Chapter Five: Fred Andrews and Marika

Nobody thought that Riverdale would one day experience a random act of violence, a near-fatal shooting, that occurred at Pop's Choc'Lit Shoppe. The perpetrator was still at large, and the victim barely surviving the tragedy.

"Mari…?"

"Hey. You're awake."

"What happened?"

"You tell me. I passed out too, remember?"

Fred Andrews and his ringtail cat Daemon, Marika, were taken straight to Riverdale General Hospital by his son Archie. For now, he was nowhere to be seen, yet the old man could feel him close by somewhere. How did Archie get him all the way from the diner to the hospital, and more importantly, how was he still alive?

"There should be a nurse nearby. Do you want to…?"

"No. Not now. I need time to think," Fred replied.

"About what?" The ringtail cat Daemon queried.

"I don't know if I'm dreaming or not."

"I hope not. I'd hate to imagine a life that never happens."

Fred's Daemon curled up on his side, away from the gunshot wound. The man flinched as he moved a little by to look at it. It seemed that the gunman, whoever he was, wasn't exactly planning to kill him, seeing that the wound was located away from his lungs or heart. Not bad, he thought bitterly.

A feeling of tiredness washed over Fred, and he felt himself falling asleep. In his dreams, he found himself standing in a room full of high school students. Everyone wore formal suits; could it be a graduation ceremony or prom night?

"Archie! Hey, Archie!" Fred found his son mingling with three girls.

His red-haired son, laughing with Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and Josie, initially didn't hear him talking. Fred walked closer. For some reason, his walking speed was… clumsy, or maybe it was sluggish? The old man turned to look at Marika, but she was nowhere on his person. That's when he noticed something strange.

Where were the students' Daemons? Why was everything slow and sluggish?

"Archie, can you hear me?!"

This time, the boy heard it and turned around to look at his father with a big smile. His Daemon Bailey wasn't with him. As Fred got closer and attracted the other students' attention, their smiles slowly disappeared from their faces. Then they began to look at him with expressions of sorrow and grief. None of them had their Daemons.

"What's going on?" Fred spoke, but his voice sounded small.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Andrews," said Cheryl Blossom.

"I never thought things would end up like this," said Kevin Keller.

"I wish it never happened in our town," said Betty Cooper.

"Dad… I'm very sorry. I really am," Archie spoke with a somber tone.

"What? I'm not angry! I'm just… glad that I get to see you all here today!"

"You are not here, Mr. Andrews," said Veronica Lodge

"You have passed away, remember?" Reggie mantle said matter-of-factly.

Wait, what? Fred was not there? Was he really dead? So who was he then, and who were he talking to? Before he could say anything else, he saw a man with a black hood covering his face standing right behind them. The old man tried to yell and them to take cover, but no sound came from his mouth.

And then the hooded gunman raised his gun, and pulled the trigger…

"Mr. Andrews, it seems that your father is still asleep."

Who's there? Fred's attending nurse?. He could feel Marika shifting ever so slightly from her sleep, seemingly noticing her voice as well. What a nasty, nasty dream, the man thought, and yet his body still felt really heavy. Ah, if only he could open his eyes and see little Archie paying him a visit with his wolf Daemon.

"Do you want me to leave both of you alone, Mr. Andrews?"

"Sure. I'll let you know if we need anything."

"Very well, then."

Well, at least they could get some privacy for a moment, even if Fred couldn't respond directly to Archie's words.