The house was unusually quiet. Monika wandered the upstairs and could find no evidence that anyone had been here. The toys were in their proper places, the counters were clean and there weren't even any crayon marks on the walls. Just as she was about to check the driveway for parked cars, she heard a strange noise coming from the bedroom.

The door was open, so she carefully walked in and was surprised to see two figures lying under the blankets with a pile of discarded clothes on the floor. At first she was mortified, thinking she had just barged in on a private moment between husband and wife. But then the woman sat up, revealing her bare back. This wasn't Kate. Kate didn't have strawberry blonde hair with a bow in it.

Sayori turned her head back towards her. "Oh hi, Monika," she said in the Tommy Wiseau accent.

"What…what are you doing here?"

"Pretty obvious isn't it?" Sayori asked with a satisfied grin. "I understand him better than you ever will and he loves me for it. He played through the first part of the game three times to get to know all the girls, but when it came time for my confession and he had the choice of what to say, he always said he loved me. Every time. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Monika looked to Rob to intervene, but he seemed asleep. "He was just trying to be nice."

"He was very nice to me just a few minutes ago. Uhuhu~"

Panic was beginning to set in. "I'll find Kate. You're gonna be in huge trouble then."

Sayori just laughed out loud. "Going to tell Mommy on me? Don't bother. We've all been talking and six people in this house is just too crowded. I'm afraid it's time for you to strike out on your own."

"You can't do this! I was here first!"

"Don't worry, I've picked out a super cute cardboard box for you to live in. Ehehe~"

Monika finally lost her composure and screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly she found herself in bed with sweat running down her forehead. It was after midnight, so Andrew and Lucas were officially five years old. The party was today so she really needed some peaceful sleep.

"My dreams are getting way too literal," she said quietly, shutting her eyes again.

She had some other dreams that were more traditionally obscure, but the Sayori one occupied her mind a few hours later as she showered. Like with most dreams, the inherent ridiculousness of the scenario was clearer as she became more awake. Sayori was many things, but some kind of avenging succubus? Probably not.

Still, the dream bothered her. Not because of its content but its implications. So many of her past obsessions and feelings from inside the game had slowly faded away in the last several weeks. But any mention of the other girls, especially Sayori, could bring back her jealous anger disconcertingly fast. Now, thanks to her selfless decision to open up communication within the Literature Club to calm Rob's anxiety about their safety, she had created a connection between him and Sayori. Had he written anything to her? She had asked him not to, but had he listened? How would she even know? He was a private person and snooping around on his computer would really piss him off.

When she was dressed, she came upstairs and things were quiet enough to make her briefly fear a reprise of her dream. Thankfully, the boys were sitting on the couch, distracted by something on the television.

"It's the colorful trains!" Lucas said.

"Do you guys like that?"

"Yeah," Andrew said. "It's my birthday!"

"It's MY birthday!" Lucas yelled.

"No Lucas, it's MY birthday!" Andrew yelled back.

"It's both of your birthdays," Kate said from the dining room.

Monika smiled and left to find her. "Happy birthday, boys!"

Kate had three helium balloons in each hand. "Take these and tie them off on that side, will you? I'll do these three."

"Sure," Monika said, grabbing at the strings. "I guess I got a little carried away in the store."

"That's okay." They each did their half of the job before Kate spoke again. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about, but I've been a little nervous."

"You, nervous?" Monika asked. "But you run this house."

She gave a knowing smile. "I've been reading more about the game that you came from…and a lot of it doesn't paint you in a flattering light. It's strange because you've been a very low maintenance guest here but you were apparently so desperate for my husband's attention that you turned on your own friends. I'm just not sure how to feel about all of it."

Monika sighed. "I really can't disagree with any of that. All I can tell you is that things feel so different now. Rob told me that I would eventually adjust to this world and I don't think he even understood how true that's turned out to be."

She took a moment to reflect before continuing. Monika was articulating a lot of this for the first time. "If my world were really nothing but a video game, then I wouldn't be here like this, looking like you all do. I would be just…lines of code or something. I always thought it was a fake world, but it wasn't. It was just different. Smaller than this one, certainly less interesting…but still real in its own way."

"That has interesting implications," Kate said.

"I suppose it must. But then again, don't you believe that your world came from a Creator? So did mine."

"It seems that the concept of Creation is much broader than we've ever given it credit for," Kate replied. "I don't mind that so much, I'm not rigid about this stuff like other people can be. We have a saying in my church - 'God is still speaking.' It's basically our way of saying that one holy book written thousands of years ago isn't the final word on all of our questions."

"I never thought of that."

"Oh and by the way, I don't believe that God helps people pass exams or anything so trivial. Rob told me you said something like that to him during the game.. I don't think the concept of miracles works the way people usually describe. If God works to influence events on Earth, it's through us."

Monika was unexpectedly troubled by this. "I said that?"

Kate turned to her and nodded.

"I…I guess I did."

"You don't remember?"

"No," she said. "I've noticed this happening lately. I was originally written with knowledge of so many different books, but I hardly remember any of them now. I can always read them again, but…it's as if the old me is really disappearing. Little by little."

"How do you feel about that?" Kate asked.

"Right now I'm just grateful I'm taking piano lessons. I would have hated to lose that."

As they moved to hanging paper ribbons from the ceiling, there was more that Monika chose not to say. She was still prone to fits of jealousy, even as that single-minded need for Rob's affection was draining away with each new day. But what kind of feelings were replacing it? She wasn't sure.

"Was this how you thought it might end?" Kate asked. "Even though there must be tons of single teenage boys who played the game, you wound up meeting Rob. That must be…quite an adjustment."

"You're telling me," Monika said. "Every time I think I have him figured out, I realize there's some other layer I haven't even scratched the surface of." She paused.

"Where is Rob, anyway?"

"Sleeping. He was up several times because of nightmares. It happens once in a while."

"Nightmares about terrorism? Or something else?"

Kate turned, still holding up a yellow ribbon. "You've heard about that?"

"He alluded to it. What happened?"

"Rob started college in New York City in September of 2001."

Monika's blood suddenly ran cold. "You're kidding."

"No," Kate said quietly. "I've only heard bits and pieces of that story and I'm his wife. He holds that one pretty close to his chest. But I know it hardened him. He was already no innocent, but that…that left him with something dark in his heart."

The direction of this conversation was making Monika anxious. "How dark are we talking about here? Has he ever hurt anybody?"

"No," Kate said, but there was an ominous pause afterward. "But sometimes I think he believes he might have to someday. He doesn't have guns, that would be stupid with little kids living here. But he's always finding these old-timey knives and putting them in places around the house."

"Like the one on top of his desk," Monika said. She shuddered at the memories that brought. Seeing him gaze at that dagger was an image that kept haunting her.
Kate nodded. "Yeah, I know there's also one in the bedroom closet."

"But would he really…." Monika's voice trailed off.

"You know, people underestimate him because he's always moving so slowly and he keeps to himself. But if anyone ever threatened our family, I think he'd become a different person. A dangerous person. With knives hidden all over the house."

"That sounds kind of…crazy."

"Maybe," Kate said. "But sometimes I hear about these awful stories on the news and I'm kind of grateful he's so protective."

Monika didn't know how to react. She was familiar with murderous urges, but she had believed Rob to be above that sort of thing. Then again, her own violence had been borne out of the trauma of discovering the truth about her world, or at least what she believed to be the truth. Rob has obviously suffered his own fair share of traumatic events, some of which she likely still didn't know about. Was it reasonable to expect that he hadn't been affected in some negative way? Did he have his own reserve of vengeful fury, just waiting for someone to provoke it?

Kate spoke up. "He's protective of you too."

"Really?"

"Let me show you something," Kate said, motioning for Monika to follow. "Rob has this picture on his desk. It's two wolves sitting next to two wolf pups."

"Like your family."

"Yeah, but I was dusting this morning and I noticed something." Kate pointed to the bulletin board that made up part of the six foot desk. Monika leaned over and saw the small picture. It was different than Kate had described. There were now three wolves and two pups.

I'm…I'm part of the pack?" She was deeply moved but also couldn't help some mental gloating. Beat that, Sayori.

"I guess so," Kate replied. "I don't approve of violence, obviously. If you asked Rob, he would say the same. But any animal would do whatever it takes to protect its family. He's not any different."

All of this was putting his vigilante episode on the highway yesterday in a much more menacing light, but the man who walked out of the bedroom in pajamas looked anything but menacing. Like most mornings, he looked like he had a few hundred pounds worth of invisible weights attached to his limbs.

"You could have gotten me up earlier," Rob said, his voice a little raspy. "I know there's a lot to do."

"I need you to be in a good mood today," Kate said back. "If that means a little more work, so be it. No swearing at my brother this year, okay?"

Rob sighed. "I can't believe you remember that."

"It's hard to forget."

He made a strange little grunt and decided to change the subject. "Hey Monika, when's your birthday?"

"I've been thinking about that," she answered. "I suppose it has to be September 22, the day that Doki Doki Literature Club was released."

"That makes sense. Plenty of time to come up with some good gifts for you."

"Oh no, Rob! You're already letting me live here for free and giving me food and clothes and everything else."

Rob waved his hand as if slapping her objections away. "You're getting gifts. Make peace with it now."

Having made that declaration, he walked into the living room to see the twins. The video seemed to be wrapping up and Lucas asked him if they could listen to music on his phone. A few moments later, a thundering, vaguely Celtic-sounding metal song rang through the house.

"Oh brother," Kate said.

Monika peered into the living room and saw all three boys headbanging in unison. She couldn't help but laugh.

At Normandy's shore, the cannons still roar
They're haunting my dreams
They're still there when I sleep

"Is this song about World War II?" Monika asked.

"Yes," Kate said with a groan. "He's got them listening to all sorts of songs about war and death. Any day now, there's going to be a concerned note sent home by one of their teachers. Makes me actually wish he would put on that Eurobeat stuff instead."

"Not while he's driving, you don't."

Kate's eyes widened. "Oh no. Which song was it?"

"Umm…I think it was called Power or something?"

"Oh…I'm not sure I know that one. But 'Running in the 90s' and 'Deja Vu' are the ones you really want to watch out for. Every time I hear those while we're in the car, I wonder if I'll live to see another day."

He charged and attacked
He went to Hell and back

A few hours later, everything was ready and the first guests began to arrive. A handful of Kate's friends entered the house, each with at least one child of a similar age as Andrew and Lucas. The gang of children became a indistinct mass of screaming and laughing as they rushed around the house. Monika wondered if the place would still be standing after a whole afternoon of this.

It was interesting to note how Rob and Kate greeted the guests. She was effulgent (to borrow one of Yuri's favorite words) and affectionate to each person that came in. He did his best to smile but, true to form, would only accept hugs rather than offer them. Monika was worried he might fall asleep standing up until a certain car pulling up in front of the house caught his interest.

Without a word, he slipped on his sneakers and walked outside into the cold. Two people came out of the car with a passing resemblance to him, likely his parents, and all three of them walked over to the passenger side and helped a very frail looking old woman step out. This had to have been the grandmother, the one who had fled Poland just before the Nazi party started to consolidate power in Europe. Rob's father pulled a walker out of the trunk of the car and the grandmother steadied herself. Monika had never seen anyone who looked so old. Would that be her in seventy years? She didn't age inside the game, but things would be different here.

Monika introduced herself to most of the guests, but realized quickly that she couldn't necessarily relate to them very well. She didn't have any stories about a family, didn't have any experience with holding a job or even much to say about her schooling (whatever memories she once had of school outside of the Literature Club were already long gone), so all she could really do was comment on what had been going on in the few weeks she had been living here.

She couldn't take hours of this awkward routine, so Monika decided to turn the whole thing into a little game for herself. Everyone here knew Rob and Kate and it was the ideal chance to find out more about them. Her goal was now to zero in on the right people and get them to divulge something that might satisfy her curiosity or give her some insight.

Rob's parents, Marie and Gene, were leaning against a wall watching the twins play with their friends once everyone had finally settled down. One corner of the living room was covered with building blocks, toy cars and various other objects that made noise and/or had blinking lights.

"So you said you were Rob's friend from Japan?" his mother asked as she approached. "How did you even meet?"

"The internet," Monika said. "We just had some common interests and before I knew it, we were talking all the time."

Marie seemed satisfied with that. "I guess that is how most people meet their friends these days."

"You must speak some Japanese, right?" asked Gene. "Can you say something to us?"

"Sure," Monika said. That was a mistake. She searched her mind and realized that she was much of her Japanese was gone. If she couldn't come up with anything, it would be a major hole in her cover story. What was she going to do?

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, just trying to come up with something." Monika concentrated as hard as she could. She wanted to shut her eyes but that would probably seem weird. Finally, some of it was within reach and she quickly thought of something to say.

"私は訓練された動物ではない" she finally said.

"Wow!" Marie said, clearly impressed. "What does that translate to?"

"It means I hope you have a good time today with your grandkids." That was not even close to what Monika had actually said.

"What about you?" Gene said. "Have you been enjoying yourself here in Connecticut? Were you born here originally?"

"No," Monika answered. "I was born in…Idaho, but my parents and I moved to Japan when I was ten years old. It's a little strange to be back in the states, but like Rob says, it's hard to be bored in this house. We've been watching a lot of movies."

Marie sighed. "Mmm, I'll bet. Do you think you might be able to convince him to get a job one of these days?"

Monika cocked her head to the side. "He does have a job."

"Oh, right. I meant…a real job."

She let the conversation taper off from there. Monika had just gotten some major insight without having to even ask a direct question. She was even more troubled by her momentary failure to recall a language in which she was once fluent. She would have to ask Rob and Kate for some textbooks on Japanese. Unlike some of the more troublesome aspects of her former life, that was actually useful.

Kate's parents, Wendy and Leonard, gave off a totally different vibe. Rather than stand back and watch, they were seated on the floor next to the twins and their other grandkids.

"How did they meet, anyway?" Monika asked, hoping it wouldn't seem too out of the blue. However, Wendy seemed happy to tell the story.

"Before I retired, I used to be the editor of a small newspaper. During the summer when Kate was home from college, I would have her come to the office and help me out with different things. One of those summers, Rob was working as an intern and that was how it all started."

"Had they met before?"

"Yes, but only briefly. That summer was the one after Rob's first year of college and he was something of a local celebrity, much to his chagrin of course."

"So after September 11," Monika said.

"That's right," Wendy replied. "It's not every day that someone from a small town like ours survives an event like that. Everyone wanted to hear his story, but he wasn't saying a word. I think Kate initially connected with him because she understood that he would share his experiences when he was ready, if he ever was."

"How long did he work for your paper?"

"Every summer while he was in college and for a little while afterwards. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough work to promote him to a full-time position so he had to look elsewhere."

"And then he found the paper where that whole paternity leave thing happened," Monika said. She felt like she was in a study group or something.

Leonard, who had been listening intently this whole time, finally spoke up. "What they tried to do to him was disgraceful. Lucky for the boys, they didn't know who they were messing with."

Monika glanced back at Rob's parents and couldn't believe the contrast.

The next person she spoke to actually sought her out instead of the other way around. It was Matt, Rob's longtime friend who had moved to Maryland a few years earlier.

"You said your name was Monika?" he asked.

"That's right," she said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Matt looked her over quietly for a moment. "That's so bizarre…"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Sorry," he said. "It's just that you look so much like a character from a video game I played a few months back. Believe it or not, her name was Monika too."

This was unexpected, although maybe it shouldn't have been. Still, it hadn't occurred to her that someone she met today might have played Doki Doki Literature Club. All she could do now was try and bluff.

"I'm not really sure what you're talking about."

"Just a weird coincidence, I guess. Didn't mean to be a creeper. Besides, your hair's much shorter than hers."

Haircut for the win. They talked for a few more minutes and Monika began to suspect he was hitting on her. The conversation was starting to get tedious until Matt began reminiscing about the video games he and Rob used to play together, including one called "Rock Band."

"Oh, is that the one with the plastic instruments?" Monika asked. "I've seen those downstairs."

"Yeah," Matt answered. "We had some good times with that game. Alex and I would play guitar and bass, usually switching back and forth. Mark was on drums and of course Rob was the singer."

"You've heard him sing?"

He laughed. "Of course I have! I don't even know how many hours we put into that game. Rob was super into it and would practice all the time. At one point, I'm pretty sure he was ranked as one of the top 100 Rock Band singers."

"So how come I never see him playing it?"

"Well, those music games aren't as popular as they used to be. Plus, we all wound up moving away. I'm in Maryland, Mark moved to Florida and of course Alex is back in New Zealand."

Andrew and Lucas each got their own birthday cake, one decorated like a train and the other like a fire truck. Both of them looked a little nervous as everyone in the room sang "Happy Birthday" but were soon distracted by blowing out the candles as soon as possible. Once they were done with their slices of cake, it was time to open the presents. The other children crowded around to see what the boys were getting, but Monika's attention was drawn to Rob's grandmother, or "Babci."

After entering the house, she had staked out a chair in the dining room and hadn't moved much since. At her age, it likely made more sense to just relax and let the visitors come to you. With most of the guests distracted by the presents, Monika sat down next to her. She certainly looked frail, but Rob had said her wits were as sharp as ever.

"Seems like just yesterday that Rob was that age," Babci said wistfully.

"Do you have other great-grandchildren other than the twins?" Monika asked.

"Not yet. Rob is older than most of my other grandchildren, but if I stick around long enough, I may get to meet some more."

"What was he like as a baby?"

Babci laughed at the memories. "He was a very unique little boy. He seemed at peace with the world from the first day on. He almost never cried and that spoiled Marie and Gene. They thought any child would be that easy to deal with but then Lauren and Alex proved them wrong."

Lauren? Who was that? Alex was the brother, but there was another sibling? Why hadn't anyone mentioned her?

As the sun began to set, the guests said goodbye and walked outside to their cars. Matt was the only one who lingered and once the house was otherwise clear, he and Rob left to get themselves chicken wings for dinner. Again with the meat.

"When do you get a night out?" Monika asked Kate, who was already working on a list of thank you notes she needed to write despite having thanked everyone in person. Her conscientiousness was quite a sight to behold.

"I'm out so many nights for work that I'm not always eager," she answered. "But I know you've been mostly housebound for a while so we should do something. Maybe sometime in the next week or so."

"And we can go somewhere with vegetarian options?"

"Yeah of course."

Monika almost asked about the third sibling but decided against it just before opening her mouth. She felt like Rob needed to explain this himself.

That chance came the following morning when, after finally cleaning up the mess left by the party, Kate took the boys to their children's gymnastics class. Rob was perusing the day's news on his computer (at least she assumed it was the news, given to his cursing every few minutes) as Monika approached and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Did you have a good time yesterday?" he asked.

"It was fine," Monika answered. "But I have something I want to ask you about. I heard you have a sister?"

"Yeah. Lauren."

"So…what's the story there? Why wasn't she here for the party? Do you guys not get along?"

He was quiet but she couldn't figure out exactly how he felt, even when he spoke. "No, it's nothing like that. Would you like to go see her?"

"Huh?" Monika hadn't been expecting that. "Um…sure. Is it a long drive?"

"Nah, only about twenty minutes."

She had more questions but she figured if she was going to meet Lauren, they could wait. During the drive, Rob deferred to her in terms of the music they listened to and seemed to be deep in thought. Once they left the town he lived in (and the only area on this whole planet Monika now felt familiar with), the roads seemed to get smaller and with less buildings on either side. Finally, he turned left onto a small road that went uphill. It wasn't until they reached the top that she realized where he had taken her.

A cemetery.