Matthew's terrors worsen as he becomes the target of ethereal harassment. Fortunately for him, he's not alone.


It's a wicked tragedy, accolades of sanity- But they needed a new host to behave and suffer most.

The rabbit stood by his bed, looking down at him in silence. It had been doing so for what felt like hours. Its golden fur was rather visible in the darkness of his room.

He had tried to move the moment he realized what was happening but he was paralyzed on his back. The most he could manage was closing his eyes and moving his chest up and down to breathe. He was stuck staring at that elongated face, completely at its mercy. The only thing he could see was that face. That taunting, smug face that was aware of its advantage. Matthew couldn't look away, couldn't open his mouth to speak or even lift a finger.

Somehow, he had managed to remain calm, but if the rabbit wouldn't act soon the suspense would be the one to kill him.

This scenario was… overwhelming. To be at death's mercy, to know it was coming and be unable to do anything to stop it. Matthew was sick, he wanted it to be over already, for the rabbit to stop wasting both of their time and do what it intended. He hated how it was enjoying his fear, his hopelessness, the way its stretched dark eyes savored his misery.

He wanted to die. He would shout at it to kill him if he could. He couldn't bare it anymore. This… this torture of the highest caliber. Physical pain didn't compare to what this was.

The tears had merged with the sweat long ago, making his deathbed a wet, irritating mess.

The boy had cried in front of it, he'd given up on surviving, it had seen him at his lowest for long enough, watching the despair settle in his eyes, what more did it want from him? What could the rabbit take save for his life that was worth this?

Matthew failed to understand what other satisfaction this would bring it. What exactly it was waiting for?

And then, just as he thought that a miracle happened the yellow rabbit raised its hand. Finally, after an eternity it was doing something other than observing. It made a "no" motion with its index finger before shaking its head. The rabbit then leaned forward, slowly inching for his face. It took its time, however, moving as little as it could to tease him.

An effective strategy to make him wonder how it would end him. Maybe it would strangle him, or snap his neck?

Would it even be that merciful? He got the feeling it knew what he was thinking and was no doubt enjoying his miserable, anguished mind.

It was only when its hand was close to touching his left eye did he realize what it would do and the relief of death disappeared as quickly as it had come. He couldn't laugh at the irony of changing his opinion so fast because he was ultimately getting what he'd yearned for the past hour or so.

Please stop. Anything but this. Please… he begged. It chuckled in response, a sound so vile he would've screamed had his mouth been able to open.

Stop it. Don't do it.

His chest rose and fell rapidly. Matthew fought against the paralysis. He tried to move his head back, to get his hands to rise from his sides, but nothing. His ears were flooded with pulsating blood, the sound of the incoming torture his only comfort. He wasn't even allowed to whimper.

No… the thought was so broken and devoid of life it didn't feel like it was coming from him.

The boy shut his eyes as tightly as possible only for them to be opened by soft fingers, followed by the pain. All five of them pressed hard on the organ, gripping it halfway out of the socket.

Stop! Please!

The stabbing sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It spread across his face, digging deep through his brain all the way to the back of his head. He tried to squirm out of the hold, but the immobility prevented him. His heart felt like it was going to explode from the adrenaline it was pumping, substance powerless to help him stir, much less fight back. It only served to make everything more vivid.

It stung suddenly, somewhere in his skull behind his left eye flesh had been torn. The new pain overshadowed the old one, hurting at an intensity he couldn't stomach.

Something cool was running down his cheeks, but he hardly felt it. Matthew couldn't shake, grit his teeth, or yell. The boy could only endure in agonizing quietude, with no possibility of relief.

Thoughts were no longer running through his mind. All he felt was pain.

Again and again, he was drowned in it. Just so much pain. There was nothing other than pain.

The rabbit yanked its hand, bringing with the eye a red string that was hanging from the end of the organ. Red dripped on the quilt. The rabbit held the eye by the tip of the string, raising it above his head. Blood, his blood stained the golden fur as the boy's torturer opened his mouth so wide his upper jaw was perpendicular to his lower one. It let go of the nerve, letting it drop, before closing its mouth like a beartrap, biting down on the organ. It got shredded between those perfectly aligned teeth, painting them in liquid red that fell down the rabbit's chin.

Crumbled flesh was sticking out of said teeth. The rabbit licked its lips. For a second, the fur flashed, disappearing to reveal a void underneath in the form of a large, shifting body. White dots pierced Matthew's soul, to find that it had already been taken apart. The creature's glare oozed loathing as it fed on his agony. And just like that, the disguise reappeared. The face of his worst enemy, an impostor.

It snapped its head around and stared at something in the darkness before reeling back, confidence lost. It shivered for a moment, the façade fading before space collapsed over it.

The monster was gone.

But Matthew didn't register any of it. He lay motionless on the bed, drenched in his own blood.

Until his shoulders were shaken. He looked up to see the familiar emerald glow of his friend's optics. The pain was gone. There was no blood anywhere. He could think again.

The boy scrunched his face, lips quivering. He let himself be pulled into the hug and cried, harder than ever before. Spindly arms stroked his back. Perhaps it was his delirium, but he could swear he heard a voice whispering to him that everything would be okay and that he was safe.

He almost believed it too.

o0o

He hated dreaming. Cross that, he hated all that had to do with sleep. If someone would've told him that he would end up having trouble sleeping like he was suffering from PTSD, he would've laughed and said not in this day and age where everyone was so desensitized to the point of not batting an eye to someone dying on the sidewalk. Of course, he had nightmares before, but they'd never induced this much terror in him. The most they'd do was put him marginally on edge, and maybe make that pile of clothes on his desk's chair look like a ghost if he was feeling particularly drowsy when he needed to use the bathroom.

For as long as he could remember he'd had odd dreams, but he paid them no mind since he'd usually forget them in the morning. Now, however, they all stuck with him, seeping into every conversation, speaking over his thoughts, a thousand voices all at once. It was a wonder he could talk to people without seeming demented. When they started, he couldn't wake up from them regardless of what he tried, but recently he woke up sweating bullets five times a night, and then either struggle for the next half an hour to fall asleep or just give up and wait till morning.

It might've been from some kind of PTSD, or some trauma he couldn't recollect that caused them- and if he was right, most likely about how he'd gotten here- but it never felt like that. It wasn't his subconscious helping him process or reminding him of a tragedy. They felt important somehow, as if he was meant to learn from them, and holly crap, only he knew how much he had attempted to dissect them, to try to understand what they meant. But after months he was just as unaware as he had been in the beginning. So, he gave up. It was a waste of time.

He'd hoped that by studying his dreams he'd be able to eventually prevent them from occurring, but he could see now that it had been a fruitless endeavor. Some things just happened without a reason.

And yet, every now and again, the notion that they served a purpose would occasionally enter his thoughts, nagging him with the possibility that he might have missed crucial clues and that people would be hurt for it. After all, he was in a world where possession was possible, where one's emotions could be so potent that they could latch on to objects and kill by touch, and where the afterlife was real. Who was to say that a higher power wasn't actively sending those nightmares as warnings?

Hell if he knew... If he was to be helped, then he should be helped directly and without cryptic BS, otherwise, it would only add to his confusion and distract him from what he should be focusing on.

And distracted he was. With eyes half closed like he'd spent the last years of his life stuck in his mother's basement, looking over his shoulder every time he walked down the street, jumping at the slightest of sounds, seeing shadows in the corner of his vision, and generally being uneasy.

"You don't belong" was the only message he got.

But even with all of that, he'd managed to find a light in the darkness, or perhaps it'd be more accurate to say the light had found him. That light came in the form of Mari, who had insisted on moving its charging position from downstairs to his room to watch over him. Initially, he'd been opposed to the notion, and still was to an extent, despite his appearance he wasn't a small child that needed to be looked after to fall asleep, but the Puppet's presence had thus far been alleviating. All night it would sit by his bed plugged into the wall's electrical socket while in Sleep Mode, and if it detected that he was experiencing a nightmare Mari would gently wake him up, hold him until he calmed down, and sing him to slumber. If that didn't work then it would cuddle him till morning.

Mari treated him like he was a seven-year-old, which was only half true in his case. It was awkward, and embarrassing at times, but it was a comfort he wouldn't find anywhere else. It also felt natural. With Henry, who either was there for Matthew or kept his distance in regards to his dreams- the man probably didn't know what to do- it was strained, like attempting to call the man his father. It weighed on his chest whenever he did so. But with the Puppet, who had been created specifically to care for children his "age" it was relaxed.

He was glad for his friend's support, for the fact that he had a neutral shoulder to cry on who lacked any form of expectations and wouldn't judge him for showing weakness. It was hard not to judge, after all, for a human anyway, but Mari was more than that. His friend was untainted by the world it had been brought into, and it showed.

He hoped it would remain that way.

Although Matt would never admit it, he secretly loved snuggling the Puppet until it was time to start the day, even if he couldn't rest. The soft fabric, the warmth from the mechanical parts underneath, the tunes it'd play, it all made for a cozy experience. He missed that sort of physical contact. He'd always hugged his parents, especially after he'd gotten older, as long as they weren't in public though. That would've been humiliating. And he'd been a cuddle monster when he'd been a small kid, so to have that sense of security here was a blessing.

It was pretty unsettling to have someone constantly watch you at night, but if it was Mari, who cared enough for him that it would sacrifice its recharging just to make sure he was soothed, then he didn't mind. The boy found refuge in the Puppet's presence. It was very much like a guardian angel, as Charlie had said. It couldn't get rid of his problems, but it eased them and made them more bearable.

Its protectiveness of him was also really sweet, and apparent. He saw the silent glares Mari threw towards all of the adults it met, which weren't that many but still. How it followed them around with its jaded dots, never letting them out of its sight. William must've left an awful impression on the Puppet if it didn't trust adults to such a degree, not even Henry. What its creator did to warrant that treatment Matthew didn't know.

Henry wasn't spared from the surveillance, and it spooked him the few times he noticed. The boy supposed the man could recognize how the Puppet was always thinking, its ever-present stare and gaping smile a polished, eerie mask to hide its unending scheming. The otherworldly aspect of the Marionette was carefully hidden from the prying eyes of adults, but never from the children. With them, it was truthful, more… aware, and full of life.

It was special.

And that special was the only reason the events from last night hadn't scarred him permanently. His pulse rose every time he even dared to think about it, but it was so hard not to. He couldn't wrap his head around it. After sobbing uncontrollably in Mari's arms for an unknown amount of time, the rest of the night had been a blur of nausea, shaking, and music box melodies. He hated to imagine how the Puppet must've felt seeing him like that, knowing it could do little to help.

What it could do however had been more than what he needed to push through and not scream at the top of his lungs. Its worry had been clear, however, as Henry had to talk to it for thirty minutes before it gave up and allowed him to go with them. Thankfully the man hadn't questioned the reason for the Puppet's alarm, only believing it was concerned for Matthew as this happened to be his first day of school.

It was plain to see that the nightmare wasn't normal. None compared to this one. Nightmares do not cause you pain. All of it he'd felt, and he could still feel a phantom sensation at the rear of his eye. So, whatever that had been was supernatural in nature. But what it was he couldn't tell, and whether that was because he was numb from the shock or too spent to reflect on it, it didn't matter. The whole dream had been so intense he only remembered what he'd felt and the rabbit. Scarcely any flashes of memory before, past or in-between that. It was likely that this was a case of his mind blocking out what'd happened, and frankly, it was for the best for him to not remember. A portion of it was enough to shut him down mentally to the point where he was doing things on autopilot, no longer putting any thought behind his actions.

It left him pale, and since morning his palms hadn't stopped sweating. He was looking around every second, unable to keep still and just relax. Matthew was under the impression that he was being watched. Like a million people were stalking his every move, as if he was poked by needles on every inch of his body. His fatigue further agitated him, increasing his paranoia. It was a mystery how neither Charlie nor Henry had noticed there was something wrong with him. He was on the verge of a breakdown, to put it bluntly, and if not for those two, he would've had it by now. The boy could keep himself relatively composed for their sake, but not for long. Stalling would delay the inevitable and the clock didn't pause from ticking.

Matthew hoped he could control himself for the next four hours. If they'd be anything like how he imagined them he'd be screwed.

"Are you two excited for the first day of school?" Henry asked from the driver's seat.

Of course, he wasn't. Not only was he about to go through the same waste of time all over again, but he also had to do it in a time when technology was only starting to become mainstream and the educational system was even more broken than the one he was used to. But he wasn't about to go on a detailed explanation about why school sucked when the man seemed so eager, especially since it'd be weird coming out of a seven-year-old's mouth, who up until this point hadn't been to school to form such a complex opinion about it.

"If our classmates are gonna be nice, I think I'm gonna like it."

"Expect a few kids everybody's pretty chill, at least in our class. How about I introduce you to some of my friends? I'm sure you'll do great."

"Definitely don't do that. The fact that I'm new is gonna put a lot of attention on me, I don't need to stand out even more by being introduced to everyone. If they wanna be friends they should be the ones to break the ice."

"Aw, don't be like that. There's no reason to be stressed. It'll be fine, Matt."

"Wait till people start asking questions… Actually, what is my story? What should I tell them if they ask how come me and Charlie don't look like twins when we're the same age? I mean, besides the hair and eye color, we're pretty different."

"You just tell them she's a year older than you and you've been homeschooled for the first grade."

"Huh."

"I am older after all." she butted in.

"How'd that make sense though? Why would I be homeschooled and Charlie wouldn't? Plus, when did she ever mention to anyone that she had a brother?"

"Don't think too much into this. Most kids your age don't have that good of a memory. If you just tell them she's older they won't question it." the man assured.

"If you say so." he was blaming Henry for this if it went south.

"Hey, I just realized we don't know when your birthday is, Matt. Want to share?"

"Nah, and not `cause I don't want to, it's `cause I don't remember." He recalled alright since he'd never officially made it to fifteen, being taken almost a week in advance. Henry had already done so much for him, including spending ungodly amounts of money on Matthew with clothes and school supplies, he wasn't about to tell them when his birthday was so they could do so again. They had already celebrated his adoption, which, frankly, was a topic for celebration, and he'd greatly appreciated it, but despite common misconception, Henry Emily wasn't an infinite well of cash, no matter how much that seemed to be true.

"Is it because of the…" she trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"Yeah…" he despised lying to her and hadn't meant to make her feel sad. She was probably feeling guilty for bringing it up, thinking it was unnecessary. Both she and her father tried to avoid talking about that subject in front of him as if there was some unwritten rule against mentioning his situation. "It's all right though, I don't remember a lot of stuff. And don't feel bad about it, I'm mostly over it. Can't do anything but move on, ya know?" Charlie remained quiet, watching the seat in front of her.

"If you want, we could come up with a birthday for you." she suggested.

"Sorry to be a spoilsport, but I've already decided on Matthew's birthday when I signed him up for school. It's the fifth of November. I… well, I had to write something and that was the first thing I thought of. I should've consulted with you first though to see what you'd have wanted. I'm sorry I didn't. We could change it if you'd like." Henry apologized. That happened to be not too far off his actual birthday. What a wild coincidence, but at least he hadn't been right. It would've hit too close to home if the opposite were to be true.

"It's cool. That's uh, I think it's pretty close to what my actual birthday is. The date just seems familiar. Or… I don't know, it sounds kind of important." The statement lifted the man's spirits.

"Heh, that's good to hear."

"So, I am older than you."

"By not even a year. Don't get too happy." they shared a chuckle. "Anyway, how many kids are gonna be in our class?"

"With you, we'll be twenty-six in total. Twelve boys and fourteen girls." Matt couldn't help but whistle.

"Must be hard for those dudes." Charlie shoved his head.

"We're here." they passed a stone slab that read Washington County School District as Henry parked in front of Hurricane Elementary. It was a one-story building with more windows than usual and a brick exterior. There were some other kids around with their parents, none of them whom he recognized. As they got out, Henry took the time to hug them. He looked very emotional if his teary eyes were any indication. Matt himself was more tired than anything, but he didn't let it show, putting on a half-eager face. "Have fun, you two. I'll pick you up in a few hours." Charlie on the other hand was beaming with joy. It was… peculiar to see a kid energetic about the prospect of going to school.

"Bye, dad!"

"Goodbye, Henry."

The three of them parted, with the boy following Charlie to their classroom. The halls were hectic with children, some older than his body, most around its age. It was so loud he couldn't hear what Charlie was saying as she led him through the crowd. He caught a glimpse of a figure watching him amongst the kids, but it had been too fast to tell what it was. Before he knew it, they'd made it to their class.

"-And here it is." the room itself lacked the modern aesthetic he was used to seeing in government institutions, the gross sterile white to be exact. The walls were painted in vibrant colors, with pictures and crude drawings plastered on their surfaces. Some students were already present, chatting with each other. Three blond girls, one of them being Elizabeth, were gathered around a table, while a bigger group of four boys were in the back of the class.

"Charlie!" one of the blondes exclaimed, running up to Charlie and grasping her hands. Liz and the other girl waved. "How've you been, girl? I haven't seen you since summer started."

"I've been fine, Jess. You?" huh. Novel appearance for her, he noted. So, if she was canon to this universe, then did that apply to all the other characters in the Silver Eyes trilogy?

"Bored out of my mind, let me tell you. All I did was stay at home. Didn't go anywhere. We probably should've had some sleepovers, you know."

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't go out either. Dad was pretty busy."

"With the restaurant thing?"

"Yup. The robots he's built are very cool"

"Can't wait to see them. There's not much to do here in Hurricane. I think your dad's restaurant will be super popular once it opens."

"I hope so. He's been working really hard to make it happen. It's been his dream for as long as I can remember."

Nope, can't handle this right now, Matthew made to go around the girls and pick a seat but was stopped when Charlie caught his sleeve. Dammit, Charlie. What did I say?

"Who are you?" asked Jessica, noticing him for the first time.

"This is my brother, Matt."

"You've a brother!? Since when? Why didn't you tell us?" asked the other girl that was with Elizabeth.

"Well, it never really came up?" Charlie excused. "Matt's been homeschooled for a while." Jessica's astonishment was evident on her features, looking between him and Charlie.

"You never said you had a brother… How come I didn't see him when I came over all those bunches of times? Were you hiding somewhere?" The question was directed at him.

"I lived with our aunt for a while and only moved in with dad and Charlie recently." she bought it.

"Ooh, that makes sense. Well, nice to meet you then. I'm Jessica, but you can call me Jess."

"My name's Susie! Hey, do you have any pets? What's your favorite animal? I love dogs. I've one too. It's a golden retriever and he's just the cutest thing ever." her voice was high-pitched and fast, making the boy take a step back as she looked up at him with so much energy it could fit ten other kids.

"There she goes again." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Um, sure, dogs are cool. I like huskies though. The wolf look makes them cooler."

"My god, not another one." Jess groaned, wiping her face while Liz tried to hide her smile at her friend's antics.

"They're nice, but they're kinda loud. Calmer dogs are the best `cause they're easier to manage and you can play with them all you want."

"Uh, sure."

"Man, leave the new guy alone. It's only his first day, no reason to freak him out so fast." a new voice interrupted. It belonged to a redhead boy who got way too close for comfort to Matt, putting an arm around his shoulder and taking him out of the girl circle that had formed. "Sorry for the hard time Sue was giving you. Girls are like sharks, when they get near, they bite and never let go. But I got your back. Trust me, when there were only eleven of us, we had to go through those ramblings day in and day out on top of all their other nonsense but with you around we're slowly evening the odds. Us guys have to stick together to survive when we're surrounded by women."

"Where'd you learn that?"

"My father taught me. He's a cop. Said it was crucial knowledge for a guy to have. With how long he's served he knows a lot of stuff." the boy had this surfer bro vibe to him, similar to Phone Dude.

"Pretty cool dad you have."

"That's just how he is. Super cool." the boy boasted proudly, but it wasn't done in a way that said I'm better than you, more like a matter of fact.

"Is he the chief of police by any chance?"

"Detective actually. Only old men are chiefs. Those that have the most experience. Dad's been a cop for a while but not that long. Mom said he might get promoted though, so who knows? Maybe one day he'll be the coolest guy around. For now, he's just one of the coolest."

Of course. His father would only become the head of the Hurricane police department after the murders. Now I feel dumb for asking.

"Can't have everything right away, I suppose."

"For sure. You gotta grind for what ya want. But hey, onto some real stuff…" he leaned in to whisper. "You wouldn't mind me hitting on your sister, would ya?"

"…What?"

"Yeah, man. I mean, Charlie's pretty, she's smart, and she's an amazing girl, you know. So, I just wanna make sure you're cool with me trying to, uh, go out with her."

Wow. Just… wow. No words.

"How old are you?"

"Same as you, I think. When were you born?"

"November, but that doesn't matter. You like her?"

"Yeah." he said it with such conviction that his eyes almost sparkled with adoration. "But don't tell her that. It'd make things weird, ya know. Did she ever say anything about me?"

"If she did it wasn't to me."

"Dang… But I'm not giving up so easily. You don't have a problem with me having a crush on her though, right?"

"Opening up to a stranger aside, I've a feeling that you'd do whatever you'd like no matter what I say. So, go ahead, I guess." the boy brightened at his blessing.

"Awesome, man! Thank you. I owe you one. I'm Carlton by the way."

"Matthew." they shook hands. "Why'd you trust me with that type of secret? It's kind of personal, don't you think? For all you knew I could've gone to her and told her. I still could- I mean, I'm not saying I will- it's just, you're putting a lot of faith in me when you don't know a thing about me besides being her brother."

"I'd a good feeling about you." that was all the reason Carlton needed to trust somebody, it seemed. Might not help him in the wrong circumstances. "Got any tips for how I could get Charlie to like me?"

"I'm not really the right person to give you advice on that."

"Aw, c'mon. You're her brother, you must know how to get on her good side." he sighed. Now he'd be an asshole if he were to decline.

"She likes everyone, but that's not what you're in for, so maybe… first I'd say test the waters, see if she's got a thing for you. If she does, great, but if she doesn't just hang out with her, and um, be there for her? Act like a true friend, you know. Eventually, if you've played your cards right and with some luck, the two of you could move to the next step. With Charlie, you gotta start out as a friend to go beyond that. If not, she won't be interested."

"What was that about me?" asked the girl in question abruptly from the other end of the room.

"Nothing, we were just talking." quickly responded Carlton.

"That's pretty much it. The rest you'll have to figure out as you go."

"That's cool, thanks again, Matt. Can I call you Matt?" he nodded.

Giving dating advice to an eight-year-old thirsting after Charlie on my first day of school. How low I've fallen from my throne of being cooked up in my room, never seeing the light of day. Getting out with Cass so often has made me more sociable. Ugh, he remarked, disappointed in himself.

"Anyway, let's introduce you to the rest of the gang. That guy there is Michael, but everyone calls him Mike."

"Hi." the boy said timidly. He had short brown hair and a slight blush on his cheeks. Matthew offered a small wave.

"That's our Johnny boy." Carlton pointed at the next kid, and Matt couldn't help but stare for a moment. The resemblance between John and Henry was uncanny. It was as if he was seeing a version of the man that was his age. No wonder it made things difficult for robot Charlie in the novels. Who would want their boyfriend to look like their deceased father?

"Don't mind him, my name's John." he introduced himself politely.

"Nice to meet you."

"And that serious one is Lamar." the thing of note about him was that he was dressed formally for the first day. No one had mentioned the school having a uniform, and why would it? This was a no-name town in the middle of nowhere and it wasn't like the school was a private one. Perhaps he just enjoyed the professional look formal clothes brought.

"Hey."

"We're still missing like…" Carlton paused to count on his fingers. "Si- Seven. Seven guys. Uh, out of all of them you'll have to watch out for Fritz `cause he likes to prank every new person he meets. You'll know who he is when you see him, he's blond, has freckles and likes to wear red. Then there's Jeremy, he's the class nerd, there's Jacob, he's also kind of a nerd `cause he's obsessed with chess, after him there's Ron, he's like the male version of Sue but not as crazy about animals, then Chip is-…" Matthew spaced out, looking through the boy as he explained his buddies' quirks and whatnot.

This was going to be a long, long day. Holding in that meltdown seemed less feasible by the minute.

"How'd you know I had an aunt? Did dad tell you?"

"You mentioned her weeks ago. Guess I was lucky to overhear it." he shrugged.

"No, I didn't."

"Yeah, you did." she eyed him suspiciously as they walked, forcing him to maintain her gaze lest she'd think he was lying, which he was, to his chagrin. Charlie shook her head after the stiff pause, amused for some reason. Maybe his foreknowledge wasn't the best topic for conversation.

"Do you think I pissed off the teacher when I refused to go in front?"

"Well, she wasn't expecting it, but I get why you did it. Not all people would want to go in front of an audience and present themselves. Still, you could've been nicer about it."

"What do you mean, I was nice about it. I just turned her down and explained why I didn't want to go."

"And what would you have done if she forced you to go?"

"Same thing. See, I don't care what teachers think of me. So long as I don't stand out too much, I'm gonna be fine."

"Oh, but you will stand out if you get on Miss Lawrence's nerves. Just ask Fritz what'll happen if you make her mad."

"Except I didn't. She even chuckled a little and then was cool with me staying in my seat."

"Only because it's your first day and she knows about you."

"Henry told her?"

"Mhm, so she knows not to talk about that in public, but I don't think that's what she was planning to do."

"I wasn't afraid of that. It'd be stupid of an adult to preach what's none of their business when it involves a kid. Or force the kid to do it themselves."

"She just wanted you to introduce yourself to the class."

"Which I already did, thanks to you."

"Hey, it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. You got along fine with all of the boys."

"They got along with me; I was just… there. But eh, they're okay. I admit it wasn't that bad. Carlton wouldn't stop talking though. How do people put up with him?"

"They don't really, everyone just ignores him most of the time… Did he say he liked me?"

"Oh, f- what? You know?"

"Nope, but I do now!" Charlie giggled madly, leaving a flabbergasted Matt with his mouth agape. "I can't believe that actually worked. I had a suspicion but I never thought-…" she continued laughing, bending over to hold her belly, inviting multiple creeped-out stares from the other students in the hall.

"You didn't hear it from me."

"No, no, I'll say I figured it out on my own if he asks."

"You gonna confront him? Don't break his heart. He seems really taken, ya know."

"I've other things to worry about than getting a crush. I won't talk to him. I mean, I appreciate the sentiment, and Carlton's funny, but I'm not convinced he's boyfriend material yet. And it's way too early for that anyhow. For now, I'm not interested, but we could be friends." Matthew raised his shoulders.

"It's up to you. Well, I'm off."

"Where to?" his eye twitched.

"Dunno, just want to scope out the place."

"Don't be late for class then. I'll see you soon."

"Bye Charlie."

With her gone, the boy searched the halls for an exit to the courtyard. He wasn't trying to get away from her, but he felt as though he'd explode if he were to remain in an enclosed space for much longer. He needed- no, he had to get out, or else he'd do something he'd regret. But the walls just stretched on forever. He almost broke into a sprint, narrowly avoiding bumping into people as he attempted to keep his breathing under wraps.

Darkness was crawling at sight. Where the hell was he? The school was a goddamn maze. Every corner he took looked identical to the last. There was no distinguishing between them.

He was running out of air. The hallways were too small. He would get crushed. A guttural voice spoke in his ear, telling him to run.

He did.

This time he was alone. With no help from his sock monkey. No one to protect him from his deserved torment. No one to spare or save him from what was left of his soul being claimed. No light to shine in the darkness.

No one to stop the venom from seeping in and letting me feed. Nobody to care… Your existence here is a mistake waiting to be corrected. Let's take you apart and put you back together again, and again to see how many times it takes for you to break. This nightmare you won't wake from.

It was a promise. The boy knew it, but no other person did. They neither saw nor heard any evil. They were ignorant. All of them were. Only he knew.

Matthew knew. And the knowledge would die with him, and things would be steered to how they were supposed to be. All that would remain of him would be the ashes. No memory, no proof of having ever lived. He'd be cleansed from this world twice, once in physical form and once in the minds of the other cattle.

Burn until you're nothing but dust.

No. He refused.

This time he wasn't strapped to a bed. He could fight the poison. Push it back. Buy himself more time.

He would not be the boogieman's fucking punching bag.

Matt jumped into the fire with gritted teeth, charging through the flames that burned him from the inside. It had been biding its time to get a moment where it could incinerate him. He ignored the pain. No matter how much the inferno raged. He fought the current and made it out. Matthew found the exit.

He pushed forward, all but crashing into the door, probably hitting someone in the process as he swung it open. However many kids were in the courtyard he couldn't see, only able to make out vague shapes. But it was enough to get him to the nearest bench, where he sat down.

Lights were dancing before him, sounds were getting muffled, and the pounding headache was splitting his skull in two, but he had made it out of the pit with just some charred skin. The boy had survived.

He was grateful for the lack of vision though, as he did not want to see it standing over him a second time. Matt held onto the bench, having lost his sense of position. The boy couldn't tell if he was actually holding the object or was imagining it due to his touch dampening just like the rest of his senses. But he didn't care. Even if he hadn't won. He was not giving up. It could throw anything at him and he'd take it. He would get back up. He'd come back as many times as he needed to see this through. There was simply too much at stake. He would not- could not let it go. He'd suffer through whatever was brought down upon him if it meant stopping him. He was so much worse than it. Both were monsters, but there was no comparison between them. The real one was the true monster. It was nothing but an illusion. A projection, an imitation of him. His shadow.

Laughter was heard at his provocation, clear as day.

Farewell, child. Enjoy your tomb. The reverberating voice snarled.

The void that had been consuming his mind had ceased, but not without leaving its mark on Matt. However, it didn't matter much to the boy as the ease and sense of freedom its retreat provided more than made up for the pain. He'd been craving to escape from its clutches since becoming conscious to speak after its first "attack". It had imprinted itself in his psyche as if it had always been a part of him and that fact made the boy want to puke. That a parasite so foul had latched onto him was a demoralizing thought, but if it was planning to stay, he'd make its life as miserable as it would for him. Matthew wouldn't be the only victim; he'd drag it down to hell out of pure spite if he had to. He didn't quite know how he'd do it, but he would. That he swore.

"Oh, new faces! Who are you?" a cheerful girl's voice rang from his left. He turned his head in her direction, vision still impaired.

"Hey, Cass. Nice to see you're not skipping classes."

"Please, when have I ever?"

"Only every week of the year."

"Can you blame me though? It's boring is what it is. Why waste my time when I could be doing literally anything better than listening to fossils talk about what color the sky is and crap. Sucks we're not in the same class."

"Can't argue with you there."

"Obviously. Did you get in any fights without me?"

"Uh, no, you know I'd never do that to you."

"Then how come your eye's all red."

"…What?"

"Yeah, dummy. Your left eye. Who do I gotta beat for you, or wait… don't tell me you hit yourself on accident."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. My eye is fine." if it hadn't been, Henry- or at least Charlie would've pointed it out. Cassidy had to be messing with him because someone would've commented on it sooner. That dream couldn't be…

"No, it's not. It's like full of veins. What, are you blind?"

"I am actually."

"How many fingers am I holding up"

"…"

"…You're not lying?"

"Why would I?" he felt the air in front of his face being disturbed as if a hand was moving there. Matt felt the bench creak beneath him, Cassidy probably having taken a seat near him.

"Are you okay? You're sweaty and look like a zombie." the legitimate concern in her tone was off-putting. It was unlike her to be worried about anyone.

"No, I'm… I just had a pretty bad time. I- I don't know how to describe it, it was"

"-Like your nightmares?"

"Kind of, but I was awake the whole time. And to top it off last night I had the worst one of my entire life."

"Want to talk about it?" he swallowed.

"…I had my eye gouged out by like this yellow rabbit. And ya know, that wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't felt it."

Why did you say that? Matt asked himself.

"You"

"-Yeah, I did. Don't know how… can't explain it either, but I know how it felt." his pulse was rising, evident by the visible throbbing vein on his neck right under his chin. "Then it was um… I uh, I kinda tuned out after that." the boy's breath came out shakingly.

Why now? I just dealt with this.

"A- and now you're t- telling me that my eye is red." Matthew gasped for air. "…Just peachy. Perfect… How the hell did I not see it in the mirror?... Y- you know, I'm starting to doubt that what I had was just a nightmare." his voice cracked as he ended his venting.

She rubbed his shoulder. He didn't continue, looking only at the black in front of him.

"Go home, Matt." she finally said. "Go to the nurse's office and tell them you're sick. They'll call your father and tell him to come pick you up."

"It's the first day. I can't leave."

"You can. Don't be difficult, you can barely stand. Go home and rest."

"Believe me, I'd like that more than anything but I can't just leave `cause I'm feeling a tad under the weather."

"Is this what you call under the weather, dummy?" he didn't answer the girl, instead choosing to lean against her. Cassidy not pulling away was nice.

He was calm. Calmer.

Another problem decided to weigh on him at that moment.

"Remember when we met?"

"Of course."

"Remember how I said me and my father moved here and how we went from place to place and I'd hoped we settled down? That was a lie. My father and I didn't move. My… my father's gone, so is the rest of my family. A man named Henry Emily found me one night on the side of the road and took me in. I didn't say that `cause I didn't know you at the time and it would've been weird to just say oh, fun fact: I'm adopted, when that wasn't even a thing yet. I could've been taken to an orphanage and we would've never seen each other again but I shouldn't have waited so long to tell you. I know it won't make up for it but I'm sorry. I figured it'd be better if you heard it from me instead of finding out by yourself…" Matthew had no idea what her expression was. He could imagine a mix between confusion, anger, betrayal and much more. It wouldn't have surprised him if she were to snap at him.

"I… I get it. Why you kept it a secret I mean." she responded against his expectations. It was his turn to be stupefied.

"You're not mad I hid it from you?"

"It didn't concern me. You had a right to keep it hidden. So, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."

"Thank you for understanding." what else could he say?

"Heh, don't mention it, Matt." her tone turned sour. "Um, that does mean you won't go to an orphanage, right, since Charlotte Emily's father adopted you and you're…"

"That's the gist of it." although he couldn't see it, Cassidy bit her lip, her visage portraying a level of sadness out of character for her.

"…You probably don't want to hear this but… I'm sorry. For"

"-Yeah… I… thanks. That means a lot." he felt his arm being squeezed softly. She rested her head on his shoulder.

The children remained silent for the rest of the recess, uncaring as to the looks they got from the other students around the courtyard.

o0o

What a complete fool its creator was. The little one was in no condition to go anywhere and yet he had insisted that the boy had to go to school. Of course, the Puppet understood the importance of the institution but given that it was his first day when nothing of value would be taught, and the fact that his dream had left him in a state worse than it had seen him before it was obvious Matthew's welfare should've been prioritized first. The boy required rest above all else, but its creator, being an idiot, opted to argue with it to take the boy to school. It shouldn't have surprised the Puppet, after all the man considered himself a friend of Afton when that animal was only using him for his end goals.

It couldn't go against its master's wishes, but he was not an all-knowing entity. Henry Emily was flawed, and his flaws affected his children, but the man was blinded by his ignorance to see it, and whether that was intentional or not didn't matter. If the man chose to be ignorant, he was even more of a danger to his kids, but the Puppet couldn't simply remove him, partially due to its programming but also the impact that would have on the little ones. He was the reason the children were fed, clothed, and had a roof above their heads. For all his faults, he kept them happy, and that counted for something in the Puppet's book. But he remained part of the problem.

It found adults unreliable. It hadn't seen that many it recognized, but the ones it did see lacked the skills necessary to help their children grow and evolve appropriately. The only parent it could say it had a glimmer of respect for was Afton's wife. The woman cared for her kids, and she did try her best, which made her infinitely better than her husband in its optics, but the mere fact that she chose Afton as her partner spoke volumes of her character.

Maybe it wasn't the Puppet's place to judge, since its success in consoling Matthew was less than what was expected of it, but the adults around it had more experience than it did, they had been online for longer, and they should've had all the necessary information to make the best choices, provided they cared, and yet they didn't. It knew everyone made mistakes, that lesson had been hammered into its Data Packs by way of interacting with the young Emilys, where it had made its fair share of mistakes, but concerning the adults, they did not learn from what they did wrong. They stagnated, forgot critical lessons, and did not reflect on new information, either because they couldn't or didn't want to. Whatever the case, the conclusion was that humans, and more so adults, were too flawed to care properly for their offspring. It would terminate itself before allowing Charlotte or Matthew to be too affected by that incompetence. That was one of the reasons it had moved its charging location to the boy's room, so in case of an emergency where Henry could not intervene it would be there for Matthew.

Mari despised its inability to alleviate the boy's pain. That was its purpose essentially, and it had been failing it for a while now. The first time it understood what the child was experiencing was when he'd passed out in its arms. That incident should've been enough for its maker to get the boy the help he needed, or to at least make an effort to help himself, but no, the man had chosen to leave the boy sleeping all alone. No wonder little Matthew had night terrors; he was seven. Data suggested that at that age children should still be allowed to sleep in their parents' beds for comfort and still the boy was kept all alone. Did Mr. Emily expect Matthew to ask for permission or was it the other way around where the boy didn't trust the man because of his situation? Even if that were true, an offer should have been made by Mr. Emily. It would've been the least he could do.

The Puppet resented itself for not being able to stop Matthew's terrors but with his confirmation that he could endure them better because of its presence, Mari was encouraged to find other, more effective ways of helping him. It did not want to think just how bad things had been for him before it had been turned online.

It was glad it decided to move its charging position when it saw how affected the boy was. Every night he'd tremble and would have to be awoken in a cold sweat. His sleeping schedule was destroyed because of it, and he would not rest during the day out of fear of the nightmares returning, which left him in a constant exhausted state. It was unhealthy, and there was only a 50% chance he'd fall back asleep after a dream, depending on how good its lullabies fared to his anxiety, and that did not even guarantee he wouldn't have another nightmare.

This last nightmare had been exceptionally bad, which was what prompted Mari to attempt to reason with Mr. Emily to keep the boy home. The Puppet too had shuddered when it saw the dead look in his eyes after crying in its grasp for close to an hour. Its chest speaker would rattle every time it thought of his expression, and how vacant it'd been. That was the look of someone who'd witnessed a death, or a tragedy so severe they'd shut down. Suffice it to say, it would be a wonder if Matthew would not experience serious problems once he grew older.

It hated that look. It loathed whatever caused it. Because Mari knew something had. When it went to wake the boy it had known there was a presence there, besides itself and the boy, but once it detected the Puppet the manifestation had left. Despite being nothing more than a machine, its code had reacted to the presence. It was as if a virus was attempting to infect its systems, and it might have been successful had the Puppet not been made more perceptive after its last corrupted memory.

Its resistance to the presence's influence had made the virus instantly retract and retreat from its programs and the room, leaving it free to tend to Matthew. The Puppet didn't understand these events that went against the normalcy its code dictated, just as it didn't understand where its future memory files had come from, but it adapted to accept them as part of what was possible, and if it were to encounter that being again Mari would make sure its child would be protected. So long as it was operational, nothing would endanger him again.

And that was why Mari had been trying for the past four weeks to remove the stronger pistons in Fredbear's mouth after its maker had installed them, but the task had proved to be more difficult than it had initially predicted. First, it had tried to get the man to see reason, but he wouldn't budge on the matter. So what if it couldn't prove to him that its memory was real, what motive did it have to lie? That should've been sufficient proof for him to take into account its desire, one that stemmed from the code he had programmed into it for the Puppet to look after children. The only option was for Mari to forcefully remove the pistons if he wouldn't do so, but he'd locked the shed so it couldn't tamper with Fredbear and hadn't allowed it into the basement ever since he'd moved its siblings there. Mr. Emily carried the keys with him at all times so it couldn't steal them from him.

The Puppet was half-tempted to bust down the door when it had the opportunity and get it done, but the repercussions of such a decision weren't lost on the bot. That was why for two hours the Marionette had had its microphones at full volume to catch any useful details that could help it remove the danger its golden sibling posed because at the moment, its master was down in the basement testing out the springlock suits with Afton, having denied its offer to guard him. Their banter was growing increasingly harder to put up with.

"How does it feel?"

"When I move my arm up it drags. The servos have to be improved so they can respond without lag if we want fluid performances. It's excusable if these are in animatronic mode, but when wearing them they need to be up to par or our entertainers will risk a springlock failure." its maker coughed.

"For now, let's focus on completing the checkup. Try squatting next."

If Mr. Emily trusted the man to be locked in a room with him, away from anybody then what would happen to the Puppet's creator would be on him. His arrogance would be his downfall, in the end. He'd see. Or not. It really depended on when exactly he'd be backstabbed. It was none of Marionette's concern. Although, if it was lucky, perhaps the locks would fail and Afton would be impaled to death. Wouldn't that be a splendid outcome? Ah, well, a Puppet could certainly hope. Some doors could only unlock themselves.

This waiting around was proving to be a waste of time as all the men did was test out its siblings' viability. Sadly, there wasn't anything to learn besides what the costumes' shortcomings and strengths were, info that wouldn't aid it in making Fredbear safer for little ones.

The Puppet rose, walking to the backyard door. Spending any more time hearing his voice would crash its systems. The outside was much more pleasant than an environment he was present in. The clear sky reminded the Puppet of how much the kids liked playing with it in their yard, being chased by it and so on.

Opening the door, Mari marveled at the sea above. Its optics got lost in the grandeur like they always did. The sky was as clear as ever, and the trees surrounding the garden's fence were little by little beginning to experience the effects of autumn, while the grass was maintaining its bright green. Nature was perfection in its processor, and the Puppet couldn't help but be captivated by the beauty. It was a wondrous thing to be able to perceive all of it, and the bot was indebted in some capacity to Mr. Emily for contributing to its increase in intelligence so that it could comprehend this earthly heaven.

Ten minutes it spent looking up at the sky before its peaceful meditation was ended by a wicked aura. One Mari was accustomed to. It couldn't forget how it had felt to have its code infected, its programs starting to corrupt, and its awareness to disappear. Not even ten hours had passed since then. It was happening again, stronger than before.

It snapped around to face the source. Twenty feet away from the animatronic was a bulky figure, taller than even the Puppet, with a body covered in flaming shadows that hugely resembled Fredbear's in terms of proportions. In fact, the head of the being was identical to the robot bear's, the only difference being the change in color and the two white pinpricks of light similar to the Puppet's that stared into its optics from empty sockets, radiating more fury with each passing second. The figure did nothing except raise its influence on the Puppet, quickly combating its resistance. Before the animatronic could react, its Memory Banks pinged.

The Puppet dismissed the notification, but the command was canceled a moment later, the file opening contrary to its wishes, forcing Mari to process it. It tried to cancel the new command, but it had been locked out of most of its systems. All it could do was watch.

Unknown Memory File Found

Error.

File_##/12/93-65.4H Invalid Date

Internal Clock=25/08/1981/11:17:33 AM

Attempting Restoration/Decryption…

Failed.

2 Hours, 30 Minutes, 57 Seconds Unavailable

14 Minutes, 24 Seconds Available

Extracting To Subfile Format…

Extracted.

Accessing…

Subfile_##/11/93-65.4H Playing…

The Puppet peeked out from inside a box to see a massive dining area that had 9 total tables in rows of three. Striped party hats were arranged orderly on said tables, each capable of seating 10 people on black chairs with stars on them. A thunderous storm raged outside the building, water dripping in small amounts from the ceiling, creating puddles on the tiled floor. Rodents would periodically run across the floor, out of the Marionette's view. In the distance, with the advantage of its night vision, it spotted a wide stage with three characters on it. A bear, a chicken, and a rabbit were standing unmoving on the podium. A hole in space tore open in front of the bear, before expanding into the figure the Puppet had just met. It spoke lowly to the animatronic, before walking to the right. The future Mari couldn't pick up what it had said, but a second later the bear stepped off the stage, following its shadowy counterpart in slow, mechanical, and yet smooth movements.

The leading figure appeared to walk right into the wall, melting into it, an action which confused the bear as he stopped in front of it. A few seconds later a man dressed in a uniform emerged from the wall just like the shadow had done, taking the animatronic by surprise. The man seemed to run in circles around the bear, rapidly dismantling the robot with his bare hands, not giving it a chance to react. Soon, all that was left of the bot were separated pieces scattered on the floor. The man walked back into the wall and out came the shadow.

The cycle continued until all the animatronics had been destroyed. The Rabbit had been the second to go, then the chicken, and finally, the fox, who had been residing in a cove away from the stage to the Puppet's left. The Puppet itself hadn't been provoked, but it hadn't even tried to save its fellow bots, letting them get disassembled by the man. In spite of the light green filter of its night vision, the color of the man's uniform stood out to the Marionette, and so did the shadow's, a dark purple.

He was too far from the box for Mari to see his face even when zooming in, but when focusing on him his appearance was lost. The uniform morphed into his body, his hair vanished and his facial features diminished until all that was left was a purple figure with a black smile that was impossible for a human.

The man looked at the remains of the mascots, laughed, then from across the room looked directly at the Puppet, somehow knowing where it was even in the dark. His smile widened further, and the recording was cut off.

End Of Memory Subfile

Play Again: Y/N?

N.

Negative Value=1000

Saved.

Viewing the fourteen-minute subfile had only taken a couple of real-time seconds, but when Mari regained its normal vision and control of its body, there was no longer a small gap between the Puppet and the figure, but rather the creature was holding it a few feet of the ground by its neck. And the touch… the touch burned. It was a machine and the fingers clasped around its throat burned. The animatronic could feel the venom flowing, wiping hundreds of lines of code each millisecond, reverting it into a previous state of being, one less sophisticated.

The boy's existence is an error that'll be rectified in the near future. The being's mouth did not move, but the Puppet felt it speak. It did not hear it, no, Mari felt it. Inside its mind words were being spoken. Yours, however, is an abomination that cannot be allowed to persist any longer. Be certain that once you are out of the picture, I shall make sure He will find the most creative of endings for the child… and his sister.

The Marionette stopped its attempts to free itself. The creature smiled as it looked into the void that was now Mari's eyes, viridescent dots missing, but when it stared deeper…

The void stared back, and the shadow blinked.

Suddenly, reality around the monster glitched. The light from the sun seemed to flicker in and out as cracks spread through space, cutting into the amorphous dark body, earning a loud growl from the shadow. It let go of the Marionette and tried to teleport back but found itself stuck in place.

Looking up, The Puppet's lanky form was still in the air, pointed legs hovering above the ground. Its left arm was extended outwards, fingers in a grabbing position. Its eyes were glowing green.

The Puppet slowly raised its hand and the shadow's form followed, moving up as if being pulled by strings. In a flash, the Puppet swung its hand down, making the figure crash onto the hard dirt, spreading some of its darkness across the garden's grass. Mari raised its arm and swung it down again, and again. Then, once it was done playing, reeled its arm back and spun around, throwing the creature into the shed with an unperceivable thud. Despite no visible damage being done to the wooden doors, the being had lost more of its smoking mass, which immediately dissipated upon contact with the ground.

The monster roared, lunging at the Puppet only to be stopped in midair. The animatronic closed its fist, and space around the monster shattered once again. It tried to express its pain through a screech or another roar but its form had been turned into thousands of shards, just like a broken mirror.

The lights in the Puppet's eyes intensified, and the cracks spread further.

For the first time in its short life, the monster felt fear. It was afraid. And like the animal that it was, it lashed out.

The monster fought back against the shredding, pulled itself back together with every ounce of wrath it had inside, and refocused its entire aura on the Puppet. Mountains of agony washed over the robot in an instant. It would've been enough to kill any living creature on the planet, turning their skin pale and making a black liquid bleed out of their eyes before decaying their body to a crisp, but the Puppet wasn't just any ordinary creature.

The most the Puppet did was flinch a little, losing its hold on the monster as the lights in its eyes died down the smallest amount, but that was enough for the shadow to free itself. It pulled its remaining darkness together and shrunk out of existence as if it had never been there to begin with.

Mari recovered soon after but was left standing there, levitating alone in the backyard, looking at where the monster had been moments ago.

The Puppet's frown deepened, clenching its hands.


Ooh, some action was needed to spice things up. Shadow Freddy was on the attack this chapter, and Mari has finally unlocked his powers after all those memories , although only a portion of them😁. There are more to come so stay tuned. Did you like it? Comments are always appreciated so feel free to let me know. Did I go too far or was this an enjoyable read? Who knows, I certainly don't.
Anyway, I'll see you all next time👋.

Chapter title from "Moving Up In The World" by DAGames.