CHAPTER TWO: SWALLOWING PRIDE

I clenched my teeth as I pulled the last of the weeds out of the mulch at the front of the house. I straightened my posture before tossing the weeds onto the grass behind me. I breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off my forehead with the back of my right hand. I surveyed the mulch, smiling pridefully at my work.

'All done! My last chore for the day,' I thought to myself. As I surveyed my work, my thoughts shifted to what happened earlier today with my sister. My smile weakened slightly. 'Poor Lisa…'

I had been doing work around the house for the better part of the whole morning. Of course, my mother had me do the basic stuff; dust every surface, vacuum the carpets, do the laundry, etc. One of the best things about doing chores is that they keep the mind occupied. Like dirt being washed off your hands, you tend to forget whatever was on your mind. Like many say, being productive keeps your mind busy.

However, now that I completed everything I needed to do, there was nothing that could occupy my mind as the memories of my behavior this morning began to torment me. The expression on her face, her slamming the passenger side door to show off how angry she was with me, etc. A wave of guilt washed over me, along with a feeling of annoyance.

That was something I hated about myself. Whenever something bad happens, my subconsciousness would remind me of what I had done, striking me with immense guilt. It was like my subconscious's way of saying 'you did something bad, now you will be punished for it'.

I pushed the feeling of guilt aside and began to think about on how I was going to make it up to my sister. Knowing my sister, she would want me to do things with her, no doubt go have fun at the attractions at the Pizzaplex, something that she has been trying so hard for me to admit since its opening.

Speaking of the attractions, I was aware that some of them had their own mascots. Since the day my family and I went there, I hadn't seen any of the four mascots. I knew their names since my sister would always mention them, but not once have I ever come face-to-face with them.

To be honest, I always found it a little odd that I was probably the only one in Hurricane who hasn't met the mascots. Maybe I had, but I never paid full attention to even notice.

As for the name of the mascots, their names were Glamrock Freddy or what many call Freddy Fazbear, Montgomery Gator, Glamrock Chica, and Roxanne Wolf.

Now, I didn't have a problem with the first 3, it was the wolf I was more… concerned about. I have no idea what the hell the people behind Roxanne's design were thinking, but I sure as hell didn't… approve of her design, more specifically her outfit. I wasn't sure if there were any kind of band that wears clothing like that, but I found it to be a little… revealing.

I'll be honest, if our world was portrayed in an anime, I had no doubt that every male who finds that kind of outfit appealing would act surprised before blood comes shooting out of their noses like fire hoses. It may be comical to some people, but it sure as hell would scare the daylights of the kiddies. Probably scar them for life.

I didn't know if I was the only person who thought that way about Roxanne's outfit, but if I was, that would be disappointing. Though honestly, the only things that didn't make her outfit too revealing were the arm and leg warmers, as well as the spiked bracelets and the choker. Still, if I was the CEO, I would've looked those designers in the eye and said 'bro, I don't what's going through those heads of yours, but I would be happy if you changed Roxanne's outfit. The last thing we want is for some poor soul to see it as too revealing'.

I always tried to not be judgemental about what other people wear as it was none of my business nor did I have any authority to do so. I also tried to not voice it as it would be seen as incredibly rude. I did, however, have a few exceptions, ones I didn't approve of, but I would never voice them.

I would never understand why people felt or thought it was a good idea to walk around in society wearing clothing that was revealing. Were people very unaware that something like that would attract the wrong crowd? How those individuals might have… nasty thoughts upon seeing that? Maybe they were aware and just don't really care in the slightest or maybe they weren't aware and might never will be. Sometimes, people like that would forever be a mystery to me.

"Mihael, what are you doing?" came the voice of my mother, the sound snapping me out of my thoughts. I shook my head to clear it before I turned my attention to the front porch to see my mother staring at me with a curious expression.

"Err, what?" I asked stupidly.

"I said what are you doing?" she repeated. "You've been standing there like a statue for a good five minutes."

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly with my left hand. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. Anyway, I'm done with pulling the weeds out."

The curious expression left my mother's face before a smile took its place.

"That's great to hear, Mihael," she said softly. "Now, if I were you, I take a shower right now. You no doubt have to smell like body odor."

I stopped rubbing the back of my neck before giving her a deadpan expression. I despised it when my mother would say things like that to me, especially when there were other people around. I knew she was right on occasions when I sweat, but I would prefer she kept that to herself rather than say it out loud she was making a huge announcement.

"Wow, thanks for letting me know, Sherlock," I said sarcastically.

She chuckled. "Now, get a move on. Your father and sister will be home very soon. No doubt they would like to hop into the shower as soon as they get home."

I nodded slowly. With that, I walked up the front porch, past my mother, and entered the house.

I turned off the water for the shower before slowly stepping out of the tub. Water trailed down my body and dripped off the tips of my fingers, soaking the rug under my feet. The warmth the water had provided slowly began to fade, being replaced with a bitter cold. I shook myself a little bit before walking over to the towel rack that stood over the toilet. I grabbed a random towel and began to dry myself off, even using it to scratch off some itchy spots on my back.

When I was done, I wrapped the towel around my waist. I began to reach for the doorknob before turning my attention to the mirror. I froze in my spot as I stared at my reflection. I slowly walked over to the mirror, placing my hands on the sink.

Staring back at me was a man with pale skin, messy black hair, and light blue eyes, along with a slight build. That man was me.

As I stared, I couldn't help but feel… pathetic. While everyone in my family had skin darker than mine, I was the only one with this skin tone. To be honest, I never liked how I was paler than others. In fact, I couldn't help but feel like my skin has made me somewhat really… ugly. It wasn't that all with pale skin were ugly, it's me who just happens to be.

I had been called many names due to my skin. Many times, I've had people call me a vampire or even 'shiny vampire'. If I had fangs, drink human blood like the famous Dracula or animal blood like the Cullen family from 'The Twilight Saga', I most certainly would look like one.

On top of all that, I've even heard some of the local kids at the school gossip about me. To be honest, it's hurtful to see and hear about how others spread all these rumors about other people, just to make them look like shit or ruin their reputation so these damn bullies can feel very good about themselves. It also didn't help that the rumors affected my chances for romance.

Just like any boy, I had a few crushes over a few girls over the years. Many of them were attractive, some of them being the most good-looking girl at school. They were pretty popular and make many friends as well. Of course, some of them would end up having boyfriends so those were crushes that would pass without issue. It was the ones that rejected me that hurt me the most.

There were times that I would finally gain the courage to get to know them first as a way to build a bond with them. Unfortunately, many of them would end with me getting slapped or even ridiculed by them. Some laughed in my face and would say 'who would want to date a freak like you, you dumb shiny vampire?'. In the end, when I turned 15, I finally gave up on the idea of romance, figuring it was something not worth it.

I squeezed the edges of the sink tightly, anger bubbling up inside me. It wasn't fair. Why did life have to be this cruel? So very… unforgiving? Or was it the people that made life this way? I didn't think I would find out the answer any time soon.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I loosened my grip on the sink, placing my hands by my side. I looked away from the mirror, focusing my attention on the door.

"Mihael, what are you doing in there?" my mother called out from the other side of the door.

"Sorry," I said quickly, keeping my eyes at the door. "I got lost in my thoughts."

"Well, hurry up. Your sister is going to be home in 10 minutes so I get out if I were you."

"Okay, Mom."

I heard the faint sound of my mother walking away from the door before they faded. I looked at my reflection in the mirror for a second before looking away. I exited the bathroom and walked across the hallway to my bedroom. I opened the door and stepped inside. I closed the door behind me, pushing the small button on the knob to lock it.

I sighed softly as I removed the towel from my waist. I walked over to the dresser, folding the towel as I did. Once folded, I placed the towel on top of the dresser. I opened the dresser and got dressed quickly, putting on a plain white T-shirt and pajama shorts.

I looked around the room, looking for something to do. My eyes focused on the bookshelf. I smiled weakly as I looked over the many books I had, trying to see which one I would read for a little bit. As I looked them over, the smile faded from my face. I've read all of the books that sat on the shelf, some of them I read a decent number of times. I shook my head, no longer wanting to read a book at the moment.

I turned my attention away from the bookshelf and right onto the computer sitting on the desk. I felt compelled to sit down, turn on the computer and play some computer games like Mahjong, Bejeweled, etc. As much as I wanted to do that, I knew I couldn't because of my punishment. I also knew what my father would do if he caught me playing. I wasn't going to take any chances.

I finally turned my attention to the bed. My mouth opened, a loud yawn escaping me, along with a wave of drowsiness washing over me. I never realized how tired I was now that I was done with all of my chores. The idea of taking a nap felt pleasing.

I walked over to the bed, my body now suddenly becoming heavy. I got to the side of the bed before I leaped onto the mattress. The bed creaked as a result of the impact. I crawled to the center of the mattress before rolling onto my right side. I pulled the covers over my body, snuggling with it as another yawn escaped me.

'Time to get some rest,' I thought to myself. With that, I closed my eyes, slipping into unconsciousness very quickly.

I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by darkness. A wave of dread washed over me, though I didn't know why. To many, the dark would be nothing but just plain old darkness. However, this was a sense of familiarity with this darkness. Something deep within told me there was something else with me, hiding somewhere out there in the darkness where I couldn't see it.

Along with it, I felt like I was in immediate danger as if my own life was at risk. The feeling of dread intensified, slowly turning into panic. I did my best to keep it at bay, as well as to keep it from taking over. Whatever it was that was giving off this powerful feeling was undoubtedly something very dangerous.

A strange sound echoed throughout the darkness. I looked around to see if I could spot something in the darkness, even though I knew I wasn't going to succeed. I narrowed my eyes aggressively. Something about that sound gave me the chills. I couldn't make out what it was, but I knew it was responsible for giving off the feeling of immense danger.

Another sound echoed throughout the darkness. This time, I could make out what it was; laughter. It wasn't friendly laughter. It was one filled with insanity, almost like how a little child would try their best to imitate an evil laugh. The instinct to run away was becoming stronger, but I stood my ground. I wasn't going to let whatever it was intimidate me.

"Are you having fun yet?" echoed a feminine voice. A chill ran down my spine at the voice.

There was something very disturbing about the voice. I couldn't put my finger on as to why that was the case. However, I was aware that whatever it was that spoke from the darkness, it was evil. No doubt it was trying to scare me. Well, it was going to have to do better than that.

A faint sound echoed throughout the darkness. I paused at the sound. Although it was faint, I could tell that it wasn't the same voice. There was something familiar about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Another sound echoed throughout the darkness. This time, I could make out what it was.

"Mihael…"

Someone or something was calling my name from out in the darkness. I looked around to see where it was coming from. Although I should worry about whatever it was that was hiding in the darkness, I felt strangely at ease.

"Mihael… Mihael…"

I looked to my right one last time where I came face-to-face with a familiar rabbit staring deep into my soul.

"MIHAEL!" it shouted.

"Mihael… Mihael, wake up," whispered a soft voice. I groaned as I slowly returned to consciousness. I opened my eyes to find myself lying on my right side facing the wall. I rolled onto my left side to see Lisa standing beside the bed.

"About time you woke up, sleepyhead," Lisa said with a soft smile, a tiny hint of annoyance present in her tone. "Why were you taking a nap?"

"I grew tired after completing my chores," I replied. "You have to admit; doing chores can be tiring."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I know they can be. They can also be fun if you try making an effort to do so."

The smile left my face, a deadpan expression forming on my face. I hated it when she said stuff like that. I didn't know how she could find enjoyment in doing chores at all. She had good intentions when it came to that, but trying to have other people find enjoyment in doing chores wasn't going to cut.

There's a catch though. Chores weren't good or bad, fun or boring. In fact, they are only perceived the way they are by how people felt about them. Some people might find them fun and productive, people like my sister. Others, like me, saw chores as boring and tiring. Hell, I had no doubt that there were people in the world that saw chores as a big waste of time. While they can be, if your household was dirty and needed work, chances are that in order to live comfortably, one has to do such things. Otherwise, it wouldn't be just humans that would dwell inside.

"That may be true, if it wasn't for the fact that you try to get us to sing some stupid songs from the shows that you watch on TV," I pointed out. "Especially that song from the second episode of 'The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'."

"Hey, it's a good song!" Lisa exclaimed defensively.

"No, not really," I said in a deadpan tone.

"You always think that," she retorted.

"That's because songs like that were written by people who don't even know how to make a good song, one that isn't repetitive and so annoying," I countered. Lisa stuck her tongue out how a 2-year-old would. I just smirked in response.

It was true; a lot of the songs nowadays were repetitive and very annoying, including the ones made for TV shows. The only good songs were the theme songs for animes. The beats were catchy and had a lot of effort put into them. They were a blessing in disguise.

Something clicked in my head, making the smirk fade from my face. I made eye contact with Lisa.

"Aside from that, what are you doing in my room?" I asked. A small smile formed on her face.

"Well, Dad asked me to come and get you," she replied.

"Any particular reason as to why?" I asked. The smile weakened a bit in response. I didn't like the looks of that. Something told me that the reason was one that I knew all too well.

Lisa sighed. "We're going to the Pizzaplex today. I'll be honest with you; Dad was hesitant to have you come with us since…" She hesitated for a moment. "Well, you know."

I nodded, understanding why. "I assume you convinced him to let me come with you guys?"

"Of course," she replied, nodding her head in the process. "You're my brother and part of this family, after all. It just wouldn't be the same to go without you, even when you make it clear that you don't like the place."

I smiled weakly. My sister has always done things like this for me out of the goodness of her heart, even when I didn't deserve it. I was grateful to have a sister like her, but at the same time, I'd always felt like she sometimes does out of pity.

"You're too good, Lisa," I said softly. "I don't know whether to feel blessed or not to have a sister like you."

"Would you want to have someone else as your sister?" she asked. I looked at her with an exaggerated disgusted look.

"Not in a million years," I said with a fake gag. We both laughed in response. After a long while, we calmed down and looked at each other.

I thought about my dislike for the Pizzaplex. I frowned slightly at the thought. It wasn't that I disliked the place because I thought of it as something boring or because we kept going to it every day. It was rather because kids were going missing. For two years, over 150 kids had gone missing there and were never found, despite my father's best efforts.

To think that a mass majority of Hurricane goes there, despite what was happening right now made me sick. It didn't help that my own family was one of those people that go there while kids went missing. I wished we weren't like that.

To top it off, after the third kid named Bobby Walker disappeared, my father created strict guidelines for us to follow so nothing like that ever happened to us. For the last two years, we followed them as if our lives depended on them. However, because of this, I wasn't allowed to go to the arcade by myself, despite me being a 17-year-old boy since a part of the guidelines was to stick together and never split up.

Something clicked in my head as I thought about that. Maybe there was a way I could make it up to Lisa after what happened earlier this morning. There was a good chance my father wouldn't allow it, but it was something worth giving a shot.

"Hey, Lisa, do you remember what happened this morning during the drive to school?" I asked. The smile left her face.

"Yeah, I do," she said softly. There was an awkward pause between us. I shifted uncomfortably on the bed as I thought about how I acted when I couldn't stand Lisa's pestering. She looked me in the eyes. "Why?"

I rubbed the back of my head shamefully. "I want to apologize for lashing out like that. I know you were just trying to help, but that still doesn't excuse my temper at all. I want to make it up to you."

Lisa stared at me for a moment before smiling weakly.

"Mihael, it's okay, I forgive you," she said softly. "And I want to apologize for not respecting the fact that you didn't want to talk about what happened yesterday. And don't worry about it. You don't have to make it up to me."

I shook my head before placing my left hand on her right shoulder.

"Nonsense," I said. "I'm serious about this, Lisa. My behavior was uncalled for and I do want to make it up. If it makes you happy, I'm willing to swallow my pride and try to have a good time at the attractions."

Lisa stared at me with a wide-eyed expression, no doubt taken aback by what I said. I couldn't blame her. If I was in her shoes and she said something like that, I would be surprised. I had no idea what was going on in her head, but if I had to take a guess, she was probably wondering if I meant what I said.

After a moment, a mischievous smile formed on her face. A wave of uneasiness washed over me upon seeing that.

"Actually, I have something else in mind," she said. I arched an eyebrow at her.

"What would that be?" I asked curiously. She lifted an index finger and waved it back and forth.

"I can't say what," she replied. "You'll find out once we get to the Pizzaplex."

I was taken aback by this. Lisa wasn't one to be evasive. She was the kind that was more open as to what was on her mind, more open than me. Being the evasive one was my thing, not hers.

"I'll head downstairs and see if I can get Dad to let us have fun without them watching us by having you watch me," she said. "While I do that, you get dressed. No doubt you're in PJs. We'll be waiting for you."

With that, she charged out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. I stared at the door, shocked at what just happened. That girl was full of surprises and can act more mature for her age when she needs to be. Probably more mature than me.

What shocked me more was the confidence she displayed when she said that she was going to talk to our father and see if she could convince him to let that happen. Out of everyone in the family, she was the most optimistic. She always displayed hope for the best to happen, even when chances of something taking a turn for the better were slim or not in our favor. Sometimes, I wished I had her optimism. To be honest, having what she had might make my life much better. However, I was aware that it wouldn't stop me from being the pessimist I always was.

I smiled before I removed the covers off me. I hopped out of bed and walked over to the dresser. I opened it, searching through its contents. After a while, I found a Batman-themed T-shirt and light blue shorts. I put them on, along with a pair of socks. I closed the dresser and looked myself over. I nodded, satisfied with how I looked. While my shirt didn't match with my shorts, I didn't care. My clothing didn't have to match all the time. To me, that only applied when it came to special events.

'Time to go,' I thought to myself. With that, I walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

I walked down the stairs and entered the living room where my family was waiting for me. The living room was a medium-sized room with the floor made out of wood and the walls being brick. The TV stand was pressed up against the wall beneath the stairs with the TV standing proud and tall on it. In the center of the room was the coffee table and on the far-left side of the room was the family couch. Two small dressers stood beside each side of the couch with the one on the left holding a small lamp.

I turned my attention to the family couch. My mother, my father, and Lisa were there, no doubt were waiting for me to show up. Lisa and my mother were looking at me with small smiles while my father had a tiny smirk on his face, though there was a hint of sternness present in that smirk.

"Are you ready, Mihael?" my mother asked. I nodded. "That's good. Before we go, your father has something to say to you."

I turned my full attention to my father. We stared at each other for a moment before he sighed.

"Mihael, your sister told me what you and her discussed," he began. "While I prefer that we stick to the guidelines, I'm willing to let you and your sister go have fun without me and your mother watching you." The expression on his grew very stern. "Since you're almost an adult, I'm putting all of my trust into you. If anything happens to Lisa, there will be no second chances. Understand?"

I nodded. A wave of gratitude washed over me, though I didn't show it on my face. This was the first time my father was allowing such a thing after Bobby Walker's disappearance. My opportunity to make it up to Lisa was becoming a reality.

"Now that we got that out of the way, let's head out," my father said as he got up from the couch. We all nodded in response, my mother and Lisa getting up from the couch. I quickly noticed that they were wearing their shoes.

I quickly put on my shoes and opened the door for them. They all smiled and walked out of the house. I quickly followed after them, locking the door before closing it behind me.

I stared out the window as my father drove us to the Pizzaplex. I watched the landscape flying by as the car moved, along with a few cars passing by us. I could also hear the barely contained squeals of excitement coming from Lisa. I mentally rolled my eyes at that.

As I looked out the window, I thought about my sister's behavior back in my bedroom. I couldn't help but still find it strange for her to behave like that. Now that I was thinking about it, there was something strange about it. Whatever it was, it has to be something big to the point she had to keep it a secret. I could very well be overthinking all of it, but that should be something I had to keep in mind when the time comes.

In fact, she might've been planning on dragging me to many of the attractions at the Pizzaplex, many of them visited by people who come to the place every day. No doubt some of them where I would embarrass myself due to my age.

If I have to be honest, out of all of them, Mazercise and Fazer Blast would probably be the ones that would no doubt be the bane of my existence.

For one, Mazercise had a small maze that kids could go into. Mazes were my weakness. I could never for the life of me find the exit to any that I stepped into. If I were to go in there to try to have fun, I would undoubtedly get myself lost for a good while. That and the maze was made for kids. Kids. To see a 17-year-old boy walking through the maze with a bunch of little kids would be a strange sight to see.

As for Fazer Blast, that was different. The layout of the arena reminded me of a small playground, only much bigger. While there may be some kids around my age that go there and have a good time, there were some around that age that would take advantage of the one thing the laser guns had; the ability to blind people.

The rule for Fazer Blast was to never shoot anyone in the eyes as that would cause temporary blindness. While there were people who respected the rule, there were others that didn't give a rat's ass about it and would shoot people in the eyes to gain a very unfair advantage. The last thing I needed was for someone to shoot me in the eyes with a laser gun.

Of course, there were many to choose from as some of them were all people of size and age to try and have fun at. All except for one; Roxy Raceway.

Out of all the attractions in the Mega Pizzaplex, Roxy Raceway was the only one that wasn't finished when it opened. From what I had gathered over the last 2 years, the Raceway was a racing-type of attraction where you get to race with the one and only Roxanne Wolf, the mascot of the attraction. I had no idea as to why, but according to rumors, the people constructing it bumped into a lot of problems, one that slowed down its construction. But they were rumors so I had no idea whether they were true or not.

In all honesty, I found it to be very strange. Something about it didn't seem right as if there was something evil lurking somewhere in there. I always chalked it up to nerves due to the Raceway being the only attraction still in construction.

I looked away from the window, turning my attention to my little sister. There was a huge smile on her face, excitement clear on her face. I smiled slightly at the sight. Something told me that she was excited, thinking that me trying to have a good time at those attractions was going to be the best thing ever. Maybe not the BEST thing, but one of the best.

'You're only doing this for her, Mihael, not for anyone else,' I thought to myself as I turned my attention back to the window.

We pulled into the parking lot of the Pizzaplex. As it has been since the day of its grand opening, the parking lot was almost full to its capacity. However, at least 50% of the vehicles there were taking up at least 2 spots, many of which were trucks and minivans.

In all honesty, it was a sad and very disgusting sight. Why people would do such things was beyond me. Maybe they decided to be that asshole and leave no place for people who aren't assholes to park their cars. Not only does that ruin the mood for those who want to have fun, but that would no doubt put a damper on anyone's day. One of these days, I might just park my truck behind their vehicle so they would have no choice but to try moving it out of the way. If they somehow have the balls to do any damage to my truck, they would have a bad time.

Lisa began hopping on her seat with excitement. I smiled slightly at the sight. I had no doubt she was excited to do things with me. I was still very grateful that my father was allowing me and my sister to go without having him and our mother watching us. This was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing as my mother, my father, and I would have no choice but to go to whatever attraction she wanted to go to while dragging me there in the process.

"Oh, this is going to be great!" Lisa squealed happily, flashing a wide smile at me. "Am I right, Mihael?!"

I gave her a thumbs up with my right hand, the action causing the smile to grow slightly.

"You better keep your eyes on her at all times, Mihael," my father said sternly from the front seat. "I'm trusting you on this. It's very important that you-"

"I know, Dad," I said calmly, turning my attention to him. "I'll watch her like a hawk."

He nodded, satisfied. He turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. My mother and Lisa proceeded to do the same, shutting their respective doors. I stayed where I was for a moment, thinking about what was about to go down.

To think that I was really going to make an effort to swallow my pride in trying to have fun at the silly attractions was something I never thought I would find myself doing. However, I wasn't doing it for myself; I was doing it for my little sister. To see Lisa happy was the only thing that mattered to me. Nothing more, nothing less.

I sighed before I stepped out of the car. I closed the door before I heard the sound of the locks clicking into place. With that, we began walking towards the Pizzaplex.

Author's Note:

After what seemed like an eternity, Chapter Two for Book 2 is finally done! :D

I sincerely want to apologize for how long this took. I took a nasty hit with writer's block, along with the fact that I have a new project in mind. This project has nothing to do with the Robotic Saga. It's actually an original work that I plan on publishing as an actual book. I'm currently putting the story together and I'm liking how it's going so far.

I hope you guys can forgive me for the long wait. I will try to make an effort to push through writer's block and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

That's all for now. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Roxanne Wolf will be making an appearance in the third chapter. Keep in mind, we're in the beginning. Everything will come together once we get closer to the end. Constructive criticism is appreciated and I will see you guys in Chapter Three! :)