For a few long minutes, there was nothing but silence. Kyle looked back and forth between Jessica and John, clearly hoping for some explanation. Carlton was taking in John's appearance as if he'd come back from the dead, unsure of whether or not to believe his eyes. Jessica was still too shocked to feel anything else.

Sam looked up at John. What really stuck out was that he had a very rugged look. His hair was slightly longer than it looked like it normally would be, His clothes, though completely normal, were a bit ruffled not neatly pressed. He also was sporting a bit of a beard. Not the look of a homeless man, but it certainly appeared that he wasn't that concerned with keeping too much of a neat public appearance as of late.

John gazed down at the young man on the ground before him. He couldn't believe his eyes. He'd known Charlie for years, even though many of them were spent apart from her as they grew up. Still, he always had a special connection to Charlie, more than anyone else both when they were kids and recently. And now, Charlie was gone, or so he could only guess. After what had happened, he wanted nothing more than to get away from Hurricane and clear his head somewhere while trying to support himself as best as he could. Now, an inexplicable calling brought him back to Silver Reef, where he hoped he would find an answer. He'd been searching for hours already, trying to find anything that could explain what was happening, and it finally arrived in the form of a person, someone that he exclusively had been told about only recently by his twin sister: Sam Emily...if he went by that name.

He was so mesmerized by the similarities in facial features that he had forgotten about the rest of the world until Jessica cleared her throat loudly. He startled and reached out a hand.

"Sorry about that. I didn't expect anyone to show up," he said nervously, helping Sam to his feet, "especially...well...you."

Sam brushed himself off, continuing to maintain direct eye contact with John. "You mean...you know me?"

John shrugged. "Kind of. Your sister mentioned you a lot. We were good friends."

"More than that," said Carlton. John turned to him.

"Carlton? How are you doing?" He walked over and the two embraced in a gentle hug.

"I'm alright. Still healing." He gave a small gesture to the area of his wounds. He gave a small chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood and reduce the awkwardness of the sudden unexpected reunion. John smiled. It really was good to see him again.

He turned to Kyle, the one face he didn't know. Kyle took the hint.

"Kyle Jackson," he said, extending a hand. "I'm Sam's friend. I was invited to come along to help with the search."

"Search?" said John, turning to Sam.

"The search for my sister. Clay's still looking for her, you know."

John stared long into Sam's eyes, and for a moment, the world around him once again dissolved. The shorter hair and budding facial hair forgotten, he could've sworn he was looking into Charlie's eyes, the brown eyes that he had come to admire and love whenever she looked at him in kindness or was lost in thought, the eyes that he now questioned were ever real to begin with. However, these eyes narrowed in confusion, bringing him back to reality as he found himself once again looking at Sam.

He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a sudden violent shove from Jessica.

"What have you been?!" she cried, tears threatening to fall from her eyes once more, her voice breaking even more than it had before.

John recoiled slightly, taken aback by the sudden outburst, and took a step back, but she only followed.

"Jessica…" he protested, holding up his hands.

"Why did you leave us like that?!" she screamed, getting closer. "We've been looking all over for Charlie...and for you! We haven't seen Charlie since she was with you, and you left us at the hospital with no hope that we would ever see either of you again! She's our friend, too, you know!"

"Jessica, I-"

"No, listen!" Her fury was beyond intimidating now. "I can't believe you would do that to us! We needed you, and you were gone!"

"Jessica, please!" Sam interjected, stepping between her and John. "This isn't helping."

She blinked in frustration. "Sam, you don't understand! You've only heard what's happened here, but you haven't actually experienced it! Charlie may be your sister, but you don't know her as well as we do. We were best friends, and so were she and John! They always spent time together when they were here!" She looked back at John, her anger giving way to sadness once more as tears began falling again and her voice broke. "They were almost inseparable. They never liked to admit it, but they were practically sweethearts! Every time I saw them together, I always felt that there was something between them that I wasn't a part of, and it drove me crazy! I When Charlie disappeared again and Clay couldn't find her, I thought for sure John would be there to help us, that he knew something that we didn't. But instead, he left us with no explanation as to why! Right when we needed him the most!"

She couldn't go on. She knelt down with her head in her arms, sobbing. John bent down and helped her to her feet, guiding her to a stack of boxes to sit on.

"Jessica, I'm sorry about that," John said, patting her on the shoulder as she continued sobbing into her arms. "I really am, but...well, it's hard to explain."

"What is?" Carlton asked, moving toward them a few steps.

John looked at him, the hesitation evident in his eyes. "What happened here last month. What's been happening all along."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

John sighed. "Charlie's not who you think she is."

"What does that mean?" asked Kyle. John turned to him, having forgotten that there was a new face in the group.

"You don't understand," he told him simply, turning to look between the others, particularly Carlton and Jessica. "None of you do."

"Then help us to," said Jessica, bringing her face out of her arms and glaring at him with wet eyes.

"Yeah, what are you not telling us about Charlie?" Carlton added.

John remained silent, looking between Carlton, Jessica, and Sam, all of whom were waiting anxiously for him to say something. But what? He remembered back when Charlie first took him to Fredbear's Family Diner, and they made a commitment to not tell anyone else. It was a secret...their secret.

"John, I don't want to tell anyone about Fredbear's."

"But-yeah. I think we forget this is your life and not just some adventure. It's fine; I can keep a secret."

"It's all our lives. We were all there. We can tell them later; I just want to sort some of it out for myself right now."

"You got it."*

It seemed like so long ago now, and it was...almost two years, yet the memories of that place were still very clear. And that was before everything else happened: the nightmare at Freddy's, the twisted animatronics, the underground pizzeria, the two Charlie's, the robot in the hall. No, he wouldn't think of that. Not right now. This was about Charlie, and the promise he made to her that they wouldn't tell the others until the time was right. He'd spent some time thinking about that while he was away for the last month, but his focus was always too unhinged to come to any decision. He thought back to the last time he saw Charlie, and what she meant by her final words before she disappeared. She had seemed so...content, which he found odd given their last encounter together in none other than this very house. It was all a blur to think back on even now, which was why he had wanted nothing more than to get away from town to clear his head. No words could console his aching mind after what he'd been through. He needed to be alone, to get away and try his best to wrap his head around everything that had happened since that fateful day they reunited for Michael's ceremony.

He always thought back to that promise he had made to Charlie about keeping her past between them. Part of him kept shooting down the very thought about telling them. It seemed like such a dirty thing to do, like he was betraying his own best friend after her death. But then again, she did say that there might come a time later to tell someone, and she never would have guessed that her twin brother would eventually come to town for the very purpose of looking for her.

After a few silent minutes of debate, John looked at Sam again, who only stared back at him wearing a familiar expression, the one Charlie always wore when he had interested her with something.

Finally, with a knowing sigh, he decided that the time had come.

"Sam, do you remember Fredbear's Family Diner?"

Sam was visibly taken aback, as was Jessica. Though they didn't realize it, they were both thinking the same thing: How does he know this? How much of this did Charlie tell him?

"Yeah," said Sam. "Vaguely, but yeah. What about it?"

John opened his mouth, then closed it again. Where to begin? In all his wrestling with whether or not he should come clean to the others about this, he never imagined he'd be speaking directly to Sam when it finally came out.

"Do you remember what happened on Halloween night of 1982?"

Sam frowned, thinking back. Did he? He'd barely begun to remember the place at all. A specific date like this? That was a new challenge. He was only three, give or take, but then Halloween is a unique day of the year.

"I might. I mean, it's been a while since I've been there. If I could see the place again, maybe it would help, but I doubt it's-"

"It's still there," John interrupted. "It's old and dusty, but it's still there."

Sam was shocked. "It...it is?"

John nodded. "Yeah."

"You've been there?" Jessica asked, getting up. She looked like she wanted to say more, but Sam spoke first.

"What's it like?"

John shrugged. "About what you'd expect, given its age."

"No, I mean, what is it like, compared to Freddy's?"

"Smaller," said John. "A lot smaller, but it still looked like something your dad would've run."

"Can you take me there?" Sam asked.

John stared into Sam's eyes once more. Despite the sadness of knowing what would later happen, John almost smiled when he once again saw some of Charlie in his expression. That excitement she had when it came to things like this he always loved about her, even though it was quenched in these later years by old scars.

"Yeah, I can take you there."

Sam's expression remained unchanged for a few moments, but then his mouth crept up into a smile. Despite the evident nervousness and hesitation in John's voice and eyes, Sam couldn't help but feel an odd sense of excitement. After hearing stories about tragic and weird events and seeing several places that he did not recognize, there was a feeling of comfort in the thought of visiting somewhere he would actually remember. He nodded.

Jessica shook her head. She loved Charlie and John, but her envy of being excluded from this inner circle of information was growing. Why didn't they ever tell her about any of this? Did they not trust her? Was she not important enough? She gave a deep sigh in frustration.

Carlton was having similar thoughts, though he was still preoccupied with the fact that John was back. He had a good bond with John, but he knew that he and Charlie were much closer than they were. He even teased them on a few occasions about it. Now with Sam here, that bond looked to continue, though not in the same way.

Kyle remained standing where he had for the past several minutes, not wanting to interrupt the events before him. He'd seen Freddy's already, stripped and barren as it was, and now it looked like this newcomer to the group was taking them to another. He gave a small scoff of delight at the thought of Sam returning home, so to speak, going back to a place he actually remembered. Kyle was always interested in Sam's past that not even he remembered that well. He'd asked him on several occasions to no avail. Now, they both would see it for themselves.

John nodded. "Follow me."

The car pulled into an empty parking lot at the mall where Freddy Fazbear's skeletal remains still stood. Clay stepped out and noticed the empty parking lot.

"Huh. They're not here," he said.

"Were they supposed to be?" the woman asked, her annoyance and impatience growing still with each passing minute.

"I was certain that they would be," said Clay, getting back into the car. "Knowing my son, this is the place he would come to. He's been bugging me about bringing him here for a while. He still has nightmares about this place, but I think he still wanted to come back just to see it again."

The woman remained silent. Clay grew nervous, expecting her to lash out in another bout of anger, but instead, she seemed lost in thought about something.

Nightmares…

Then it hit her.

"I think I know where he might be."

Not sure exactly who she was referring to, he listened to her directions and they pulled out of the parking lot.

April 14, 1999

I don't think this town knows how to take a breath. It's only been a day since I got here, and I've been told so much about what's been going on and seen so many new places, it's hard to comprehend. Here I thought that I'd be spending most of my time sitting in an interrogation room or something, answering questions that I may or may not know the answer to. But this is so much different. I feel like I'm interrupting something, like the memories and impact of this town are still lingering and affecting people and I'm joining the party out of nowhere. That's probably what is still getting to me the most. I feel unnecessary, like it's still a waste of time for me to be here, but so far everyone seems glad I came.

Jessica's been so kind to me. I can tell she and my sister had a lot of history together, as they all do. I wasn't sure what to expect when I came here as far as people were concerned. Her hug last night, her generosity to me today, her feelings she shared with me. I never thought that such an immediate bond was possible. But then again, I've been friends with Kyle Jackson, arguably the weirdest guy on the planet, for years, and I remember we hit it off pretty well, too. Even though I don't know her that well, I feel sorry for her, and I can only imagine what she's going through.

Carlton? Not sure where to begin with him. He and Kyle seem to hit it off pretty well, which is nice. I'm still a little worried, though. I've heard some interesting stories about his antics. If Kyle starts pranking me all the time when we go back, I may need to give both him and Carlton a piece of my mind, which probably won't do much anyway, but if nothing else, it'll give them a laugh.

And then there's John, who apparently was the closest friend my sister had and disappeared on everyone right after this mess at the new restaurant. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about him just yet. I know he's surprised that I showed up after everything Charlie apparently told him about me, but some of the silent looks like he's been giving me are kind of creepy. I know I shouldn't be quick to judge. After all, he seems like a friendly, handsome guy when he's cleaned up. Maybe it's the trauma that's gotten to him a bit.

He's taking me to Fredbear's. I'm actually going to see Fredbear's again! I wonder if I'll remember it as well as I can in my dreams. I never really believed in visions much, at least not through dreams, but what if this whole thing really is some sort of weird calling? It's hard to describe, but for the first time since coming here, I feel like I'm finally going home.

John gave a quick glance to his right to notice Sam putting a small notebook and pencil away in his lightweight jacket pocket. John had insisted that Sam ride with him, to which Jessica had to force down a protest. She was following them in her car, and Kyle and Carlton were following in the back. They were going beyond the city limits, not that Hurricane was that big of a town anyway. He gazed at the mountains set against the orange evening sky. The fields were growing larger and the houses were getting fewer. Sam glanced over at John, unsure of what to say. He kept staring out the windshield as he drove. Sam cleared his throat, and John blinked noticeably and turned to him.

"So, were you and Charlie ever…?" He placed his fingers together to illustrate.

"Oh, no. No. Nothing like that," he said, his nerves evident in his shaky voice. Despite being Charlie's twin brother who shared many of her features, Sam was still a stranger, and John felt very uncomfortable opening up too much about his relationship with Charlie, not that it ever did really go anywhere beyond being close friends. Then again, he was literally leading them to the place that started everything, where the truth behind all of the trauma lay isolated and forgotten. He sighed deeply. "No, we were never that close, although I sometimes wished we were. Your sister was special. I knew that when we were kids. There was something between us that I could never explain. I wanted her to be happy, to trust me, to be there for her when she needed. Of course, we were just kids, but even these last few years, those feelings never really went away. At least not for me. She told me things that she never told anyone else, and I felt so privileged that she would trust me the way she did."

Sam couldn't take his eyes off of John. He noticed his voice was starting to break ever-so-subtly, and his eyes were showing signs of watering. Sam looked away when he noticed this. Now he was becoming even more uncomfortable and out-of-place like he was unworthy of being in the presence of people so deeply affected by these tragic events while all he could do was listen.

"Where do you think she is?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," said John. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

"When did you last see her?" said Sam. "What happened?"

John hesitated, groaning in frustration. "It's hard to explain. It really is. Let's just get to Fredbear's first. Your sister remembered a lot, but hopefully, you can remember better."

Remember better? What did that mean? Sam was about to ask when they suddenly found themselves staring down a forgotten, weed-filled gravel path, illuminated ominously by the car's headlights.

"Is this it?"

John nodded.

Jessica's breathing was intensifying as she followed John out of town. She still couldn't believe that John had was back as suddenly as he had disappeared, all without warning. In her anger, she thought for a moment if he was a phantom but quickly dismissed the idea as being stupid. Still, why wouldn't he tell them where he was going? Or where Charlie was? Why was he being so secretive? Did he not trust her? Was she not worthy of whatever secrets they shared with one another? It never really bothered her...until now, when they both disappeared without so much as a goodbye.

She watched as they drove further and further away from town, and she couldn't help but wonder where they were going. Sam never specified were Fredbear's was because he couldn't remember, but John obviously knew exactly where they were going, somewhere Charlie had clearly shown him. But where? It didn't look like they were anywhere anymore. Why would an old family restaurant be way out in the middle of nowhere like this? It didn't make sense. Charlie's dad, though a little quirky and off in his own world sometimes, never really struck her as being this distant with his work. Perhaps there was more to him than meets the eye. She knew that wholeheartedly after trusting a dangerous robot to be her best friend. She still thought back to that animatronic face splitting apart to reveal the endoskeleton underneath, and Charlie's voice coming through telling her to trust her. She shivered and came to a stop as John did ahead of her.

Kyle drove behind the pack with Carlton sitting next to him. Despite their earlier conversations being full of laughter and joking, the car ride was now quiet. They barely even looked at each other, let alone spoke. One thought was running clearly through both of their minds: Are we about to find out about Charlie?

Kyle was still curious about her. Prior to Clay's unexpected arrival at their doorstep, he'd never known anything about Sam's early life, especially his twin sister. He thought about what she was like. Did she share his quirkiness and artistic passions? Or was she more quiet and reserved? For the first time since they had arrived in Utah, he suddenly found himself growing excited at possibly meeting Sam's sister. If she was anything like Sam, she'd be friendly and caring, holding firmly to her beliefs and always loyal to her friends, even those who constantly give her grief.

Carlton was lost in thought. Did John really know where Charlie was? Why wouldn't he tell anyone? Avoid this search and rescue that his dad still had going on? He missed Charlie, enough that he had forgotten as best he could the good-looking yet terrifying duplicate that had been wandering around. None of that mattered anymore. After a month of nothing to do but stay at home and pass the time, he wanted nothing more than his childhood friend to be found and brought home. Hopefully, wherever it was they were going, they'd find Charlie there, safe and sound, with her trademark smile and one of her usual comments like: "What took you so long?" They could only hope.

"Carlton?" Kyle finally asked, breaking the silence. "Have you ever been to where we're going?"

"No. I didn't know Charlie's dad had another restaurant."

Kyle sat back in his seat as he continued to drive. After another five minutes of silence, they stopped with the others.

Five doors opened and five people got out of their cars, standing beside one another looking down the dark road ahead of them.

"Down there?" Kyle asked. "That doesn't feel right."

"Yeah," Carlton agreed. "You sure this is a good idea, John?"

John continued staring back down the path, which looked much more menacing at night, like a road into literal darkness ready to swallow unsuspecting travelers. It occurred to him that he hadn't been back here at all since the day Charlie brought him here forever ago. He almost forgot what it looked like himself.

"Yeah," he said. "We have to. Do you have a flashlight, by any chance?" he asked Jessica.

She shook her head. "I usually don't need one. That's Charlie's department, remember? Besides, I didn't think we'd be coming out here tonight," she said irritably.

John got the message and turned to Carlton. "Carlton?"

"Yeah, I think I've got a small one in my glove compartment."

Kyle found it, a black one that looked like it could fit on a keychain. Carlton nodded.

"Yeah, that's the one. Guess Dad was right. Never know when you'll need it."

"It'll do," said John, taking it and leading them down the path.

Despite the fact that there were more people here than last time, John couldn't help but feel a little nervous himself. When Charlie brought him here almost two years ago, they encountered nothing but old memories. But now, it seemed like such a different world, like the memories would literally come alive and they would get jumped by old animatronics.

He suddenly became aware of someone walking next to him. Judging by the breathing, it was Jessica. He turned, and sure enough, she was there, sticking close to his side but keeping her eyes fixating on the path ahead of them. He sensed another talk coming, a private one. He didn't want to think about it.

On his other side, Sam remained silent and completely oblivious to any quiet conversations as he studied his surroundings. So far, nothing looked familiar. He racked his brain trying his best to find something, anything, in the growing darkness that stood out in his mind, a memory fragment that would jump out and scream at him: "I'm right here! Remember me?" But nothing was...so far.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Is this really where you used to go as a kid?" Kyle asked quietly in his ear.

"I think so," Sam whispered back, giving a quick glance to John. "It's been so long."

Kyle nodded and said nothing else.

Meanwhile, Jessica could take it no longer. She leaned over.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, careful not to cause another scene in front of the others.

"Tell you what?" asked John, hoping she'd drop it.

"About everything? Charlie, her brother, this place. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"It's complicated," was all he could say. "It's difficult to explain."

Her face flushed in anger again, visible even in the low light.

"Seriously, where have you been?"

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I just...I had to get away for a little while. What happened since you last saw Charlie is still confusing even to me. I doubt you'd understand it better than I can if I just told you, no offense."

Her face flushed again, but she said nothing.

"I'm sorry," he said again, hoping desperately she'd believe him. "I really am. I didn't want to just leave you without hope or anything, but I was too much in shock talk with anybody. I needed the time away."

She remained silent for a few more moments, and John wondered what comeback she would have. With her, it was a mystery. Sometimes her responses were tender and understanding, other times they were much sharper and more critical. Finally, she gave a heavy breath, her frustration still clearly noticeable.

"Okay."

They turned toward forward and continued walking until they eventually came across a small building in covered in weeds.

"Whoa," said Kyle. "What happened here?"

"Age," said John. "This place hasn't seen any visits in a long time...except me and Charlie."

It looked even older than how it did when he last saw it. Perhaps it was the darkness combined with the continuing effects of aging. If anything, it looked like it had gotten smaller somehow, like there was no way that even a small diner could have ever fit inside.

"Cool," said Carlton. "I mean, kind of old, but it's...yeah."

"What do you think, Sam?" Kyle asked.

Sam stared at the outside of the building. It didn't look that spectacular, really. The unimpressive roof, the decaying structure, the paint peeling off the walls…

Wait, he thought. I remember the paint. It was red.

And then, in his mind, he saw the building in its glory days. The paint was blood-red, the roof a magnificent black reflecting the sunlight, the foliage around it replaced by beautiful trees, including the one in front.

He saw the tree, still standing there, its branches forking out like fingers.

"Daddy, is it going to get me?" Charlie asked, clinging to their father's shirt as they passed by.

"No sweetheart, because Daddy always gonna be here to protect you and keep you safe."**

Sam always did find that it was a bit creepy, but he never paid too much attention to it as a kid. He was always too keen on getting inside to see the animatronics.

Without thinking any more, he began walking toward the building, with John and the others following closely behind. He approached the entrance, an old door that looked like it was ready to fall off its hinges. He reached out and pulled on it, expecting it to be locked, but to his surprise, it opened easily.

"Hey, check this out!" Carlton said, shuffling over to the side of the door and reaching down to pick up a sign. Although the sign itself was old and rotting, the red letters were still completely legible:

FREDBEAR'S FAMILY DINER.

Sam felt a sudden rush of nostalgia. John noticed a small smile on his face and couldn't help but smile himself.

"Welcome home, Sammy."

They looked at each other for a moment and smiled. Once again, Charlie's smile shone through his, and Sam couldn't help but suddenly feel that he knew John closer than he ever had before. What did they say about twins having a certain connection?

They pulled open the door and entered the old abandoned dining room. Sam led the way inside, the others followed behind him.

Immediately, the stale air of a building that hadn't been visited in a long time filled their nostrils. Jessica scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Really! That is nasty! It smells like something was butchered alive in here."

"It does not," said Carlton, rolling his eyes. "Besides, what did you expect, air conditioning and perfume?"

She shot Carlton a warning look. "Shut up! I'm just saying even Freddy's didn't smell this damp! No, this place really needs some air freshener...and some paint!"

John looked around the unfamiliar room. Despite all the time that had passed, it felt just like it did last time he and Charlie were here like no time had passed at all. He even felt tempted to explore the kitchen area again go see if there was anything of interest back there since last time, but he held back and stuck close to Sam.

"Dude, this place isn't that bad!" Kyle exclaimed, walking over to the counter where the cash register once stood. "I mean, it's a fixer-upper and all that, but it doesn't look like a bad place to eat! Sure beats having to deal with all those lunch and dinner rushes back home!"

"Tell me about it," said Sam. He turned to the stage, the empty platform over by the end of the room. He began walking over to it. As he did, images of two animatronics singing and dancing came to mind. He stopped at the edge of the platform and put his hand on it as if hoping that would bring back the memories. It seemed to work.

He suddenly saw an animatronic bear and rabbit in front of him, singing a song that he and Charlie never liked hearing, the farewell song at the end of the day.

"So now our day is done!

But don't be filled with sorrow!

With the rising of the sun,

We'll say hello again tomorrow!"

He couldn't help but let a tear fall from his eye. It's been a long farewell this time, and part of him hoped this was just a dream, that the place was simply closed for the day and he'd come back tomorrow to find his dad and sister waiting for him, and the animatronics would be there dancing, and everything would be alright. Maybe his dad would even put on the bear costume again and give him and Charlie their own private dance and song. But no, that wouldn't happen. Those days were long gone.

"So this is it?" Kyle's voice startled him and he jumped. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. So this is where they were?"

The edge in his voice gave off his anxiety. Oh yeah, he was still afraid of animatronics. No doubt he was wary that they were still around.

"Yeah," said Sam. "This is it."

"Wow. So they really, like, performed and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Did they sing?"

"Yep. Every day."

"Did they play instruments?"

Sam chuckled. Kyle's interest was always awoken when it came to music. Even when it involved something he was otherwise not fond of, the mention of music perked his ears.

"No, they didn't," said Sam. "They just sang and danced, they never played anything. At least…" He paused, his memory activating again. "...I don't think they did."

And then, in his mind, a rabbit appeared, but it wasn't the yellow one he was used to. It was purple, and it stood with a bass guitar in its hands. It didn't make sense. He clearly recalled that there was only two animatronics, both yellow, and neither one played.

"Do you know what this is?"

It was his father's voice. Once again, it came upon him suddenly and seemed so crystal clear that it could have been yesterday.

"No, Daddy. What is it?"

That was his question. And then it hit him. He remembered being at home the day his father finally showed him, and only him, the new inventions he was working on, early versions of new animatronics.

He stood in the doorway of his father's workshop. He'd only seen inside it one other time, and it was brief before his father kindly told him to get out while he was working. But this time was different. He wasn't working. He was showing him and sketch of his newest idea.

"This is a rabbit. Do you know who he looks like?"

"Bonnie!"

"That's right. He looks like Bonnie, but he'll be a different color."

"Does he sing?"

"Oh, yes. He sings, but that's not all. You know what else he does?"

He shook his head no with great enthusiasm, eager to hear the answer.

"He plays, too. You see this?"

He gestured to the bass guitar with his pencil.

"You know what this is?"

Another head shake for no.

"This is called a guitar. You play it like this."

He put the paper down and moved his hands into the position of a guitar player.

"Wow. How does it make noise?"

"How does it make music, my son," he corrected. "Simple. There are strings that go from here…" He motioned from where his left hand held the imaginary neck. "...to here…" He motioned to the area next to his right hand, where the imaginary knut was. "...and you move your hands to play the strings like this." He moved his right hand in a strumming motion.

"You mean like this?" Sam asked, doing his best to imitate the motions.

"Yes, just like that," his father said, beaming.

"Do you play the guitar?"

Henry laughed. "No, I'm afraid not. I only design and build the animals. I don't really play.

"So how do you teach the animals to play?"

Henry laughed again, ruffling his son's hair. "That's a secret."

"I wanna learn how to play this!" sad Sam, pointing at the drawn guitar on the sketch. "Then maybe one day I'll be good and can play with animals."

Henry smiled. "I'm sure you could," he said, pulling him onto his lap. Sam continued gazing down at the image below him and trying to mimic the movements he was shown. One day...he would learn how to play and make his dad proud.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

Once again, Kyle's voice jerked him out of his memory. He looked down and noticed his hands were in the position he had been remembering, holding an imaginary instrument.

"I was remembering."

"Remembering what?"

Sam gazed at the empty stage for a moment, as if his description would bring the image to life.

"Remembering my dad showing me one of his new animatronics."

Kyle grimaced slightly. "What was it?"

"A rabbit," he said, turning to face his friend, only to discover that John was standing there beside him, and Jessica and Carlton had both ceased their investigation of the kitchen and counter and were walking over to him as well. "A rabbit...just like the one here, only it didn't just sing. It played the guitar, too."

"Bonnie!" said Carlton, and Jessica nodded. "Was he purple?"

"I don't know," said Sam. "It was just a sketch of my dad's, but I remember him showing it to me, and I remember…" He trailed off, his hands once again holding an imaginary guitar. "...I remember him explaining how to play the guitar. I wanted to play the guitar." He turned back to the empty stage. "That's why I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. It was because of my dad, and his ideas."

He stared at the empty stage for a few moments. Carlton was about to say something, but Kyle held up a hand.

"Let him think. You don't want to pull him out of his thoughts like this," he whispered with a grin. "Trust me. I know."

Suddenly, a car door slammed outside making them all jump.

"Who's that?" asked Jessica.

"I don't know," said Carlton. "Was there anyone following us?"

"Not as far as I saw," Kyle insisted. "We're alone in the middle of nowhere."

Frantic footsteps approached, and before any of them could react, the door swung open violently and two flashlights filled the room, immediately landing on them and blinding them. The one on the right lowered to reveal Clay.

"Dad?" said Carlton.

Clay's eyebrows lowered dangerously. "You and I need to have another sit down later," he said in a stern voice, so dangerous-sounding that John and Jessica both took a step back in fear. Kyle raised his hand to try and distinguish the other figure.

"Who's-"

The second flashlight lowered to reveal a familiar face with long flowing brown hair and fierce eyes that felt like canon's ready to single handedly sink a battleship. Sam's jaw dropped.

"Mom?"

She took a few slow steps toward them, never taking her eyes off of her son.

"Samuel Henry Anderson. What on earth are you doing here?" Her voice sounded even lower and more dangerous than Clay's, and Kyle bit his fist in anticipation of the brewing storm. He'd seen that fierce look in her eyes once before, and he'd hoped he would never have to see it again.

John, Jessica, and Carlton stared speechlessly at the newcomer. John could only shake his head. This night had gone from somewhat normal to completely shocking in a matter of hours. First Charlie's brother, and now her mother. Seven people gathered in a small abandoned dining room, brought together by old memories and new missions.

Sam's eyes never left his mother's. He swallowed hard before finally opening his mouth.

"Hi, Mom," was all that came out in a very weak, raspy tone.

Without changing her face, she took another few steps over to him, her breathing visible from all the way across the room.

"H-how did you know I was here?" he asked.

Now her face stiffened. She looked insulted. "Sam, I get a call from him-" She jabbed a thumb in Clay's direction. "-telling me that he wishes to bring me, to bring us back to this horrid place to try and find your sister, and a week after I say no you leave me a note that says you're leaving for a few days? And yet you took all of your long-distance things and your suitcase, which you never use for anything else. I know you better than that, young man!"

Beneath his intimidation, Sam scolded himself. Why couldn't he have made it more ambiguous?

"Mom, I-"

"Figures," she said, not even giving him a chance to explain himself. "Figures you would be curious. I knew I should have warned you about this, but no. I thought just by telling you it would make you curious, so I let it go. Turns out that was wrong. Now here we both arm, thousands of miles away from home, in a place I swore to myself we would never come back to...ever! Oh, Sam. This is the stupidest thing you've ever done. Why did you talk him into bringing you here?!"

"Mom, he said I could-"

"What? Find Charlie? It's not good to live in the past, Sam. I told you many times growing up that we weren't ever coming back to see them again because it's for the best. And now, I know precisely what's best. You're coming home with me right now! Both of you!" she added, glaring angrily at Kyle.

She stepped forward and reached for Sam's arm, but he wrestled out of her grip and jumped back.

"No, Mom!" he shouted, startling everyone. She blinked, confused and taken aback by her own son's outburst.

"What?"

"You heard me, Mom," Sam said, standing his ground. "Ever since we moved when I was little, I've asked you about what happened to Dad and Charlie, and you never gave me a straight answer. All I wanted was to know why we moved away from them. Do you know how hard it was for me as a kid to listen to everyone else tell stories about their dads and brothers and sisters? I missed Charlie...and Dad! I mean, yeah, I had Kyle, who's been a great friend to me, but I still missed them, Mom! But you kept me in the dark until I grew up to forget about them! Why did you do that? Why did you always act like everything was fine when I knew by looking in your eyes that it was not?"

The room went silent. Sam was breathing as heavily as his mother was, a huge load lifted from his chest. Kyle was glancing back and forth between them, not sure how he felt about the outburst. The others remained silent, determined to stay out of the line of fire.

Hannah could only stare at her son. She wanted to be angry, to shout something at him or at Clay for starting this entire dilemma, but deep down a nerve was struck. Deep down, she always knew with increasing certainty that there would be a day coming in which Sam, after becoming an adult and moving out of her place, would either demand an answer from her or would even travel back home at some point to find out for himself what had happened. She always tried to push it away, but there was never any denying it. Sam was growing up, faster than she ever wanted, and with a heavy pang in her heart, she knew the day had indeed arrived.

"Sam," she said softly, tears forming in her eyes. "The reason why we left is because of what happened here all those years ago."

John tensed up. He knew what was coming, and he feared it, but he said nothing, daring not to interrupt.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

Hannah said nothing but shook her head as tears began to pour out. She put her head in her hands and pointed toward the corner of the room. Sam turned and noticed a small door hidden almost out of sight.

He began walking slowly toward it, half expecting and hoping someone to grab his arm and stop him, but no one did. They kept their silence and distance as they watched Sam move his way toward the door. To Sam, it felt like walking down a long hallway, with an unwanted surprise at the end. When he reached the door, he turned to look back, only to find everyone still watching him silently save for his already sobbing mother. He turned to the door and reached his hand out, touching the cold knob and giving it a cautious turn. He pushed the door open slowly with a creak.

When it finally opened fully, he peered inside the dark room but couldn't see anything.

"Does someone have a flashlight?" he asked. He heard footsteps approach; judging by the weight, it was Clay. He handed him his flashlight. Sam aimed it into the room.

His heart immediately sank. It was a closet. A larger closet than what he was used to, but a closet nevertheless. He hated them, and yet he never knew why. Was it because they were small? Perhaps. Was it because they smelled back? Sometimes. No, it was something else.

He gazed around at the closet. It looked like a coat room almost, with metal bars where the hangars used to be. There was a stain on the floor that was shaped like a rhinoceros.

"It looks like a rhinoceros."

"It does not!"

"It does too!"

"Does not! It's a hippo, Sammy!"

"No, Charlie, it's a rhinoceros!"

Sam shuddered. Where did that come from? He didn't-?

And then it hit him. They did.

The room was filled with coats, or were they costumes? No, they were costumes, soft and fuzzy costumes that they loved using to hide from each other. They were in the middle of playing a game, growing more tired by the minute, when the door opened and their mother looked down upon them wearing a dress and tiara. It was Halloween. Sam was about to ask her why she looked so pretty when Charlie answered him.

"Mommy's a princess," she said in a sleepy voice.

Hannah smiled and kissed her cheek. "Just for tonight," she whispered, and then she was gone.

Sam and Charlie looked at each other, both tired and thinking about calling quits on their game. As Charlie laid her head down, Sam turned and grabbed a small toy truck that he had hidden between two costumes. He began rolling it on the ground when the door opened again. They both looked up to see a rabbit standing in the doorway looking down at them. Sam smiled. It was the rabbit! Maybe he would dance for them! He turned to look at Charlie in excitement, only to see that she wasn't smiling. She looked concerned. He looked back at the rabbit, who continued standing there motionless, looking down at them. Sam was confused. Was he broken? Why wasn't he moving? Where was Daddy? He needed to come and fix him!

Then, the rabbit's head began moving back and forth between the two of them. Charlie's breathing intensified, but Sam continued staring up at the rabbit as it turned its head, unsure of who to look at. Finally, it locked on him and began reaching a large matted paw out toward him. Sam moved back a little bit, but the paw got closer.

"No!" cried Charlie suddenly.

The paw stopped, the head turned, and a second later, he pulled her to himself. She struggled for air and managed to look back at her brother on the ground.

"S-Sammy?" Her voice sounded panicked.

"It's ok," he told her. "He only wants to say hi."

The rabbit looked back at him. It was then that he realized that the eyes were wrong. They weren't the usual big colored eyes he was used to, they looked...human. And right before the darkness set in again, he could've sworn he saw a twisted smile behind the animatronic teeth. Then the door closed and they were gone.

"Wait!" he shouted, scrambling to get up and fumbling through the darkness for the doorknob. By the time he found it, he heard a scream on the other side. He twisted and pulled the doorknob with all his child might, but it was heavy. There were more cries of panic and confusion from the other side of the door. Sam kept pulling, but the door was too heavy for him to move.

"Sam! Sammy!" It was his mother's voice.

Finally, he managed to pull the door just enough for it to crack. He slid his tiny finger into the crack and pulled it enough to crawl out. People were running everywhere, and all he saw were rapidly-moving feet. He began crawling through whatever openings in the panic he could find, desperately looking around for the rabbit and his little sister.

"Sammy, darling. Where are you?"

"Mom!" he cried.

"Sam, come to Mommy! Sam!"

And then he saw her. She rushed toward him, tiara gone and hair in a mess, and scooped him up into her arms, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" she cried.

And then Henry was there beside them.

"Charlie!" he cried. "Where's Charlie?"

"The rabbit took her!" Sam told them.

They exchanged worried looks and Henry took off for the door, leaving his wife and son clinging to one another in the middle of the dining room floor.***

A firm hand placed itself on his shoulder causing Sam to jerk once more back into reality. The closet was empty as it had been. He looked up to see Clay standing over him, looking concerned. The flashlight was back in his hand. Obviously, Sam had dropped it.

"He took her," he said.

"Who?" Clay asked.

Sam pushed himself up and walked back into the dining room where everyone else was still anxiously waiting. His mother had even temporarily ceased her crying and was looking at him, too, the same exact look she wore that night all those years ago as she held him in her arms.

He looked to John, who had a strange knowing look on his face. Sam had to know.

"Who?"

"Afton. William Afton," he said with a sigh.

Hannah whimpered and resumed her sobbing into her arms.

"But how would she-?" Sam asked, trying to piece together the events. "How did she-?"

And then, the realization hit him like a truck. According to Jessica, every one of William Afton's victims, at least back in the day, eventually ended up dead, and all buried presumably in Hurricane somewhere. Maybe his dad was there, too. What about Charlie? Was she...?

"Where's my dad buried?" he asked.

"The cemetery. In town," confirmed John.

"Where's the cemetery?" he asked.

"North side of town," said John, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "A couple of blocks away from the old high school and police station. But listen, there's-"

But before anyone could say anything, Sam ripped the keys from John's hands and sprinted out the door.

"Whoa. What-?"

"Sam! Come back!" Kyle shouted.

But Sam kept running. Time and distance didn't matter. The world suddenly didn't matter. He kept sprinting back down the road until he eventually reached John's car, parked where they left it. He unlocked it, got in, and started the engine. By the time the others caught up, he was gone.

"Where's he going?" Jessica cried.

"The cemetery," said Clay. "Come on, everyone. Let's go."

After what seemed like an hour, Sam finally entered Hurricane's city limits. He hoped there weren't any cops around, because he must have been going at least 100 mph the entire drive back. He felt guilty about taking John's car, but the fear was growing stronger by the minute. He needed to get to the cemetery, hoping that he wouldn't find what he feared he would. He reached the old high school, as Jessica had pointed out to him earlier, and continued driving north. He also thought about getting lost. That wouldn't help calm his nerves, either.

Finally, he saw it. The entrance was surrounded by a short fence with white posts and chains between them. Sam pulled into the parking lot and practically sprinted as soon as he got the door open and seatbelt unbuckled. As he ran inside, it occurred to him that there had to be hundreds of tombstones in this cemetery. How would he ever find what he was looking for, especially in the night?

He picked a row near the fence and started scanning tombstones. Fortunately, there was just enough light coming from the lamps above that he could read the names. He moved quickly from each grave, dismissing them as he went. Somewhere in his conscience, he scolded himself for not paying enough respect for those people, loved ones of someone else, who were buried feet below each stone, but he couldn't fight it. He kept moving through, growing more impatient and worried with each second.

Finally, he looked over and noticed a telephone pole, a small light connected to the side of it shining down on two single tombstones beneath, as if sheltering and displaying them. Within him, something sank, telling him: These are the ones. He walked over.

On the first tombstone was etched his father's name, Henry Emily, with his dates below, his death in 1985.

Oh, Dad. What happened? he thought, sadness suddenly taking over. What happened to you? Why did you do this?

And then he turned his gaze to the tombstone beside it, and the world stopped. Without thinking, he fell to his knees and reached out to touch the stone face, trying to see if the words were real. The indentations confirmed.

BELOVED DAUGHTER

CHARLOTTE EMILY

1980-1983

Everything became silent. Sam heard nothing but his own pounding heart thundering against his eardrums. It couldn't be. This had to be a nightmare. He would wake up tomorrow and find himself back in his apartment in Chicago, and nothing would have changed. His sister and father would still be a mystery, better than this revelation. But it was futile. There was no denying that this was real.

The dam burst and Sam broke down, planting his face against the ground and weeping bitterly against the patchy grass. He didn't notice footsteps as the others approached him.

Jessica gasped and shook her head before turning and burying it in Carlton's shoulder. Carlton was aghast, not wanting to believe his eyes. Clay said nothing, taking in the sight before him and wondering how on earth he had never noticed this before, how none of them seemed to. Hannah stayed back, not wanting to come any closer to the site. Unlike the others, John had already experienced this heartbreaking revelation for himself, though the sight of Sam's emotions made his eyes water as well.

Kyle stepped forward, placing a hand tenderly on Sam's shoulder, completely helpless to say anything. What could he say? What would you say to someone who just found out a family member was dead? He had nothing on his own mind but questions, questions that he felt needed to be answered, but not right now.

They stood in silence, taking in the heartbreaking news while Sam's unrelenting sobs filled the night sky.

REFERENCES

*The Silver Eyes, p. 169.

**The Silver Eyes, p. 155.

***The famous kidnapping scene from Fredbear's is found and referenced throughout the novels, most notably The Silver Eyes, p. 159-161 and The Twisted Ones, p. 13. However, the scene is reimagined here due to it being from Sam's POV rather than Charlie's.