared, "I guess that'll have to do." She flounced her hair, nose high in the air.
"We need t'get t'Freddy's."
"Why?" Regina asked, "That place has been shut down for over a month. Besides, I'm not even in uniform."
"Doesn't matter." Dollface said, "We need t'get there. Somethin's fishy goin' on, an'I need t'know what."
"Can't we do that later?" Regina asked, "I'm hungry."
"Fine. We'll go t'Dairy Park."
