Longest Novel: Fall of The Republic

by morgan kingsley

In 2020, a middle-aged author, living too deeply in the past, decides to write the story of what really happened to him and his friends when he was younger, and as it unfolds, a giant conspiracy starts to show itself. An AU of seasons 1-4 that take place in the United States. Crossover with several other series for one overall universe.

23. The Twin Sons

Chapter 2 Episode 5 – The Twin Sons

June 1, 2022

T.K. sent the next episode of the story to his publisher, and he was staring out the window to his hotel, that he had been spending the last nineteen days in. As he was smoking his cigarette, he was feeling like perhaps he needed to just try and see what his family was up to after this.

He started to head back to his room, and then he gathered all his stuff, and then he was placing his shoes on. He had hoped that perhaps nobody had known he had been here. After all, the only times he even so much as left the room in the last nineteen days was when he would get a order from doordash, and get a hour work out at the gym occasionally.

When he finished placing the card in the deposit area, he went right to the car, and started to head on towards his house. Hoping that they would be willing to give him a chance at least, and he was wondering what his family would feel about him being here in the first place.

The entire time that he had been driving to the house, he was wondering how Ocho had been doing. He felt really terrible for the guy, knowing what he had done, and had been wondering how likely it would be, for the guy to forgive him at all. In all honesty, he felt like there was no fucking chance he would forgive T.K.

The only thing that T.K. would be able to hope for was that when he would speak to him again, they would be willing to at least work together. And when everything was all done, then things could potentially find a way to be put down in the past.

He was also wondering how people like Matt would be willing to react to him if he knew that T.K. had been responsible for something like this. His brother would probably find some random way to blame him, and make T.K. sound like the most evil human being in existence, just because he was trying to just survive a bit longer.

After numerous hours of driving, he got out of the car, and then took out a cigarette, hoping that when he would get back to work, his wife would be willing to understand. He was also just thinking that maybe it was time for him to let her see what had been going on with his writing.

He walked inside, and he was seeing that his wife was just looking over at him. Shocked to be seeing him coming back at all. Probably wondering what his plans were here. "Sorry for being gone so fucking long. I just had something to take care of with one of my contacts." After T.K. said this, he had hoped she would be willing to forgive him.

"T.K., what are you even trying to accomplish in the first place anyways?" She asked, and then T.K. was feeling like maybe he was just needed to give her some truth here. "You keep leaving, and you have no fucking clue what it is doing for both of us. And we both feel like we just need to know what you are doing."

"I guess that after all this time, if I tried to hide the story from you any longer, you would probably just think that I was being a asshole. So I guess that maybe I just need to tell you the truth." T.K. said, and then he was sitting down, and taking the flashdrive out, wondering if he wanted her to really read this.

Despite how much he wanted her to not know this, he was feeling that perhaps there was no other way around it. He was then handing it right to her, and hoped that this was not going to be getting her killed. "In all honesty, I knew that it was only a matter of time before you were going to fucking know the truth."

"But please make sure that Trent never knows the truth. After all, he is still way too young for this shit, and I feel like you would know what I mean once you start to read this whole thing." T.K. said, and then Catherine was sitting down, and she was wondering what she would have even wanted to say.

"I have nothing that I fucking can do about that. Sooner or later, he is going to be old enough to know the truth. But I guess that I appreciate the fact that you are willing to finally tell me what is happening. But I guess that you are mainly just doing it because you finally feel like there is no choice." After she was telling T.K. this, he was wishing that she would be leaving him alone.

"I am sorry that I have ever made you feel like I was not caring about the bigger picture. I just felt like if you ever grew to know the truth, you would probably never want to be speaking to me again. But I guess that maybe that is a risk that I just need to take now." T.K. said, and then he was wondering if she was willing to hear him.

"The way you speak to this makes it sound like I hate you. I don't fucking hate you. I am just a bit disappointed. But I feel like there is no reason to fight you." After she was telling T.K. this, she was placing the flashdrive on the outlet to the main computer. He knew that there was officially no way in hell he was going to get himself out of this. He was going to have to accept the reaction she would be having from this point on.

T.K. Decided that he would try and see Trent for a bit, and just get to know what Trent was feeling. After all, he was being a terrible fucking father, and he was feeling like he needed to try and do his best to make things better for him. Once he was in his sons room, he was looking at Trent for a moment.

"Hey, sorry for not being here for you nearly enough yet. I know that I was a terrible father, and I should have given you a chance to be happy." T.K. said, and he was wondering how Trent would even react to his statements.

"What are you even trying to do? I have been wondering when you were going to be coming home this whole time, and keep getting let down." Trent said, and then he was standing up, and looked right at T.K. As he was talking with Trent, he hoped that Catherine was working on her reading for now.

"I just had a job to do. I know that this is not a good excuse anymore. But I keep telling myself that when you are old enough, you would see what I am trying to accomplish. But I guess that something like this is just not a good excuse anymore." T.K. replied, hoping that Trent would see that he really was just trying his best here.

"But nobody ever tells me what is happening. I just want to know why you are so scared to tell me. Dad, can you tell me the truth?" Trent asked, and then T.K. was really having no real idea what in the world he would have said to him. There was no way in hell he was going to get out of this at all.

"It is because the truth of the matter is that people died with the work that I was doing back then. People died, and there was nothing that I could fucking do about it. I thought that perhaps I could have made a difference. But who fucking knows, people probably nothing that I can say would get you to be understanding what I say." T.K. said, and there was nothing else for him to say.

"I mean, I never wanted people to die. And I don't want any more to fall. But I feel like there is literally nothing that I can fucking do to change it. I just hope that one of these days, I can forgive myself. And I hope that one of these days, you guys can forgive me." T.K. finished, and he had wondered if Trent would at least listen to this.

"Dad, do you think that I am in danger?" Trent asked, and then T.K. was unsure of what to tell him. And in all honesty, he was feeling that he was going to understand where Sheldon was coming from much more, with him writing a story for Cody for when he was much older.

Scene 1: Coming Back Again

Sheldon sat down, and he was taking out a cigarette, and was getting ready to talk to his therapist about the next session, since this one was much longer than most of the others.

Sheldon: This one is going to be a long one. I think that it will be best for you to just get comfortable. I hope that when Cody hears these, he doesn't hate me for how long these sessions are.

Therapist: Oh yeah, I forgot about that. How has he been able to handle things lately? I was worried about how hard he has been dealing what happened to Jenny.

Sheldon: In all honesty, every time I try to talk to him, he basically shows no interest in hearing what I have to say. I think it is all because I have a hard time buying the shit he said to me about Brad and all that. I just can't imagine it.

Therapist: Yeah, I guess that it might be hard to even consider that. After all, Brad has been trying so hard to save Wayside from the issues that have been happening here. I guess that maybe I just don't have the picture.

Sheldon: But regardless, I just hope that when he hears these, he will understand why I am so sorry for everything, but why I feel like it is absolutely the best bet in order to keep him out of this situation for as long as humanly possible.

Therapist: I mean, I guess that I can sort of see why you feel that way. I mean, you do seem like you have gotten involved in everything and everybody in this town. I guess that I can see why everybody was insisting that you always knew the answers of the town.

Sheldon: Honestly, it is beyond that. I mean, just all the times that I gave people my word on something, and then fucking failed to do something. I mean, I wanted to fucking try and make a difference. But then everything that I had done was always leading to fucking failure.

Therapist: You shouldn't have made all those promises. I mean, you wanted to help, but it seems that in your desperate attempt to help, you only made things so much worse. But I guess that perhaps you already fucking know what I am saying right now.

Sheldon: I fucking know. I was the one who lived through it. I did my best to make it work. But nobody knew how much I was getting hurt by how much I was trying to do something, and that I fucking failed. I lived through this all. I know how bad it had fucking gotten. But waiting any longer won't do us any good, might as well just get right to it.

Sheldon took out a cigarette, and got started with his session, and had hoped that his therapist wasn't going to be super upset with the length of this session, as this one was going to be several fucking hours long

Scene 2: The Carbunkle Family

Todd and I met up the next day, and this time, we were going to meet with the Carbunkle family, for real this time. Even if it was meaning that we were going to force our way. I knew that there was virtually no other choice in the matter. But I hardly cared at all.

"Todd, I promise you that one way or another, we are going to learn what we need from the Carbunkle family. Even if it is totally fucking forced. You're right. I feel like they are the main answers to what is happening." After I told him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was still not too sure what to feel here.

"You better mean it. I want to know what in the world is happening here. I also feel like maybe that woman might have a idea what the hell that guy is talking about." Todd said, and I was aware that he was referring to the whole statements about his mother. In all honesty, I was able to tell that he was clearly upset about this whole thing.

"I have no idea what that man meant, when he was talking about your mother. But I think we both know that this Mrs. Carbunkle woman is probably the best answer that we have. And I feel like we both need to know what is happening here, if we are going to get anywhere with this." I said, and then I was looking right at him, wondering if he was going to actually buy what I was saying at all.

"I mean, I know that I shouldn't let what one random ass person says get to me. But in all honesty, I feel like he might actually be telling the truth. And in all honesty, that is something that is bothering me more than anything else. And the idea that my parents probably know this, and are still lying about it all." Todd was saying, and I was feeling it might be best to just not say anything anymore.

The entire time that we were heading there, I was wondering if Todd wanted me to just talk with him to make him feel better. He was a good friend. And he was in pain, and probably felt like everything that could possibly happen was only going to make things much worse. "Todd, I know that those comments hurt you, and I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will support you."

"But what about the rest of my friends? Will they fucking support me?" He asked, clearly not too happy with the way that I was trying to be making him feel better. I was sighing, and felt like there was nothing else that I could say to him.

We were at the house, and I was knocking on the door. Thankfully since I was doing it before my shift this time, there was no reason for us to be too worried about the time or anything. Before long, a red haired guy answered the door.

I was taking a moment to look at the guy, and then glanced at Todd. The guy was about thirteen like Todd, and in all honesty, I was starting to see where the guy was coming from a bit. This guy looked a lot like Todd. And I was thinking that maybe the guy talking to us earlier just thought that Todd was this guy, and that he had been out late at night.

"Hey, I was wondering if we could talk to your mother." After Todd said this, I was seeing him looking like he was kind of worried about what he was seeing. I was feeling like he just was not wanting to think about it, and he was hoping beyond god that I would never be saying anything to him as well.

"I don't know if my mother would want that." He said, and he was sounding tired as all hell. I was feeling like he was probably just trying to hide the fact that he was sleeping in on his day off or something. But then as we were talking, a woman was walking by. And then she was seeing us for a second.

"Don't worry. They can come in." She said, and then the guy was looking like he was not really wanting to do this. Todd and I were walking in the room, and then as we went inside, I was seeing that Todd and the other guy were looking at each other for a moment. Clearly thinking about something. Probably the relatively similar looks that they both had.

I closed the door, and I was seeing that the mother was looking like she was having a look of barely contained anger in her face. I was wondering what the issue was. But I decided that I was not going to be saying anything at all.

Todd and I were walking up the stairs, to go to the living room. I was seeing the other guy still looking like he was trying his best to be hiding his thoughts from what was going on. But then with that, he shook his head, and decided that he would not worry about it at all anymore.

Once the other guy was in his room again, I was looking right at the woman, and I was feeling like I just needed to take a second to think about what was happening. "So, we were wanting to ask you some questions." I said, and then she was shaking her head at what I was saying.

"That is really big for you to say. I have just as many questions as you guys do." She said, and then looked at Todd, as if upset at the fact that he was here. But then I was seeing a small tear coming down her face. And I was feeling like I just needed to proceed the subject forward, and not be pressing it further.

"Look, I have no idea what is going on here. And I frankly do not fucking care right now. You guys can sort that stuff out later. For now, I just need to know what is going on with this town." I said, hoping that I could get him to focus on the subject.

She was looking like she was really not appreciating the way that I was approaching the subject. But then she shook her head. Feeling like there was no need to worry about it all. "What did you want to know?" She asked, and she was trying her best to be hiding her annoyance from this.

"Well, the one that is just more for curiosity than anything else… But is that man over there your adopted son? I mean, he looks nothing like you." I said, and I was feeling like saying this was just the best way to kind of see what her issue with Todd was right now.

"Yeah. I had no choice but to. I wasn't able to have children of my own. All because of the incident at the mines. Even though I knew that my parents wanted to have a grand child." After she was telling me this, I was instantly seeing her looking like she was much more timid at what was happening here.

"Wait, what about the mines were unable to make you have any children?" Todd asked, and I was instantly hearing him getting much more interested in that part of the story than anything else. I was seeing her looking like she was kind of regretting even mentioning anything about it. But I just needed to know what was going on in her mind.

"Well, there was something about the ore that leaked into the water. And when it did so, there was something that irradiated the water supply, and made us unable to have any children for a while. And at the time, I and several other women had been exposed to it, so we were unable to really have children. That was something that Sherman Peabody was trying to fight when he decided that he was going to help take the town back into a better direction again." She said, and then I slowly nodded.

"So that was when he decided to create that adoption agency?" I asked, and I was looking at her for a few seconds. I was needing to know where she was coming from at this. She slowly nodded at that statement.

"He and his son worked together to create a plan to make the people in this town have at least something. There were a couple of people that he knew at the time that were pregnant with children, but for various reasons were unable to actually take care of the child. So they let him pick some up. And when new families moved to Wayside as years went by, he was coming up with another solution. One that most people did not like. But were willing to over look for the sake of families." She said, and I was wondering where she was getting at with this.

"He had a son? That is something that you rarely ever hear people talking a lot about. Did something happen to him that made Sherman embarrassed to bring him up or something?" I asked, hoping that I could make her more willing to open up.

"Well, I am not sure what happened between them, but the reason that my parents wanted a grand child so badly was because of my older brother. He was one of the people who died in the mining explosion when it was shut down to avoid any more damages being caused by the town. Also another idea that was proposed by Sherman, and funded by the Reichenbach family." She said, and then I was looking at her, shocked at this statement.

"It was very clear to anybody with a brain cell that they loved him far more than they could ever love me. They revered him as a saint, and the towns future when he was older. He was twenty four at the time of his death, and had been working very hard ever since he was sixteen years old." She said, and then I was slowly nodding at this statement here.

"He had already moved up to being the second in command at the mines. Always had a drive to be successful at his life. But in all honesty, I feel like he was just trying to make sure that people didn't judge him, or think that he was taking advantage of his parents or whatever." She said, and then I was sighing at this. Feeling no need to even debate this any more.

"But yeah, that was just the first issue that were having in this town, and since Sherman was the first person who seemed to have any plan on how to change it, everybody went to him. He was the man that everybody loved to work with. I guess that when you are just trying to save this town, everything kind of goes." After she was telling us this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was unable to hold it in any longer.

"What did I do to make you so upset? I mean, I hardly even know you, and I feel like I just am completely fucking lost here." Todd said, and he was not holding back at all. As he was saying this, he was seeing the look on her face just grow into one of utter sadness. As if thinking that what Todd said was just wrong.

"I think the fact that even after all this time, you are not able to figure it out shows that this town has done a great job hiding all their secrets. Making sure that there is no way in hell that their mistakes are going to be covered." As she was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was just wanting to figure out what in the world she was meaning.

"So, you are basically saying that I am just supposed to know everything like the back of my hand. I just want some fucking answers, and I feel like you are the best person to help me out here." Todd was telling her, and I was seeing him looking like he was just kind of wishing that this would stop being so rough on him.

"I never said that. All that I am saying is that I feel like you need to be much more careful with the things you assume here. I just hope that in due time, you are going to be able to finally figure out what is happening here. Maybe you can talk to Brad for a bit." She said, and then she looked at Todd, as if hoping that he was going to take the hint.

"What in the world would your son be able to tell me? He's my age, and probably doesn't know half the stories that I do." Todd said, and he was getting a full sense of confidence as he was saying this. As if well aware of the truth here.

"That is one way of giving yourself a confidence boost. But just give him a chance. Looking at you, and thinking about all the things going on in this town just make me sad. Knowing what I do, and you would understand." After she was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was just slightly upset at the way she was treating him here.

I was standing up, feeling like I just needed to try and pretend like I wasn't being bothered at the way these two were talking. It was feeling extremely destructive for both of them. "We can do that later. But for now, I feel like we have something else to do. Thanks for clearing up some of the things here. Knowing that it was all a fertility issue, and the adoption was the first step is something."

"And it does explain why the Reichenbach's are so involved in this. Knowing that they were the ones leading the project on the towns reconstruction. I will just have to see how Sherman even got them on board in the first place." I said, feeling like I was having something, and I was hoping Todd would be seeing where I was coming from here.

"Before you guys leave, I will give you another piece: When I adopted Brad, I had found out that there were two children. Identical twin boys. I tried to get the other son as well. You know, I really wanted both of them, to have a small family. They promised me that I would get to have him too. They lied to me, and sent him to another family. Maybe you can finally figure out from there." After she said that to me, I was slowly nodding.

I was feeling like, even if Todd did not want to admit it, that he might be that second one. Maybe that would explain where she was coming from. But I was feeling that I just needed to remain silent from there.

Todd and I were leaving the house again, and when I was seeing Todd, I was seeing him looking like he was kind of upset here. "Todd, do you need to talk about this with me? You look like you are kind of having a hard time with this right now." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was not too sure.

"In all honesty, I want to know what I did that was so wrong. I want to be able to help them. But they seem to be angry at my mere presence. And I don't fucking get it." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding. I guess that I sort of understood what he was saying here.

"Sheldon, I never wanted to do this, and get people to think that I was the bad guy. I mean, I don't mind if people don't consider me a hero or whatever. But I thought that some people were going to like me for what I was trying to do." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to try and find a way to be making him feel better here.

"But Todd, you probably just reminded her or something. But I feel like if you want to know more, as much as you might hate it, I think you need to try and talk to her again. She might actually know here." I said, and I was seeing Todd looking like he had no idea what to be feeling here.

"If I reminded her or something, then I shouldn't be the bad guy for whatever the hell she is feeling here. That is something that she needs to figure out on her own." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to consider something to tell him.

"Honestly, I feel like there might be a small chance that you have a connection with that Brad guy. She did say that Sherman and his son were involved with setting up the adoption agency. Maybe you guys are like cousins or something." I said, and then I was sighing, feeling like saying that was going to be making him upset here.

"Dude, don't ever suggest that again. I really don't want to even think of something like this at all. If I am in any way related to Brad, then that means that my entire life was a lie. And I really do not want to even fucking consider that." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed get myself out of this subject for a bit.

"Sorry dude. I thought that maybe I could suggest something like this. I never wanted to make you upset. It was never my intention to drag you into something that makes you question your entire fucking existence." I said, and I was feeling like saying that would be making him feel better here.

"I wished that I could be able to believe that. I really do fucking wish that I could find myself coming there." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to remain silent for a bit. Perhaps what I had said was indeed a really bad way of going at this.

"Forget it. Forget I even mentioned it." I said, feeling like saying this might be able to get him to calm down a bit. Hopefully he wouldn't be upset to be in the same area as me anymore, given what I had just said here.

As we were walking off, I was seeing that Mrs. Carbunkle was staring at us out the window. As much as I was feeling bad for her, I was feeling like she was kind of over stepping this line. But I was telling myself to just not be thinking about it all that much.

"After I am done with my shift, we can go to Mezmer's, and if you want to talk about it or whatever, you can. I feel like there is no reason to be so worried about something that woman was saying." I said, and then after I was telling Todd this, I was seeing him looking like he was wanting to really buy what I had been saying. Like that would have been the best for him.

"I'll have to think about it. I want to go. But I feel like whatever that woman is hiding from me, I just feel like I need to get to know. I hate the fact that nobody really cares about what I feel here. I am just a fucking piece of the puzzle, and there is no reason to even pretend otherwise." Todd was telling me, and I was feeling like there was nothing else to be telling him.

"Don't let what that woman says or does stop you. Don't let your worries stop you from doing what is right. You are really doing great here. I feel like you got something handled rather well here. I just feel like you need find it in yourself." I was telling him, wondering what I would accomplish by telling him this.

With that, I was leaving him alone, to go to my shift. I was just hoping that before too long, he would be able to calm down, and not feel like I was hurting him too badly here. I just felt like I needed to not forget what I was doing at my job. Since that was still the main thing that I was able to do to contribute to the world.

Scene 3: Tears For Fears

Todd and I were sitting down at Mezmer's, and I was trying to just find a way to be making him feel better about what in the world I could be able to tell him. "Todd, don't worry about what those people are saying. Just keep doing what you are doing, and soon enough, nobody will care about super ficial shit that you have no power over." After I told him this, I had nothing that I could tell him.

"I wish that I could be able to believe you. I mean, for gods sake. That would be making things a million times better. But in all honesty, I feel like most of what they could be saying is true, and that sinking feeling of knowing that they are right, is what is making things much worse." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and had nothing else that I could fucking tell him.

"But Sheldon, can you please just promise me that you are not going to be running around rampant, trying to figure out what these people are talking about? I mean, I want to just focus on the adoption agency, and learn more about what gave Sherman so much leverage anyways." After Todd was telling me this, I was looking right at him, and I had nothing to tell him.

"But what if they are connected? I mean, you have to admit that there is a good chance that is the case. And you are just ignoring it. We need to be more careful on what we are doing here, if we want to say that we are actually doing what needs to be done." I tried to tell him, and I was seeing him looking like he was hardly even fucking caring at all.

"I don't care if they are all connected. I do not want to be giving people a excuse to be hating me right now. I just want to look at the job that is ahead of me, and I want to make sure the job is fucking done. It is as simple as that. And I feel like we have enough things to worry with trying to help Kevin with his shit." Todd said, and then I was feeling like what he was saying was just simply bullshit. Not enough to make me feel better.

"Alright. Yeah, you're right. We do need to work on the story. I just hope Kevin knows what he is doing. After all, he is a fucking idiot most of the time." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd was remaining unsure here.

We ate in pure silence after that for another couple of minutes, and when we were starting to really enjoy ourselves again, that was when Kevin was finally showing up. He looked like he was shocked to be seeing us here in the first place. But it was clearly making him happy again.

When Kevin had sat down, and was looking right at us, I was seeing him looking like he was kind of worried about what was happening. "Hey, did something happen to you guys that make you really sad or something?" After Kevin asked us this, I was looking at him, and I was feeling like I just needed to not give him the light of day.

"Nothing too much. Just a conversation Todd and I had with the Carbunkle family. And the mother was kind of getting on Todd's case a lot, and Todd was just wondering what he did to make her so mad at him. In all honesty, I have no real case in this. I am just trying to make sure that Todd is doing fine enough.

"Are you seriously going to be worried about something like that? I thought that you were going to be having more confidence than that." Kevin told me, and I was seeing him looking like he was being the perfect support figure for Todd. But Todd was just looking at him, as if not really in the mood to be hearing this right now.

"Well, I just feel like when I am treated like this horrible person, for doing literally nothing, and everybody wants nothing to do with me, I feel like maybe I just have a bit of a right to know what I could be able to do differently." Todd said, and he was sounding like he was really having no patience to be hearing what Kevin says here.

"I guess that maybe since I wasn't there, I can't really say that I understand it. But I guess that I can say that I will help you guys if I can." After he was telling me this, I was really having no idea what in the world I could be able to say. "I hope that you know that either way, most of us are going to be there for you. So you do not need to be too worried here."

"We can just get out of here, and try to find something else to do." After Kevin said this, I was seeing that he was really just doing his best to be helping us out here. But I was feeling that no matter what he was going to say, Todd was just not going to ever have any intention of hearing it.

"Yeah, like what? Just hang out with friends? I mean, I wish that I could do that. But people are probably wanting nothing to do with me anymore. After all, I dragged everybody into this fucking crazy ass mess, and I don't really blame anybody if they are just fucking tired of hearing it at this point in time." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like he was just coming a bit too close to home with the way that I had been feeling.

"I mean, it wouldn't fucking hurt to try. I mean, the Carbunkle's know nothing about you. There is no reason to be so upset about what is happening here." After Kevin said this, I was seeing him sounding like he was trying his best to give him any form of happiness here.

"Well, I bet that you didn't know that she has a son that looks exactly like me." Todd admitted to Kevin, and as he said that, this was when Kevin took a second to take in the surprise. "You know that guy that we have seen a couple of times. Brad. I mean, I know that he was a member of our grade level. But I never realized how similar we looked."

"Oh yeah. I don't think I have ever spoken to him though. But did you even talk with him?" Kevin asked, and then Todd was shaking his head. As if feeling like something like this was just not even really all that important.

"Honestly, I wanted to talk to him. But I was getting so furious with the way the mother was treating me. Acting like I was this horrible person for whatever reason, and then there was this person that I saw a couple of days ago that was saying that I was not spending enough time with my mother. I am just tired of everybody acting like I am this horrible human being." Kevin said, and he sounded annoyed.

"What the hell? That makes no fucking sense? Why in the fucking world would he even bring your mother up in all honesty?" He asked, and then Todd gave him a look, as if showing that this was exactly what he was thinking. But then Todd was just shaking his head after this, not wanting to think about it anymore.

"In all honesty, I feel like whenever I think of it, that Carbunkle woman wants to think that I am her son for whatever reason. And she is somehow blaming me for some of the issues that are going on with her. I don't really think that I deserve that. But whatever. If she wants to hate me, then I guess that I will let her hate me." Todd said, starting to pretend to not care.

"Whatever. I am done thinking about that crazy woman. If she wants to hate me, and act like I am this horrible person, then I will let her. It will be a million times easier to just do that than anything else." After Todd was saying this, he was shaking his head. He was finishing up his burger, and then he stood up. I was feeling like this was my cue to leave to.

"It is never too late to try and have a normal and social life. Don't let people take you for granted. After all, you still have us." Kevin said, and then Todd was shaking his head. Clearly not in the mood to be hearing it. I was wondering what I could do to make him feel better here.

Eventually, we left Mezmer's, as I was taking a cigarette out, and was tired of the world. I was feeling that Todd needed to at least consider the idea that maybe he and Brad had a connection that he didn't want to admit. His way of just constantly throwing that away, just because he did not like to admit it, was only going to be making things worse for everybody.

"So Todd, do you feel like you are going to go with the idea of just hanging out with some of your friends for a while? I mean, that might be what is best for you." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was not really all that interested in the idea for the time being.

But before he was able to say that, he was taking a second to stop himself, and then think for a second. "No, I think that I probably should. After all, you guys are wanting to support me, and me being a asshole about it all isn't going to be doing anybody any favors." Todd was saying, and then with that, he finally just seemed to calm down for a bit.

So with that, we were walking along. "So Kevin, how have you been able to get along with Jenny so far? I mean, she was seeming like she really wanted somebody there at her side at that moment. And I feel like I will never really be that man for her." After Todd was saying this, I was hearing the shame in his voice. As if he hated to admit this.

"Alright enough. I just want to see what I can be able to do to get her to see that there is more to this world than shitty adults, who just want to take what isn't theirs." After Kevin was telling us this, I was laughing for a bit.

"Well, I think you are going to have a hard time accomplishing that. After all, Jenny was seeming to really be having a lot of anger towards the town." I said, and I was not even caring if I was sounding like a asshole when I was saying this. After all, she was really not having a easy time with talking to people at all.

"Well, to be fair, we are all progressively finding that big connection to that guy in the purple jacket, and I feel like maybe trying to just simply focus on what we can do about that is the best that we can do here." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like he really needed to keep that person out of the discussion.

"But yeah, honestly, I feel like when I talk with Jenny, and we just simply discuss all the things going on here, I feel like she is kind of coming around to it. And I feel like that is enough to make me feel at least a little bit better." After Kevin said that, I saw him looking like he was simply not caring all that much.

"I mean, I feel like I should try and talk to her eventually. After all, she probably would appreciate it. But I feel like if I do that, then she will probably just lash out at me. And to be honest, I am not really in the mood to be dealing with this." Todd said, and I was wondering if she was just scared of how Jenny felt.

"She said that she was worried that you would probably not want to really talk with her all that much anymore. Probably worried about the fact that you are always hanging out with Sheldon, and don't really seem to socialize with other people anymore." After Kevin was telling Todd this, I was seeing the look on Todd's face be one of a mild form of regret.

"She was the one that stopped talking to me first. She was thinking that since I had not found her mother, that I was not holding true to my promises. And I was just getting to the point where I was tired of hearing it. There is only so many times you can hear something like that before you just get completely deflated." After Todd said that, I saw him looking really fucking sad here.

"I am just saying what I heard. I am not saying that what she was trying to tell me was true. But if you feel that way, and she feels that way, then perhaps you guys just need to talk with each other. Clear some shit up between you two, and just bury this confusion." After Kevin was telling Todd this, I was seeing both guys looking right at me for a few seconds.

"What do you think Sheldon?" After Kevin asked me this, I was shrugging at this. Not too sure what in the world I was going to even tell her. They were expecting too much from me, and I was feeling like they were just wanting me to give them something that I could never give them. And I was feeling so bad for this.

"I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what it is like to have friends that really do not like you at all anymore. Friends that feel like you are just being horrible to them or whatever." I said, and I was feeling like I needed to let the theory of what Emily was saying about Dakota and Ashley being bad friends just kind of die all the time.

I was seeing both Todd and Kevin looking like they were unsure of what the hell to tell me. I was wondering what they were trying to accomplish here. But then I was taking out a cigarette, just trying to forget about this. I had no idea what I was going to say. And in all honesty, there was only so much that I could deal with defending them before I just get annoyed, and maybe even believe them.

"I just wish that I didn't have everybody think that my friends are these horrible people. I mean, I know that there is nothing that I am going to be able to do to get people to think differently. But I just get tired of everybody thinking that Dakota and Ashley are fucking terrible people, when there is no reason to think otherwise.

"I never said anything that would indicate that I think that your friends are not good people. I mean, I know that Dakota was kind of a asshole to me that one time, but I hardly fucking care at all." After Todd said that to me, I was feeling like I was not really in the mood to hear much of this at all.

"I know. But I see a lot of people tell me that, and they all seem to be one hundred percent serious about it. And I feel like if that is the case, then perhaps I am the most dumb fucking human being in the world for not being able to figure that out here." I said, and then I was feeling kind of out of it.

"To be fair, I guess that when you are friends with somebody like my older brother, it might be kind of hard to think that things are too bad. And I don't even think my brother is bad per se. But he is a hard person to get along with." Kevin said, and I was feeling like him bringing his brother into this was something that was totally pointless.

"Honestly, I just kind of have been trying to ignore most of these things. People are just trying to get me to be insecure here. That is the only way that I can fucking describe here." I said, and I was feeling like there was no other reason to hear this.

"But when it is Emily, the person that I am trying to get into a relationship with, that says this, and she sounds totally confident here, then I feel like that is what really makes the whole thing kind of hard to be so sure of. But I guess that in all honesty, nobody gives a single fuck what I believe." I said, but I was just kind of out of it. I was hoping that Todd and Kevin would possibly be able to see where I was coming from here.

"Then just get Emily to see that she was wrong. After all, you probably need to be seeing her more often anyways. You probably have not been seeing her nearly enough for her to be happy with." Todd said, and then I was feeling like that was just not possible.

"Well, if she wants me to have better friends, then she needs to let me meet them." I said, and then I was shaking my head, and I was feeling like what I said made perfect sense, but I guess that they didn't need to hear what I was saying.

Once I had vented what I was feeling to them, and made my point, I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying. And to be honest, I was not really in the mood to be having this discussion about Emily and Dakota and Ashley anymore. I felt like I had just kind of made my fucking point, and there was nothing that I was going to be able to accomplish by going any further.

"Sheldon, I feel like you need to be looking at your mental health more. After all, you are clearly scared of what you are getting yourself into. Even if you are not wanting to admit it at all." Kevin was telling me, and then I was not really in too much of a mood to be having this discussion in all honesty.

"I don't know. I feel like my own personal feelings are not nearly as important as what you guys are dealing with. And I still fucking believe that. There is so much work that needs to be done, that just messing around, and crying about what I am dealing with is not going to be making anybody any better." I said, and I was feeling that no matter how much I was trying, I was never going to be able to get people to really believe what I was dealing with at all.

"That is not fucking true at all." Todd was saying, and then I was shaking my head. "Do you even know what it is like to have a friendship that isn't related to the fucking investigation? I mean, if that is the case, then I think that maybe you need to try and branch out there to the world much ore."

"In all honesty, I do not. I wish that I knew what it was like to just have friends like that again. But to be honest, I feel like something like this just isn't fucking possible." I said, and then I was not really in the mood to be hearing much about this anymore.

"I mean, I hate to admit the fact that my social life has been completely fucked up by my desire for revenge. But in all honesty, I am aware that this is something that you wanted me to admit." I said, and then I was shrugging, not sure what in the world I could have said.

"That is a shame. I mean, I know that you believed that earlier. But hearing you actually admit that is something that I feel like you need to try and work with. And I am sorry for bringing up the man in the purple jacket. I know that I was a huge part of why this is even the fucking case anyways." After Kevin was saying this, I was feeling like he did not need to blame himself for my shitty behavior.

Scene 4: No Turning Back

I was hanging out with Todd the next day, and this time, Dakota and Ashley were there. I was just trying to keep my focus, and not give it away that I was still not too sure what in the world I was really even wanting to be doing now. "So Sheldon, you were out at the Carbunkle house?" Dakota asked, as if unable to believe what I was telling him.

"Yeah, I went there. In all honesty, I wasn't expecting a whole lot, and the fact that I got as much as I did actually kind of surprises me." I said, feeling like I needed to at least pretend to show a level of humbleness to what had been going on.

"God, you really have a way of making sure that you get all the information you need, even if you end up making everybody hate you in the process." Dakota said, and then I was shrugging, not really caring all that much.

"In all honesty, I feel like you are probably getting to a point where you are unable to get out of this, no matter how much you try now. So at this rate, the best thing you can do is just get the information you need and then just hope that nobody notices what you are doing." He sounded like he was wanting to yell at me. But then chose not to, for his own sake.

"I know that. But I feel like the risk is worth taking. I just wished that maybe I considered what I was doing before I got involved in any of this. For your guys sake." I said, and then I was taking a cigarette out, just trying to think of what I was saying.

"This is what everybody had warned you about, and then you are going around, showing a clear disregard of what everybody is saying. I mean, I am not hoping that things turn out bad for you. I mean, you're my friend after all. But this is something that you should have seen coming from a mile away." After Dakota was telling me this, I was feeling like his way of saying this was kind of showing a little bit of over harshness for literally no reason at all.

"Look, I am sorry if I am upsetting you over that. I just thought that I could keep it at a contained level. And Todd was telling me about how it might be best that I just start focusing on my friendships again, and not drag everybody along for this issue." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he wanted to interject here.

"He was telling me that he had never really had a normal friendship here. Because he was always focused on the investigation. And I was telling him that it was time to start really fixing that, and not be making things out to be one giant issue." Todd said, and then I was shaking my head. Not really wanting to be thrown under the bus here.

"I guess that is to be expected. One of our first hang outs was me going to the tree house with him, and us hearing the grinding noise. He had only been here for like a week or two." Ashley said, and there was a level of regret in her voice. Which was strange, considering the fact that she really had almost nothing to do with that suggestion, and was just kind of going along with it.

"And you didn't even fucking wait to tell him about the fact that there was this giant fucking conspiracy? You just told him straight away? Did you ever think that maybe something like that could have bad consequences?" Todd asked, and he was having a level of annoyance to what he was saying. I was wondering why he was giving them such flack over something like this.

"Look, I was the one that was asking them about this. You don't need to be getting on their case about it." I said, feeling that it was time for me to really support them for this. As I was saying this, I was seeing Todd looking annoyed at what he was hearing. Probably thinking that I was giving them too much slack for this.

"Look, all that I am saying is that it was probably really dumb for you guys to be willing to let him hear that. You should have probably waited at least. Like until the second time at least." Todd was saying, and then as he was thinking about what he was saying, I was then feeling like I just needed to stop this.

"Well, I could argue that you are not helping him live a normal life. You are the one constantly going around, giving him suggestions on what he needs to be doing. If anything, you are making this just as bad for him as we are." After Dakota was saying this, I was feeling like them both getting at each others throats was only going to make matters worse for us all. And I was wondering what I could even say now.

I was seeing the look on Todd's face grow slightly sullen when he was hearing that. Probably considering what he was hearing a little bit. And I was feeling that both of them arguing over this was just simply not going to be helping either one of their cases out, and only really be making matters worse for us all.

"Well, I just hardly know what I could do in a normal friendship. After all, even when I try to make it work, everybody just associates me with the fucking obsession of looking into Wayside. Nobody really is willing to give me the chance to show that I am not really just that person." I said, and I was sounding like I was a bit of a baby here.

"So are you just going to not even try?" Ashley asked, and I was hearing the tone of her voice give off one of being slightly worried. As if feeling that this was going to be the start of me just not even giving a single shit about what everybody else was saying now.

"I never said that. All that I am saying is that given how much I have learned about what is happening, there is a rather good chance that nothing I will do will even change what is happening. So at this point in time, I might as well just not even fucking care. Todd and I are getting close to breaking through with some of the information that we got." I said, and I was wondering what Todd and I were even going to be doing now.

"What are you even planning on doing next? I mean, surely you got to have some form of a plan here." Dakota asked, finally just pretending like he was wanting to do this. I was looking at him, wondering what was making him so fucking upset here.

"Todd and I were going to see Sherman. Or see if he is even alive right now. And we are going to force the information out of him." I said, and then I was looking at Todd, and I was seeing from the look on Todd's face that he was not really letting the whole situation drag him down. And I was just hoping that I could keep a level of composure.

"I am pretty sure if you talk with him, then every single person in Wayside is going to hear about it. Then any remote chance you ever had of being able to hide what is happening is going to be thrown out the window. Is something like that even fucking worth it?" Ashley said, and I was wondering what she was going to get here.
"You never have to come along if you never wanted to. I would not blame you if you decided you did not want to get involved in this." After I was telling her this, I was seeing the look on Dakota's face trying to decide what he was feeling here. He probably thought that I wasn't really meaning that, and was just trying to get brownie points.

"Well, the thing is that regardless of if we come along or not, we are both going to get interested in knowing what happens, so we will find ourselves asking, and getting involved anyways. So at the end of the day, it will hardly even matter what we feel." He said, and then I was sighing. I thought that maybe this was a valid enough point. But I didn't like it.

"Sorry for ruining both of your lives." After I was telling them this, I was feeling like saying this was just showing that I was finally taking responsibility for the way that I had been acting earlier. Both Ashley and Dakota were looking slightly shocked at the wording of that.

Neither one of them were really saying much though. I was taking that silence as a sign that maybe what I was saying was having a bit of truth to it, even if they did not want to admit it. And I was feeling that with the way that they were both acting, I just needed to perhaps take this as a sign that they wanted nothing to do with this anymore.

"Yeah, thanks for that. I kind of figured that was where things were going. You do not need to be saying more." I said, and then I was starting to head on out. As I was leaving, I was seeing Todd looking like he was just kind of worried about where this was going to be going. But he got up, and then started to follow me, as a way to just support me and my goals on helping out.

Once I was outside the house, I was feeling like I just needed to start to let things go. I mean, it hurt to know that they probably did not like what I was doing all that much. But in all honesty, I was not even really caring anymore. "Sheldon, are you just going to be leaving things alone now? I mean, you still have me and some other people to work with." After Todd was telling me this, I was shrugging, and didn't really fucking care.

"I don't fucking care. I mean, I was constantly hearing from everybody that they might not be the best friends in the world for me anyways. And I really do like hanging out with them. But if they are feeling that me being there is not helping them as much as they want, then maybe that is a sign that I just need to let things go now." I said, and then I was feeling there was no need to let things go.

"And besides, I mean, I still am relatively fresh with your friend group. Maybe I should just work on making those work out. After all, you guys still need to have somebody there for you." I said, and then I was really having no idea what I was even going to say at all.

"And I really am not worried about our age gap. I mean, that matters less over time, and I am starting to think people hardly care about that stuff. At least you guys are nice and willing to help me out." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was feeling like there was no need to say more.

"But were you serious about going to see Sherman? I mean, that is going to really put us on the radar? Dakota and Ashley are right in that sense." Todd said, really feeling like he needed to remind me, so that I did not get too fucking in my head about what I was doing here.

"Well, I mean, I have no fucking choice but to do things this way. I hope that you probably see where I am coming from here." I said, and I was hoping that Todd was not going to be feeling forced into anything like this. Especially since in all honesty, I still did not know what his thoughts on the matter were.

"But if you want nothing to do with this, and you feel like it would be best for you to leave this all to me, then I will let you take care of it." I said, and then I was shrugging, since I really had no idea what in the world I was going to tell him.

"I mean, I feel like even if I didn't want to do this, then something will be happening to you. I would rather be at your side, and see what I can do to help than just let you be forced into doing all of this work alone." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like him just saying this was his way of trying to make it seem like he was wanting to really be a good help.

"I guess that shows that you are still a good friend at heart, even if you are having a hard time seeing it for yourself." After I was telling him this, I was hoping that telling him this would get him to have a bit of a moral boost here. Just something to get him to see his value.

"Well, I never thought that I would be hearing somebody tell me how great of a friend that I have been, and really mean it. I feel like eventually, I need to just remind myself that I have a certain thing that I am bringing on the table here." After Todd was saying this, I was seeing him looking like there was something else that was on his mind, but he just decided to remain silent.

"But yeah, I am going to be seeing him tomorrow, and I hope that he will be able to tell me anything that I fucking need. Perhaps if you are there with me, then we can work this whole thing out." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd was clearly not having anything that he was wanting to say.

"I will see what I can be able to do tomorrow. Worst comes to worst, you have to do it on your own, and I will just have to meet up with you later. But I doubt that you are really going to be too terribly lost if something like this happens." Todd was telling me, and then I was looking at him, wishing that he would not be acting like this. Not having him at my side was going to make me have to change the strategy a bit.

"What are you needing to do?" I asked, and I was hoping that he was not going to think that I was trying to force him into something he wanted nothing to do with. But then I was seeing him looking like he was kind of saddened to admit what he was going to say.

"Honestly, I am just going to be trying to talk to Maurecia for a bit. I know that she had that crush on me, and that she probably feels like I am just trying to block her off. I don't want her to start thinking that I don't care about her as a friend. I really do, and I want her to finally see that." After Todd was telling me this, I was seeing him looking like he was suddenly getting firm here.

"Do you feel like you would have a better time with her if I was there? I mean, I know that I am not going to be the person who gives you all the answers you need. But just as a man who can give you morale." I said, and then he was shaking his head, as if feeling like I might have been trying too hard to help him out here.

"I don't really know honestly. I feel like if I try to talk to her on my own, then she might be feeling like whatever I want to tell her will truly be what goes on in my mind." Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to find something else to say. But then he remained silent for a few seconds.

"Alright. I just felt like I needed to at least extend the offer a bit. But I guess that what you are saying makes perfect sense." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Todd was just looking kind of unsure of if he was even believing in what I was telling him.

"I will tell you how well it turns out though. Maybe if you save it for after your shift, then we could be able to talk to him then, without too much worry. Because there is no way in hell I can talk to her for four hours straight and not go fucking insane." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like he needed to have a bit more respect for her here.

"I don't even know if the senior home will be open after eight. And I really do not want to call out unless if I have no fucking choice. The best choice I can think of is maybe if we do it after two. Do you think that you would be willing to meet her around noon?" I asked, hoping that my offer could at least kind of make him consider what I was saying. He was thinking about it for a few seconds before nodding.

"I guess that maybe I can do that. I have no idea if I will be able to actually talk to her without having her get too angry at me. I want to help her out. I really do care a lot about her, and making sure her well being is fulfilled. But I am scared that she might be thinking that I am just trying to work on her grades, and that I am not in this for her. Even though I am not trying to be that way anymore. But I guess that she will probably just not want to hear it." After Todd said that, I heard him sounding relatively upset at this.

"Wow, she has a lot of anger issues if that is the case then. I feel like she might need to just kind of look at herself in the mirror, and see that she is not really winning anybody over with that way of thinking." I said, and then I was wondering if what I was saying was going to make Todd feel any better though.

"I do get where she is coming from though. And she is just trying to hide her feelings of insecurity. Plus with the fact that she obviously has a huge crush on me, to a over the top degree, everything can be kind of hard to handle." Todd said, and I was wondering what in the world he was saying. Given how he was acting earlier.

"She probably just feels like I am attacking her, and she probably does not want to deal with that from the man that she feels like is like the greatest inspiration in her life or whatever." Todd said, and the more that he was talking, the more that he was clearly seeing that he was sort of having a hard time with this.

"I guess that this really isn't anything that I can fucking help you with at all." After I was telling Todd this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was clearly just trying to decide what he had been feeling right now. Although I was just wanting to not be too much on his case right now.

"I know. And I feel like a lot of this is my fault. I always have been a rather driven guy. Just trying to be there for those that I need." After Todd was telling me this, I felt like whatever he was wanting to say, he was going to be just kind of all on his own here. So I felt like nothing else could be here.

"You should not be ashamed of having a driving force that gets you to do the right thing. If you get to have something that you feel like is totally right, then there is no reason to be holding back at all." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was kind of unsure of what he was wanting to tell me here.

"I am not ashamed of having a driving force. I just know that when I am talking to somebody like Maurecia, who clearly does not have one, then just trying to talk to her about these things is only going to be getting her upset. She will feel like I am just trying to act like I am better than her or something." After Todd was telling me that, I decided it would be best to remain silent.

"I just wish that I could be able to talk to people, and know that they are not scared of getting to see my perspective. But here I am, always just getting people thinking that I just believe that I am better than them." Todd said, and then I was driving him to his house, not really sure what else to tell that man.

"Regardless, I feel like the best way to get Maurecia to be more open with me is if I tell her that I do not judge her for anything. That maybe I am aware of my flaws, and that I just want to make sure she doesn't suscept to them either." After I was telling him this, I felt like nothing I could say would change the situation.

"Sheldon, I just feel like one of these days, I am going to be looking at myself, upset at the fact that I never got to really know the people that have been there for me. Not getting to know what they are so scared of, and never seeing them for the people that they are." Todd was saying, and he was just sounding like he was having a level of resentment to everything he was saying.

"I guess that is something that I will never be able to help you with." I said, feeling that just telling him this was going to be the best way to go at him here. "I mean, at many times, I wonder what it is going to be like to talk to my friends, and think about what I could have done differently." I said, and I was feeling like the fact that I was always making this about myself was only going to make things worse.

"And I mean, I have to admit, I have not done nearly enough to actually be a good friend to Dakota and Ashley. I feel like I should have been there for them more every day. Really getting to know them for who they are. And I am terrified that you are going to go down that path that I did." I said, feeling like telling him this was what he had needed to hear.

"To be fair, I feel like they would have never liked you much anyways." After Todd said this to me, I pulled up at his house, and I was feeling like nothing I could say would get him to change his mind. "But to be fair, I never saw how they were with you before hand. So I could be completely wrong." He said, probably just trying to back peddle as fast as possible.

Scene 5: The Adoption Agency

I decided to not bother with seeing Sherman that next day, and decided to instead try and talk to Jimmy White regarding the adoption agency. I had hoped that if even half the friendship dad talked about with the man was true, then I would be able to appeal to his senses, and make him feel like I was able to get him to want to work with me.

So I was at his office the next afternoon, taking out a cigarette, and hoping beyond everything else that he was going to accept my offer of a discussion. If for nothing else, I could always just fall back on my father if I needed to. Use him as the excuse to say that he needed some help.

When I was there, I was sighing, and wondered what in the world I was even going to be able to tell him in the first place. Before long, Jimmy finally saw me, and I could see from the look on his face that he was clearly not wanting to deal with this right now.

"Oh man, what are you wanting to talk about right now?" Jimmy asked, clearly not sounding very excited about what we were going to be doing. I was feeling like I needed to be more careful with how I was talking to him. To make sure he didn't hate me.

"I was wanting to talk to you about the adoption agency. I want to help my father with his job more, but I feel like something like this will be rather hard if I do not have a simple grasp of what you guys are working with." I said, and stared right at him, hoping he would see my point.

"To be frank Sheldon, that adoption agency is only a small part of the work that we do, and we are trying to branch out as far as we can, to make sure that all our businesses come through." After Jimmy White was saying this, I was sighing for a second.

"I feel like I just need to know how in the world my father will get the help that he needs. After all, he has been a rather busy person, and he needs to have a person that he can trust at his side. I want to be that person." I said, and then I was looking right at him, hoping he would buy what I was saying.

"If that is the case, then why has he not approached me on the matter. I would be willing to give him some advice on how to do this, if he came to me regarding it." After he was telling me this, I was looking at him, wondering what I could be able to say to get out of this.

"Just tell me how the business was so successful in the first place. If you can do that, I will leave you alone." I said, taking out a cigarette, and hoping that he would just see that I was not trying to be making him falter. As I was telling him this, I was seeing him looking utterly over it.

"In all honesty, it was all because of the desperation in the matter. People wanting to be able to create families again, and there was no other option. It was not the best solution to the issue. But it was something that people were willing to look at, if it meant that everybody would be able to live peacefully again." He said, and I was feeling like this was not enough to really work with at all.

"Is that why you wanted to promote the idea of so many people moving here? Was to give people the idea that they would be at a new oasis, and you were able to get many of them to allow their children for adoption? I mean, I just feel like there was so many ways you could have done this better." I said, feeling like I needed to just try and understand this better.

"You do not know the full story yet? And you're the mayors son? Man, he does a really good job keeping things under wraps. Look dude, I feel like it would be best if you just do not worry about those smaller details right now. Just focus on having a great final year in high school, and focus on getting a girlfriend or something." Jimmy said, and he was forcing a very obvious fake smile on his face.

"But I want to know more. Can you please just give me something to work with? Fucking anything?" I asked, and I was truly desperate right now. As I was asking him this, I was seeing him looking like he was just trying to not have too much annoyance here.

"Look, if you care so much, then we can talk about this after you graduate high school. That's only like eleven months away. I am sure that you can be able to wait that long." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like what he was doing was literally fucking bullshit.

"Can you at least tell me what is going on with Mrs. Carbunkle? Why everybody keeps judging Todd, and treating him like a monster when he did nothing wrong?" I asked, feeling like that at the minimum was something he would be able to give me. As I asked this, I saw him looking much more willing to talk.

"When Mrs. Carbunkle realized that she was not getting both boys, and just the older one, she started to really lose a lot of her patience. She thought that what we were doing wasn't fair, or honest. And she said if the second one ever came back to Wayside, she would at least let him know of the heritage that he was rejected." Jimmy said, feeling like that was going to have to be good enough for now.

As I heard that, I was slowly seeing what he was saying. And I was feeling like I just needed to let it go for now. To at least give him the impression of me being satisfied. "Sorry to pry. I just felt like I needed to know. For the sake of my friend." I apologized, and knew it was best to just leave.

"Thank you for your time. I realize you're a busy man, and need to work on many things." I said, feeling like I just needed to at least pretend like I was satisfied if I was going to be getting out of this with at least a relatively minimal impact. So with that, I left him alone, hoping to end this issue for now.

Scene 6: Late End of School Year Party

As Todd and I were meeting up the next day, I was seeing from the look on his face that he was kind of ashamed of what was going on. So I was feeling like I just needed to see what in the world he was feeling here. Because this was clearly far beyond anything else that I had been worried about here.

"Todd, was there something you were worried about?" I asked Todd, and he was sighing, as if clearly aware of how much he was probably going to sound like he was being a bit dramatic as he was saying this.

"Yeah, I was telling my friends that I would meet up with them all on a end of the school year hang out. But I got a bit distracted from it. So then I agreed that I would do it on Saturday, and here we are. But we are so close to finally getting something here, that I feel like it would be a really bad idea to just leave it alone." After Todd was telling me this, I was laughing at this for a moment.

"It's okay to take a one day break here. Just have some fun. I feel like that is going to be important when trying to keep a level of sanity here." I told Todd, and he was looking like he was not really wanting to have this discussion for now. He probably was thinking about what I was telling him.

"In all honesty, I feel like you are right. But I always feel like I am making a rather big mistake when I get involved like this." After Todd was telling me this, I was taking out a cigarette, and I looked at him, feeling like I needed to push this forward a bit.

"You made a promise. You told me that promises are the biggest thing you are worried about. So I feel like you need to practice that preaching a bit more." I said, and then I was looking right at him, wondering what I was even going to tell him.

"Yeah. You're right. I need to at least drop by and say hi." After Todd was telling me this, he was walking along, and we were heading on towards Joyful Burger, where he had set the meeting up. As we were going there, I was wondering why Todd would be sending us to a place where we were going to be talking to Larry, and he was going to inevitably judge us for just trying to have a good time.

"So Todd, do you feel like your friends have been having a good time this summer? I mean, I feel like if they are having a good time, then that is probably the main thing that really matters." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was not too sure.

"Honestly, I barely talk to them that much. I mean, Jenny and Kevin sure. But Myron, Joy, Steven, Dana and Maurecia, I feel like I have kind of brushed off too much. And I feel like maybe that is one of the best things that can really come out of this hang out. Just seeing if they are doing alright. At least for the time being." Todd said, and I was hearing the remorse slowly seep in through.

"Sorry about that. I mean, I have been kind of in your life way too much, and have been kind of cutting into your focus with your friends." I said, feeling like I needed to at least try and take a level of responsibility here. As I was telling him this, I saw Todd looking like he was kind of not really wanting to hear it.

"It's okay. I had kind of been pushing it myself. So I feel like I need to take a level of responsibility here." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like what he was saying was just a way to make me feel less bad here. But there was no way that I was going to not feel terrible over what was happening.

When Todd and I were at Joyful Burger, and when Todd was looking inside, he was seeing that everybody had already been in there. He was taking a deep breath. Feeling like now that he was here, he might as well just get right to work here.

Once we were in the restaurant, I saw that Joy was clearly looking like she was just kind of shocked to actually be seeing me here in the first place. "Hey guys, how are you today?" She asked, and she was clearly not sounding like she was all that impressed with the way we were doing.

"Well, sorry for being late. I will be honest, there was a small part of me that was considering being a no show. But then I realized that you guys deserved so much better, and I was kind of being a terrible friend for even considering that idea. So I decided that I would come along, and just meet up with you guys." After Todd was telling me this, I saw him looking like he was kind of feeling a bit more confident here.

"I guess that maybe that is something that doesn't shock me. Considering how late you are." Maurecia said, and she was sounding like there was a level of anger in her voice. But then Todd was looking like he was still not feeling any remorse for the fact that he was being honest about what he was saying.

"I mean, I have been thinking about how much better things would have been for you if I just wasn't there to constantly harass you or anything. But I feel like maybe I was being a bit selfish when I was saying this." After Todd was telling them this, he was sitting down, and seemed to have a level of regret in his voice.

When Todd was saying this, he was really looking like he was just hoping that they could cut him at least a modicum of slack. "But in all honesty, I keep thinking about things, and I know how much of a bouncer I sound when I say this, but I feel like when I am around you guys, I would really be feeling like I am missing out here." He said, and then finally felt like he needed to just leave it at that.

"It's okay. We just want to make sure that you don't let your investigation get in the way of you having a good life. I mean, I think that you know that we want to be there at your side, no matter what. You have been there to help us change all of our lives for the better." After Kevin was saying this, Todd was looking at him, and looked like he was believing in what he was hearing.

"Yeah. A good life. That is something that I wish that I would be comfortable having. And I feel like every time I just really get to know you guys, I realize how much more something like that is worth fighting for." After he was telling them this, he was sitting down, and I was already feeling like I was kind of just getting in the way of their hang out too much.

"Sheldon, do you feel like Todd has been able to help things out better? I mean, you always seemed like you were rather worried about how things were going to turn out." Dana said, and then I was looking at her, and I was feeling like I just needed to give her more credit than she was probably realizing she needed.

"Look Dana, you are the one that helped me open my eyes, and see that things such as the monsters are truly there, and that it is not something to be brushing off at all. It is indeed something that we need to embrace, and try to work with." I said, and then I looked right at her, and I saw that Dana looked so proud of what I said, which she deserved to be.

"Thank you. I mean, I was just shocked when I found out how little people talked about those monster sightings. It just seemed like something that was super common knowledge, and hearing everybody just simply pretend like nothing was happening, was just a shock to me." Dana said, and I could tell the small hint of confidence increasing as she was saying this.

"Just remember that at the end of the day, people do appreciate the things that you are trying to do. You might not be able to see it yet, but people are going to be looking at what you did, and really work with you here." I was saying, and I felt like there was nothing else to say.

Eventually, I was finding myself sitting down, and when we were doing this, I was seeing Larry looking like he was actually happy to be seeing this. Knowing that I was finally doing something that wasn't constantly looking into the missing girls. Clearly he was finally feeling comfortable with what I was doing.

"So have you guys been having the summer of your life so far? I mean, that is the main thing that needs to be asked? I have been rather busy so far. Getting a job, and doing it five days a week, is something that I feel like kind of becomes a part of your routine after a while." After I was telling them this, I was feeling kind of glad for what I was saying.

"Although in all honesty, I have a hard time really associating with some of my other friends from the past. In all honesty, when I talk with them, they kind of are giving me a hard time, and I am remembering all the things that people have said. About how they are probably not really in it for me." I said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like they probably did not want to hear this.

"Do you feel like maybe these things are just simply not meant to be? I mean, some friends are kind of going to drift away eventually. But I feel like maybe the nature of how it happened could have been a bit bitter." After Kevin said this, he was clearly referring to what happened with Sam last year. And when I knew that, I was feeling it would be best to just remain silent for now.

"I am sorry about that." I said, and felt like I needed to just leave it at that, as the group of us were just sort of letting go of the other issues, and just focused on the conversation, and really seeing if maybe we could finally just let the other parts of life not drag us down at all.

Scene 7: Sherman Peabody

When we were done hanging out with Todd's friends that day, Todd and I were leaving Joyful Burger with Kevin at our side. I was feeling kind of bad when I was seeing that Kevin was still here, since I knew that Todd couldn't be able to express his feelings on certain things without getting a bit scared.

"In all honesty, I just don't know how to feel about how much your friends are starting to grow to like me. I feel like knowing what they think, it just puts a level of pressure onto me that I am not really all that sure about." I said, and then I was feeling kind of unsure of what to say here.

"That is because you are putting in more effort to be friends with them than you are probably putting into being friends with the other people you knew. I mean, you basically pretended to just not talk to Sam at all for an entire year." After Kevin said that to me, I was wondering what the point was that he was trying to make here.

I was taking a few steps, and I was looking right at Kevin, and I was staring at him directly at the face, feeling like I just needed to try and get him to listen to me here. "Look dude, you know that I was just trying to respect his space. I thought that I could be able to be a good friend for him. But I guess that you hardly care to listen to that anymore either."

"I just want to know why you feel like you were not going to be able to help work it out with him. He was wanting to do that, but you never really gave him much of a chance either." After he was saying that to me, I was wondering why he was even trying to be doing this in the first place at all.

"Because he wasn't even giving me the chance to do so. You would think that if he was wanting to give me the chance, that I could fucking go with it. At least try and fucking think about the perspective that I have here." I said, and I felt like there was nothing else to tell him.

I was seeing that Todd was clearly looking kind of scared to talk about this with us right now, and that in all honesty, he was probably thinking that we needed to just leave him alone while Kevin and I were debating. But then I shook my head, and decided to drop it.

"Look, I am working my ass off to make sure Sam knows I appreciate him as a friend. I have no idea if he hates me or not, and in all honesty, I hardly care." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to leave it right there. Eventually, he remained silent for a few seconds.

Eventually, with that, I was seeing that Larry was closing up from the inside. As I was seeing this, I was wondering if he was going to be telling us to be leaving this area. And in all honesty, I guess that it would be making some sense.

"I just feel like when I know you all, I feel like I can see my mistakes. I am scared of you guys falling down my path. That is where it really all comes down to at the end of the day." I said, and then with that, I wondered if saying this would be enough to get him to leave me alone.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Sorry for bringing it up again. I guess that when I know that the man in the purple jacket wants me dead, or whatever the hell, it just scares the shit out of me. And knowing that he could get what he wanted if he was just trying hard enough…" After he was telling me this, I was then feeling like there was nothing else to say.

As we were just starting to leave that day, Todd called out to me for a bit. "Hey Sheldon, I feel like when we speak to Sherman, we should just pretend to not know what is going on. Give him a chance to explain what he has in mind." Todd said to me, and then I was wondering what point he was even trying to make now.

"Yeah, I guess that we can do that. I don't know when will be a good time though. Just keep that in mind before you start getting on my case about it." I said, and I was feeling far less confident than I could have ever been about what I was saying here.

"Maybe we can do it tomorrow. I will have to think about it for a bit. You know, see if there are other things that I need to worry about." I said, and then I was shaking my head, not feeling any need to say much more on the subject. And not really caring either.

I was taking out another cigarette as I was heading off. I hated being treated like I was this person who was not caring about the greater good. It was clear that they were feeling like I had suddenly just thrown them all away for no fucking sense. "Sheldon, if you find out that my parents have any involvement in Sherman Peabody's work back then, tell me." As Kevin told me this, I wondered why he cared about that.

"I doubt that he would even remember what most of us are doing. In all honesty, I feel like it might be bets to just try and forget about that stuff. I don't really feel like I will get anything out of him anyways. I just want to give it a chance." I said, and then I shrugged for a bit.

As I said that to him, I saw that Kevin still did not look too happy about what he was hearing. "I understand that you guys do not feel like it matters. But my parents were here when this happened. You guys moved here later on. If anything happens that they had stake in, then that is a issue." Kevin said to me, and then I was slowly nodding a bit.

"Fine, I will ask about him. Or at least try and see if I can. No promises though. In all honesty, I feel like if I try to talk to him though, then he might give me nothing." I said, and then I was shrugging, wondering why in the world I could even tell him.

"Thank you. I mean, I don't expect much. But I can never be sure. It just makes me feel so much better knowing that people care what my parents did, for better or for worse." After he was telling me this, I wondered if Todd had any stakes in the matter at all.

"Well, I am also wondering if he can tell us about the Carbunkle family. I feel like I really just need to understand what I could do, knowing that this mother hates me. Especially when not giving me any fucking context at all. I feel like being hated for no reason is a real pain in the ass." After he was telling us this, he was feeling like he said made sense.

"Honestly, just don't worry about that. I mean, if she is not going to explain anything to you, then there is no reason to waste your time on it at all." After I told him this, I was aware that saying this was not going to make him feel better. But I was feeling that I might as well give it a try.

I got in the car, and I was feeling like I needed to just consider what I was all saying. Knowing that in all honesty, I was going to ruin Todd's life, and Kevin's life, all because of a obsession of mine, was going to make me feel utterly horrible here.

Todd and Kevin started to head home on their own, and I was finally feeling like I could just have a moment to myself. As I was driving off, I was wondering if I would be able to have anything to tell Kevin anyways. After all, they seemed relatively mundane in the grand scheme of things. And I say that in a good way.

But when I was home that day, I honestly did not care. I was going to deal with it later, and I was going to see if any of this would matter later. But for now, I was going to be fine. I left the car, and then I went inside, ready to go to bed, and ready to just be upset that a party turned into this once.

…

The next day, which was a Sunday, was when Todd and I were at my car, and I was taking out a cigarette. "We need to go and talk to Sherman today. This is by far the best chance that we have." After Todd was telling me this, I was looking right at him. I was not really wanting to do something like this. But I felt like I needed to go along with the idea.

"I have no idea if we are going to get that man to talk, to be totally honest. I feel like if we are there, he is going to be denying everything that we ask him. If he will even be willing to talk at all. Which me might not be, given his age." I said, feeling his age was indeed something to consider.

"Do I look like I fucking care? We have something to work with, and we would be fools to turn it all down. Please Sheldon, worst comes to worst, it turns out to not work. But I do not want this to be like the situation earlier with the Carbunkle family, where we just place it off for too long." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing for a second.

"Fine, you win. I mean, I do want to know what he says too. So I guess that we can just try and see what he knows." After I said this, I was taking a second to close my eyes, and just wonder if god would give me a break if this turned out to be a bad lead, and I was just making Sherman's day worse for him, despite being a old man who wants retirement.

"Thanks Sheldon." Todd said, and then I was opening up the door, and I was getting inside, and I was feeling like while I was on my way to the place, I would tell him something to make him feel better about what was happening.

"Your friends are really cool people honestly. I wish that you guys had been my age, because if I had been able to be friends with you all at the start, then things would have been much better." After I told him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was actually proud to be hearing what I had just said.

As I was driving down to the senior home, I was wondering what we were even going to do with this. "Sheldon, I feel really glad to hear you say that. I wish that I wasn't being bogged down by various things such as age. But I guess that something like this just kind of makes sense, as much as I hate to admit it." Todd said, and he was shaking his head.

"Well, at least for the rest of the summer, and the weekends, it will not really matter all that much. But I guess that when the school year comes back, at least during school days, we might have to stop." I said, thinking that this was a fair way of going at it.

When we were at the senior home, we got out of the car, and decided to not waste time. Once we were looking around, that was when the girl at the front end desk was just staring at us for a bit. She looked like this was really something that she did not want anything to do with at all. "Hello, what are you planning to do today?" She asked, and she clearly sounded like she was just wanting to push this conversation forward.

"We were hoping we could talk to Sherman Peabody." I said, and I was feeling that if I just simply exerted a level of confidence in what I was saying, then she would know to not argue with me. She was looking like she was utterly confused though. Wondering why in the world I would even want to have this conversation.

"I want to know why, but I have a feeling you are going to tell me to mind my own business. So I am not going to bother." After she was telling me this, I was kind of feeling bad, because I knew that there was a small chance she wanted to know more. But then I was slowly nodding, feeling like if I just showed confidence, then everything would be better for us all.

"Alright, thanks for giving us a chance to speak to him. We promise that we are not going to be around for too long. We just need to talk to him, and see what he knows about it." Todd said, and he was sounding very sure of himself as well. And then she was standing up, feeling like there was no need to be arguing with us at all here.

She led us to Sherman's room, and when we were there, she was looking up and down at us, trying to decide what she was feeling about this whole situation. "Better be quick though. He is a bit off his rocker, and he has a hard time keeping a full conversation. Just be careful." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding. I felt that maybe it would be best to keep something like this in mind, if she took the time to mention it.

Once we were in the office, that was when we were seeing Sherman sitting down at a chair, and he was staring at a chest board. I wondered what he was getting out of this. I was smiling in a uncomfortable sense when I was seeing this. Feeling like I needed to be much more careful with what I was saying, since he would probably take what I was saying as a attack if I wasn't careful.

I sat down, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and make sure that no matter how desperate I was getting, that my wording was not going to be too bad or anything. "Sherman Peabody, my friend and I were wondering if you would be willing to give us a clue on what was going on with Wayside when you brought it back to glory." I said, feeling that I needed to give him the credit right away.

"I was the one that realized how much danger the town was in, and I was the one that figured it would be for the best interest of this town to bring it back from corruption. It was all my doing, and nobody elses." After he said that, I was slowly nodding, wondering why he was saying this.

"Nobody has ever tried to deny that Sherman. We just wanted to know what you were doing to make it work. We were just hoping that you would be able to give my friend Todd and I a sense on what you were able to pull off. You know, with the adoption agency." I said, and I was aware that I was taking a risk by even asking him this in the first place.

"People have tried to make me the bad guy because of my choices. The birth rates in the town were low, and nobody was willing to give up the children that they could have. Infertility was going everywhere, and many people were starting to lose the hope that they once had. What I was doing was a simple and painless solution. At least until Jimmy White and his friends took over." Sherman said, and I was confused why he was bringing Jimmy White up at all during this.

"What did Jimmy White do? How did he ruin the work that you were setting up?" I asked him, and then Sherman was looking like he was utterly furious at this question. Unable to believe the fucking balls I had to ask him something like that.

"He took what I did, and took all the credit for it. Then he turned it all into trading and trafficking. He brought in the corruption that I had been trying to fight, and then made it a hundred times worse. What I did was try to fix the issue. And I was bringing peace and prosperity during my term as the first mayor. But he couldn't have cared less." Sherman said, and then I was looking right at him, wondering what he was trying to get at here.

"He seems much more open about your involvement than you are giving him credit for. I think you need to try and maybe see what he knows again." I said, and I was seeing him looking like he did not buy a single word of what I was saying here.

"If he is doing that, then I can promise you that he is just doing it because he knows that he is really doing a terrible job hiding what he has been doing, and now needs a person to blame for his insecurities." Sherman said, and then Todd asked the big one. The question I had hoped we would have been able to hold off for a while at least.

"What do you know about the grinding noises? Why are the girls going missing exactly? If you feel like you can make a difference, then tell us what you know." Todd said, and then the man was looking at us, upset at what he had just asked.

"Did he let that get more well known? Those were meant to be secret? Has he been running the prices at triple the rate that I had done again? I know that inflation is a thing, but not at the rate that he insists needs to be done." Sherman said, and then he was standing up, and looked right at us.

"They ruined my town. And they ruined my name. They took my business, and turned it down to the ground. Those were supposed to be kept a secret, and here he is, going around and letting everybody know about it all on some fucking banner for no god damn reason." After he was telling us this, Todd and I were both looking rather confused at what he was meaning here.

"I am going to need to speak with that man again, and I am going to make sure that he knows that I do not appreciate what he has been doing to this place." Sherman said, and he was getting a level of anger that neither Todd and I were expecting. Especially from a old man who barely seemed to have any coherent marbles earlier.

Todd and I were starting to head back. "We are just trying to help. We do not want to harm you." After Todd was telling Sherman this, I was clearly hearing him not having nearly as much confidence anymore. As if scared on what this man was going to be doing, and wanted some form of care going into this going forward.

"Get Jimmy on the phone. I am going to talk to him, and see what he knows." Sherman said, and then with that, Todd and I left the room, not wanting to deal with this at all anymore. Both of us were aware of how much we had screwed up. And neither one of us were really wanting to deal with it at all anymore.

Once we were out of the area, the woman at the desk was looking like she was just confused at why we were so scared, and why Jimmy was yelling. But we were gone before she even had a chance to ask us what we had done. When we were in the car, I was taking a cigarette out for a second.

"What the hell was any of that? What was he trying to say? I guess that we know that he and Jimmy do not work together." I said, feeling like that a piece of the puzzle we could work with, but we needed more to work with.

Scene 8: That Is Strange

The next day, Todd and I were meeting up with Dakota and Ashley. I wanted to give them one final chance, and even if I didn't I had a feeling that they deserved to know the truth about what Sherman had said. Besides, I was wondering if it was possible that they might have a idea on what Sherman was talking about, with not working well with Jimmy White.

"So Dakota, I was feeling like I really needed to get your thoughts on something important. So Todd and I went to see Sherman Peabody, and we were asking him some questions on what he knew about the town." I said, and then I was seeing Dakota looking like he was already not having much interest in this subject.

"Look, I know that you are not wanting to get too involved with this, but I was wondering if there was something you might have known. So we were talking to him, and he was talking about the fact that he hadn't actually been working well with Jimmy White. That the latter had actually been creating a lot of intervention with his projects, and that everything that was going on in Wayside now was not his plan." I said, and then I was seeing Dakota looking kind of confused here.

"I thought that Jimmy White was basically under his teaching the whole time, and that was half the reason he was so popular. Especially since people thought that he would be a good successor." Dakota said, clearly confused as hell at what he was hearing.

"In all honesty, I was shocked by this as well. And I was hoping that there was a chance, no matter how small, that you might have had a idea what was going on here. After all, if Jimmy was going against what Sherman was wanting, then does that mean that one of the two had been setting up what is going wrong here." I said, and then I was looking at Ashley, and I was seeing her looking totally confused as well.

"I have no fucking clue what to say. I mean, for fucks sake, when my parents were working on building that park in Mezmers, they were doing it under the approval of the previous mayor. And Jimmy was getting elected as a way to follow what he was doing. I always just imagined my parents are these great philanthropists who were doing their best to solve the issues of the poor." Ashley said, and then I was looking at her, unsure what to tell her.

"I really don't know what to say then. I mean, clearly somebody in there is not working with their best intentions. Politicians always seem to be working for what is just in their interest. In all honesty, I feel like even if your parents are having the bets of intentions, they probably are being followed up by people who don't really care for the sake of the town." Todd said, and he was looking right at her, hoping that she would at least hear what he was saying.

As he was saying this, I was seeing that Ashley did not look like she wanted to even hear that at all. But Todd was clearly looking like he was not caring at all what she was feeling. I was feeling like the level of hardness that Todd was showing was either going to work in our favor, or just get them angry at him here.

"I think your best course of action, if you want to keep pursuing this, is the idea that you need to talk to Jimmy White. Maybe you can appeal to his senses a bit, and see what he might know. After all, if Sherman refuses to tell you more, then that might be all you have." Dakota said, and I was shocked to be hearing him showing even as much interest in the subject as he was having here.

I was wondering if Todd agreed to this. I was seeing him looking like he was actually kind of scared of this. But then he was sighing, and decided that he would let what Dakota said be put into consideration. And in all honesty, I think we both knew that they were right to a degree.

"You should also try and get to know what Jimmy thinks about the powder dust? That is one of the first things people go to when talking about the corruption of the town. Because there is literally nothing that people can work with on that." Dakota said, and then I was remembering the stuff relating to the powder dust for once.

"Oh god, I forgot all about that. I mean, does it fucking matter. People don't fucking know. So what is the point of even trying to get to know those details." After I was telling him this, I was wondering what Todd was going to think of checking that stuff out.

"How could you be so interested in looking into all this stuff, and forget the most obvious thing that clearly indicates that something is clearly out of this world." Dakota said, and in all honesty, I was not really in the mood to be hearing this at all.

"I mean, I guess that it was just something that nobody really gives much of a shit about. What do you fucking expect here? It's a fucking messed up system, and in all honesty, something like this is not really in my mind all that much anymore." I said, and I was shrugging, and then I was feeling like I needed to apologize to Ashley for what I had done earlier, for her sake.

"Look, I am sorry that I started to give you doubts about your parents. It was never my intention to be making you feel like I was trying to attack your parents or anything. I just was talking, and I kept going until I felt like there was nothing to say." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to say now.

"No, it's fine. I have a feeling that something like that was going to be coming along anyways, and trying to pretend like it's not true is only going to be making things worse for everybody. Sometimes I just need to fucking grow up, and see the hints that are in front of me." After Ashley said this, I was feeling like nothing I could say would make her feel better at all.

"But Sheldon, I feel like if you want to know more about what was going on with the town, and what Jimmy has a deal for, I think you might have to go and talk to your father. He has always seemed to have a idea on what you need to know." Ashley said this to me, and then I was slowly nodding. I kind of knew that what she was saying was true in a sense.

"I just know that if I try to do that though, my dad is going to accuse me of not just simply looking at the things that I need to worry about. He will inherently find a way to make me the bad guy, because I wanted to do the right thing." I said, and I was feeling a bit frustrated at this. Knowing that nothing I did would satisfy those who knew.

"I guess that this always seems to be what everything comes back to. Everybody acting like we're children, who can't fucking handle ourselves. And that we are just kind of getting in the way of their jobs." Ashley said, and I was feeling like something like this was just not going to fucking matter, once I was taking over the role.

"But yeah, Dakota, I will try and talk to my father about this. I mean, I am sure that he has a basic idea at least. And who knows, maybe the powder dust is the best clue that we have." I said, and then after I was leaving, I was then thinking of what else to say. "If there are any other updates that I feel like you need to know, I will tell you guys. And if you are willing to hang out with me, at any point, just try and let me know." I said, feeling like I still needed to have hope.

"We never stopped liking hanging out with you. We just feel like what you are doing with the investigation is not the right choice. But we also know that it is not really worth it to try and fight you with what you are doing. So at this point in time, we feel it might be best to just sort of silently support you." Dakota said and I was feeling like I just needed to take that at least.

Todd and I were getting back to work though, to learn more about the powder dust. As we were sitting down, and I was getting ready to work a bit, I was seeing that Todd was clearly looking like there was something in his mind. "I feel like the fact that they admitted to liking to hang out with you, is something that I wasn't really expecting." Todd said, and I was wondering why that was the case.

"I kind of knew that was the case, but everybody kept pretending like it was not true. They were acting like for some fucking reason, my friends are these horrible people who have no interest in the greater good." After I was telling him this, I was relatively annoyed with what he was saying.

"So what do you want to do now? We have a plan that we need to work on, and I feel the stuff with Sherman is just kind of throwing us in for a loop. Nothing he says makes any sense, and I think you and I both fucking know this." He said, and then I was shrugging at this statement.

"I don't know what to say. I mean, I think you are probably just looking too deeply into what he is saying. You told me yourself that politicians have a great deal of just doing corrupt deals, and that more often than not, they think they are on the side of good. So if you know that, you need to just remember what you could be getting into." After I was telling him this, I was aware of the look on his face that he was not wanting to make any statements.

"But there is probably a hint of truth to what he is saying after all. So I feel like you should just take the time to look into what he might have known, and we can discuss from there." Todd said, and then I was sighing, and I was feeling like the idea of talking to Jimmy White was something he was not letting me down on at all, so I just needed to fucking deal with what he was wanting.

As I was driving towards the Lazarus Coporation, I was feeling like whatever in the world Jimmy could tell us, it was probably not even going to be all that helpful at all. I wondered why in the world I was even wanting to fucking do any of this in the first place.

"Do you seriously think that Jimmy is even going to work with us? I mean, I literally tried to talk to him earlier, and he was brushing me off. Acting like I was being a idiot for trying to get so deep into this. Said that I needed to at least wait until I was done with high school before I did anything like this." I said, feeling like I needed to at least bring up that idea to him. That way he would not get any hopes up here.

"That is strange. Why in the world would he even say something like that? After all, you are the mayors son, so you would think he would be jumping right to working with you." After Todd was saying this, I saw him looking like his mind was running at a million miles per hour. I wondered what he was trying to think here.

"I don't fucking know dude. I mean, that is probably a sign that he is aware that I would be getting on his case over everything that he is doing. I mean, I always felt like Jimmy was kind of a coward, who was too scared to admit some of the things that he fucking knew." After I was telling him this, I was feeling like throwing him under the bus to a certain degree was kind of a nice feeling.

"You probably shouldn't be saying those negative things about your fathers closest associate. People are probably out there hearing everything you are saying." Todd said, and then I was laughing, and I was wondering why in the world I would even care what that man was saying. But then I was shrugging, and I kind of had a feeling that maybe he was right to a certain degree at least.

Eventually, we were getting to the company hall, and I was taking out a cigarette for a bit. "I still feel like you need to take the time to see your father here. After all, I am trying to do that when I see my own." I said, and then I was looking right at the time. "We only have like fifteen minutes to try and talk to this guy anyways. You know, so I don't arrive late or anything. One or two minutes is one thing. But anything over five is not right."

"I feel like you are taking too much push to this job. You are probably not even going to be keeping it long term. Is it really even going to be worth it at that point?" Todd asked me, and then I was looking right at him, and I was wondering why in the world he was even asking me this in the first place.

"Obviously it is worth it. I mean, I got hired, and it is my duty and responsibility to try and fucking work on this as best as I could. I mean, it's just four hours five days a week. Not even the length of a school day." I said, hoping that I could get him to see where I was coming from.

Todd was looking like he was wanting super hard to see where I was coming from, but was having a hard time really getting to it. But then he was just sighing. Probably aware that it was not really going to be worth fighting over this. Especially since he probably knew that I was right to some extent.

As we were looking right around, I was seeing that there were some crates being organized, and I was wondering what was going on. Knowing that this could be a chance to find out some extra clues, that was when I was walking to the front desk lady, and felt like I needed to just see what in the world she had known.

"Hey, was there something that you needed some help with?" After she asked me this, I was taking a deep breath, and hoped that this was not going to be a terrible plan. Todd looked at me, as if wondering if I was going to be telling her the truth or not.

"Yeah, I was hoping to see Jimmy White. He had some information that I was hoping to acquire." I said, and then she was looking at me, as if feeling a bit concerned to be having this discussion. Although I wondered why she was so upset over something like this.

"He is taking a few days off. After a incident yesterday, he was put on hold. But he said that he probably needed the time off after everything he had been dealing with, and then left the subject alone for a while." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding at this.

"Oh shit. That is going to make things complicated. I was hoping to see him." After I was telling her this, she looked like she was not wanting to hear much of this at all. Probably felt like what I was saying was going to be putting her in even more trouble than it was worth here.

"If you need to speak with him, I am sure that you can make a reservation for when he gets back. But I believe that you can probably get what you need from somebody else." After she was telling me this, I was sighing, feeling like her way of going at this was almost going out of her way to be making me feel like I was being a idiot for even bringing the idea up in the first place.

"Damn it. I never really wanted this to be what happened. I need to see him as soon as possible. Urgent business. I know that he doesn't want to work with me. But the fact of the matter is that he has the information that I need." I said, trying to hide my annoyance a bit more.

"I have no idea what you are going to need with him. But whatever it is, I am sure that the discussions can be fine if you just hold it off for a few extra days." After she was telling me this, I was really feeling like everything she was telling me was a load of bullshit. But I was telling myself to not get too upset here. I looked at Todd, and I was feeling like I needed to apologize to him for what he was having to deal with right now.

As I was feeling like there was nothing to get out of this, I was walking off, and I looked at Todd, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to be saying. "Yeah, let's try again in a week or so. I am sure that somebody else knows about the powder dust anyways." I said, and then after I was saying this, I was hearing the woman at the counter sound much more uncomfortable.

"You are not supposed to bring that up in public. People have ears here. Even if you have the best of intentions, you could be causing a lot more trouble than it is worth by looking at this." After she was telling me this, I was wondering what in the world I was even going to say.

"What would you advise?" I asked, hoping that I could get her to have some interest in the subject. She was sighing, and she was looking at the camera, trying to see if anybody was watching our conversations. Her look of discomfort did kind of rub me the wrong way, I am not going to lie. But I was hoping that if she was going to be acting like this, she would have something that was fucking worth it.

She wrote it down for a bit, and then handed it to me. "Go to the library, and say this exact statement to the counter lady. If you do, she will know that I sent you and that you will be looking for that information." She said, and then I looked at the paper. It said 'The Red Snow'. When I said this, Iw was gulping a bit at this.

"You better make this worth it. Both me and the library employee are going to end up at the bottom of the river tonight. I hope you know that. But this is a price that I have to pay for you guys to give us freedom." After she said that to us, Todd and I were looking really scared of what she was saying here.

"Thank you. I hope that what you say isn't true. You deserve so much better than this." I said, and then after I said this, I was seeing her looking like she had hardly cared at all. And that look of honestly not giving much of a shit at all was kind of scaring me.

"It's fine. Just make sure that you do not make this for not. People in this town need some hope, and I frankly don't care if I don't live to see the end of it. As long as it is ending." After she said that to me, I was nodding, and left the office. Thankfully there weren't any employees there. But once Todd and I were in the car, I already saw a man leaving a different office, and I could see the gun in his pocket. Todd and I left, to not raise suspicion.

I went down to the gas station, and I was taking a second to think about what I was going to be doing. "You need to bring this down to the library, and give her the key word. The librarian will be able to help you out. When I am done with my shift, I will be heading on right over, and we can talk about what we fucking know then." I said, and then Todd was looking at me, and I was seeing that he was looking terrified, even if he was not wanting to show it.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea? I think we both know that woman is going to be dead tonight. All because we decided that we were some fucking paragons of action. I feel like we need to perhaps see that we are not really helping out as much you think you are." Todd said, and then I was considering what he was saying, since it was a decently valid point here.

"Yeah, it is a good idea. Not because of the fact that it should be done. But because this is the spot we are in right now, and we need to accept that these are the hands that we have been played." I said, and then I got out of my car, and started to head on in, when Todd called out to me, to make sure that I heard what he was saying.

"And when you are doing this, and other people are having their funeral, don't start acting like you are the victim, and that this is horribly wrong. You better be there for both of them." Todd said, and then I was looking right at him, and I was wondering why he was even saying this.

"We can discuss this later. But I am not really in the mood to be hearing this right now." I said, and then when I was saying this to him, I was going inside the gas station, and then I was seeing that my boss was looking at me, wondering what the hell he was hearing earlier.

My boss was looking like he really wanted to have some discussion with me for the time being. "Do you feel like whatever you are doing right now is going to get in the way of your job, and making sure that you do not have any bad performance?" After he asked me this, I was looking at him, and I was wondering what I was even going to say here.

"No, I am not going to be letting this get in the way of my performance. I really have no reason for it to." I said, and then I was looking right at him, feeling like if he was going to try and get in my business here, then he was needing to just leave me alone for the time being.

"Not that it matters tonight. Not much happening I feel like. See you in a bit. Just make sure that nothing too crazy happens in here." He said, and I was seeing him looking like he was honestly scared that I was going to just never fucking listen to him at all. With that, he was leaving the gas station, and I was feeling kind of unsure of what to even tell him now.

When he was gone, I sat down, and I was getting tired of everybody acting like I was this horrible person, and that I was doing something wrong. I was the only one who was actually fucking helping this town, and I was feeling like I just needed to give myself some fucking credit.

But at the same time, I was feeling like there was a small level of truth to what Todd was saying. After all, there was a good chance that two people were going to end up dead tonight. All because we were trying to learn the truth of this town. Although she seemed to not even mind, and seemed to honestly almost support it.

And if I was doing the right thing, and this was the best course of action to see what was happening here, then I hardly fucking cared. Todd was going to just have to deal with it. Although that type of statement was going to probably to burn some bridges with him.

And I was wondering if these two had been working on something for quite a while. I was feeling that the fact that they had set this whole thing up for me was probably a sign that they were in some group of people. And I was wondering if Jenny's mother might have known something here.

But one thing was for sure, and that was while it might be argued that what I was doing earlier was not the best choice, when it came to making sure that these people actually had some chance of having their sacrifices mean anything, that perhaps this was truly the way to actually go at this.

As well as the fact that if I tried to come to my father about this now, I was not going to have enough information to make him probably feel forced to talk. I wanted to create a situation to where he was forced to fucking talk, and that no matter what he would say, I would have the upper hand here.

I wanted to trust my father, and I wanted to make sure that he didn't do anything too dumb. But I was going to have to be on my own here, and I was feeling that there was only a time before even Todd and I needed to separate our ways, and work on our own thing, and when that happened, I wanted to have a good start.

Scene 9: The Red Snow

The next day, when I was getting ready to head off, I was stopped on my way out by my dad. I looked at him, and I was wondering what he was going to say. For once, I was actually kind of scared. I knew that if I was not careful here, then he was going to know what I was doing, and get me in a whole lot of trouble

"Sheldon, I was just wanting to see if you were needing to ask me some questions. I heard that you had been going around, and trying to gather information. If you need some help here, then I guess that I can tell you what I know." He said, and then I was looking at him, wondering what I was going to say.

"Well, yeah I guess that there is one that I need to ask you. Something about the red powder that comes down the mountain sometimes when the grinder goes off." I said, and then he was looking at me, and I was seeing that there was a genuine level of fear in his eyes. And I wondered what I was going to say.

"Oh god. It has been forever since I heard about that. Where did you hear that all from?" After he was asking me this, I was seeing him horrified at what I was doing. I was feeling like I just needed to press harder at him, and maybe see what he would know if I kept going at this.

"I heard that from around school a couple of times. And then I was hearing it from Jimmy White once or twice. I was hoping that you would be able to give me some fucking idea what in the world had been going on here." I said, feeling that getting really up and close with him was what I needed.

"God, I wish that I could tell you that you are just hearing a bunch of baseless rumors. But I would be lying if I said that." He said to me, and then I was looking at him, wondering what I would even tell him at this point.

"Just fucking tell me dad. What in the world is that? And why does it only happen after the grinding noise goes off? Why is there so much fertilizer that is able to give us so much food and supplies. Especially considering the fact that we only have one or two farmers here." I said, and then my father was looking down for a second.

"We get those from shipments that we make with a couple of colleagues, such as from Onett, Indiana." My father said, and then I was looking at him, and I was feeling like what he was saying was a load of fucking bullshit. I did not need to hear what was so fucking clearly a lie.

"Dad, I think we both know that if this was the case, we would be seeing trucks coming by with the supplies that we need. So I don't want to sound rude, but what you are saying is frankly bullshit, and we both fucking know it." I responded, and I was feeling like the more that he was pressing against me, and not simply telling me what I needed to know, was driving me insane.

"Sheldon, if you feel like you need to know, you can just find out from the farmers. They are willing to probably tell you." After he was telling me this, I was wondering why in the world he was even suggesting this in the first place. I was shaking my head at this, wishing that I could have better communication.

"I wish that you would just be more forward with me on some of these things. I really do want to trust you, and it would make my life so much better. But you are not at all giving me the material that I need to have that happen." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to say here.

"The truth of the matter is that the white powder was something that I had never really considered all that much to be honest. I mean, there are so many other things that I need to look at, that something as basic as that seems to be fucking generic and not worth it." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like I was probably just wasting my time even trying to ask now.

"I thought that with you being the mayor, you would have heard all of these various things here and there. But if that is not the case, then I guess that I will have to follow what you say, and just do whatever I can in order to get the information myself." I said, and then I opened up the door, feeling like I needed to leave before I made him too angry. Especially since I did have a shift that I needed to do, and didn't want to push that off too long.

"Sheldon, I hope that one of these days, you would be willing to trust me much more. That would be making me feel so much better about what I am doing here. But if something like that is just not possible, then I am so fucking sorry." My father said, and then I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to be hearing this right now.

"If you want me to trust you, then just tell me what I want to know. Think about that before we talk again." I said, and then I left for my car, and then took out a cigarette for a moment, and started to smoke it before I drove to the gas station, and felt like just being alone was all that I had really wanted from the world. I just wondered what in the world I did to make my father feel like I couldn't be trusted.

I went to my shift that day, and I just simply decided to not alert my manager to what I was thinking, since I was aware that if I mentioned anything related to the case, then he was going to give me a really hard time for it. And I was just not in the mood at all.

And during those next four hours, I was thinking about what my dad was saying. About how I needed to go to that old guys farm, and then potentially see if I could find something there. And when I was getting that idea in my mind, I was wondering what I would actually be able to even find there anyways.

When I was done that day, as I was about to leave, my manager was calling out to me. I looked right at him, and I was wondering what he was going to try and tell me here. "Sheldon, sorry for always getting on your case about the feelings that you have. You have every right to want to do something with that town. I don't really get it, but that is not something for me to decide." He was telling me, and I was wondering what else to even say here.

"What made you have this sudden change in attitude?" I asked, and then I was seeing him looking like he was kind of more relatively humble about how he was planning on going with this. Especially considering the fact that I wanted to know what was going on here.

"I heard some disturbing rumors is all. Something about a person being tossed into the river last night or something like that. I never really believed most of them. But you never know, and that is enough for me to take the situation a bit more seriously." After he was telling me this, I shook my head. I was feeling the fact that he was showing literally no care in the world what was happening here, and only brushed it off as minor rumors, was something that really bothered me.

"Well, I will do my best to keep those thoughts off the clock. After all, it is a job that I have, and I feel like I need to keep those two things away from each other." I said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like there was no need to be saying anything to make him feel a bit differently.

"Well, see you tomorrow at four. I got to say though, I am impressed. You have a better record than almost anybody else your age. Been here for several weeks already, and haven't taken a sick day yet. Most people usually take one every week or two when they're at your age." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else to say now.

"Yeah, well, I feel like when you have something that you are given, it is your duty to make sure that it is done to the best of your abilities. It might be tempting to take the day off. But unless if I feel like there is no fucking choice here, then I shouldn't fucking do something like this." I said, and then I was shrugging. Not too sure what in the world I could be able to tell them.

With that, I was out of the gas station. Hoping that I was going to fully practice what I preach in due time. I believed what I was saying, and I was hoping that saying this could be able to get him to see that I was not wanting to make any massive mistakes here.

As I got in the car, I went over to the library, feeling like I needed to go through with what I was promising Todd. In fact, I kind of felt bad for putting it off another day. I was wondering if Todd was going to hate me for leaving him behind, to take care of this later.

When I got out of the car, I was already feeling that being here was going to be a massive mistake. I shook my head, and then I was starting to walk in the library. As I was inside, I was walking to the counter lady. "Hey, I was wondering if there was a guy who has a blue shirt on who came in here today." I said, and then she was looking right at me, unsure what to tell me.

"No, I don't think he has come here today." She said, and then I was wondering what I was even going to be saying now. After all, if he had already done this yesterday, then this had meant that I was kind of wasting my time by being here in the first place.

"Do you know about yesterday? I need to make sure that he knows that I am ready to work with him right now." I said, and then she was looking like she had no idea what in the world I was even trying to accomplish by telling her all this in the first place.

"I wasn't here yesterday. In fact, today is my first day on the job. The previous lady was found dead this morning. Apparently was shot on her way out of the library." After she had told me this, I was aware that what that woman at the Lazarus corporation headquarters was actually true this whole time.

"Shit. Well, let me check up on him, and I will see if he was here." I said, aware that if this was what happened, then clearly Todd had been here. But I was not going to throw her under the bus, and I was going to make sure that she was going to stay as far away from this whole thing as she possibly could. It was the least that I could possibly do.

I left the library, and then started to drive towards his house as fast as possible. I was hoping that when I would finally be at his house, he and I would be able to clear up some of the upset feelings that the both of us were probably having. After all, neither one of us were meaning bad at all.

When I was at his house, I knocked on his door wilding. I just hoped that I was not going to regret what I was doing anytime soon. When he answered the door, I was seeing him looking like he was tired as all hell. "Sorry if I was distracting you or anything." I said, feeling like I needed to make that apology as fast as possible, to kind of give myself at least some fucking points here.

"No, it's fucking fine. I guess that I am just trying to decide how to fucking feel here. I was hanging out with Myron earlier, and he was telling me that in order to really make a difference in the system, you might have to sell yourself out. I mean, I want to say that he is wrong. But I feel like something like this might be false." Todd said, and he was sounding really upset at this.

"I mean, if we were talking about politics, then I feel like he would probably be right. As much as I hate to admit it. But in all honesty, I feel like since you have no interest in politics, you are good." I said, hoping that I was right about that. I mean, politics was basically something that chewed people up, no matter how hard they try.

"Yeah, but I was talking with the librarian yesterday. And I showed her the note, and she was leading me down to the upstairs room, which she said nobody was allowed to under normal circumstances." Todd said, and then I was wondering if he was willing to tell me what he had found there. After all, this was a important key that I needed.

"What did you find there?" I asked, and then Todd was sitting down, and he was thinking about everything for a second. I took out a cigarette, and I was hoping that he would actually take what was going on more seriously right now.

"Well, I found out that they are planning on breaking the city down into separate districts. You know, by the family, or the people who are willing to fill the bosses pockets up the fastest." Todd said, and I was feeling like he needed to give me more information than just this. As I was relatively sure that I had heard it before.

"I also have a feeling that I have a general idea on how Harold's father is doing so well. I learned that he was basically the head of one of those casinos. And that those casinos are on the pay roll of Lazarus Corporation." Todd said, and I was slowly nodding, feeling like this was making a bit more sense than I was really wanting to admit.

"I feel like that can also add a bit more depth to the whole people being sold off. I mean when it comes to things like casinos and other massive businesses, those types of things usually do happen quite often." I said, and then Todd was still looking like he was not all that sure what to be feeling here.

"Yeah. But if that is the case, then what are these people even trying to accomplish in the first place? I mean, they are already getting money from other places. And this doesn't explain the film that is being worked on at all. I can guarantee you that if we ever find that film, we are going to be on the roll. Everything that we can possibly need will be given to us." After Todd was saying this, I was hoping that he was actually going to be right.

"I have a feeling that you probably have a good point. But I feel like it is much deeper than that. There is no way that a simple fucking movie is going to help us. Unless if it is like a giant ass confession to what is happening or something." After I was telling him this, I was feeling bad for even saying that in the first place. Since I was essentially throwing his feelings under the bus.

"Wow, you are really way too jaded on this for your own good. I feel like we are going to be set if we can find it. Just trust me when I say that." After Todd was telling me this, I was shrugging, and I was hoping that he was going to be right here. But in all honesty, I didn't believe it.

"I feel like we could maybe try and go to Harold and see if we can get him to let us inside his fathers place. After all, if we can do that, then we can be able to look around, and perhaps get a simple idea on what we are doing." I said, and then I was shaking my head at this. "I have a feeling that I could be able to get him to kind of come around to this, if I just simply work on it enough."

I saw Todd looking like he was hoping beyond everything else that I was going to be right on this. And I was feeling like I needed to be as well, for his own sake. Considering the fact that he really was placing a lot of hope on me.

"I have no idea what we are going to do if you are wrong. My god, that is going to be a shitty day for us all." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing, and I felt so fucking awful for what I was telling him. I felt like he just needed to know what I was feeling, even if it was something that he had no desire to hear.

"I feel like if I am wrong, then perhaps this whole thing was just never meant to work out in the first place. While I don't really think that is something you want to hear, I feel like it if something that we both need to say." I said, and then I was feeling like saying this was going to be really making him feel much more upset here.

As I was telling him this, I was feeling like I just needed to find a way to try and get back to a relative level of positivity. "But Todd, I feel like the fact that you are keeping these all in your mind shows you that you truly have the best interest of everybody at your heart. Shouldn't that be enough to make you feel better?" I asked, and then Todd looked like he was clearly unsure of what to tell me.

"Yeah, I guess that it shows that I actually give a damn about making sure that the shit in this town doesn't get much worse. But I guess that when everybody else here gives even less of a damn than I do, then I feel like something like this is kind of hard to keep me feeling better at all." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to leave the subject alone for the time being.

"But Sheldon, if I have no hope in what is happening here, then how in the world am I going to be able to help those out? If just the idea of seeing what is happening to this town just makes things worse for everybody involved." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to let him have what he was saying.

"I don't know yet. I wish that I could believe in my father about everything that he is saying. But the fear that he might be lying is something that I am always scared of. Which I suppose is part of the reason who I am trying so hard to be taking things into my own hands, since at least when I do things myself, I know what I am seeing. But I guess that people hardly really care to hear anything like this at all." I said, and then I was shrugging, and decided that I would not say anything else at all.

"Sheldon, why do you even believe what that man is saying in the first place? I mean, I feel like it should be relatively obvious that he doesn't really want you to know these things, so he is creating bullshit to make you feel better. And I am not even saying it because of the whole politician thing. He probably knows that you will get on his case if he gives you anything at all." As he was saying this, I really was not wanting to let him continue with this.

"I believe what he is saying because in all honesty, before he became mayor, he never lied to me before. He thought that it was important to always tell me what was happening with this place. So there is no reason for him to start the lies now." I said, hoping that what I would say would make him at least consider what he was saying.

"I hope that your loyalty to the man is not going to be getting things any worse. But I guess that I do not need to be getting in your case about that yet. You probably already have a lot of things that you need to worry about, without me being a fucking asshole or anything." After he was saying this to me, I was shocked to be hearing him saying this.

"I never believe a single fucking word my father says. I mean, I hate to say that. But that is the truth. I feel like if he meant even half the shit he was saying in the past, then he would be the ultimate person saving this town well before we even were born." Todd said, but then I was feeling like there was no need to go further on this, in order to not make him even more angry at this.

"Have you even spoken to him at all relating to the investigations at all? Or has that been something you have been leaving on the table for now?" After I asked him this, I saw him looking like he was remaining silent for the time being. Probably afraid that I was going to just judge him further for things that he had no idea about.

"I try to talk to them. But when I do, they are always really fucking tired, and they seem to not really be in the mood for this. I rarely have a real conversation with him. It hurts me to know this. But I feel like when you are somebody like me, you kind of just get used to it." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like it was best to just leave him alone for now.

"I guess that can kind of make some sense. I will drop the subject for now. For your sake." I said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to leave it at that. As I said this, I was wondering what I could even do to make this work.

"I will talk to Harold tomorrow. I will let you know if anything comes up. Just give me some time, and I will work something out. For both of our sakes." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I sighed, and felt like there was nothing else to be telling him at all. So with that, I decided to leave him alone, and not make the issue worse.

Scene 10: Arrangements For A Pass

Todd and I were at Harold's house again the next day, and I was certain that he was going to turn down the offer. But in all honesty, I hardly fucking cared what he was going to say. I just needed to see what he was going to tell me.

He answered the door, and he looked like he was relatively scared of what we were even going to do. "What do you need me to do?" He asked, and he seemed like he was just kind of unsure of what the plan was. I was sighing, feeling like I just needed to show him a level of determination.

"So we were wanting to talk to you about the work that your dad was doing, and we were wondering if you would be able to help us out with it." I said, and he was looking like he clearly scared of this proposal. As if worried about what his father was going to say if he actually knew what I was trying to accomplish here.

"Oh god, I think that if my dad knew that I was having discussions like this with people, he would be at your door step right away. He doesn't care about the business rank that your father has. If you cross him, he will let you know." After he was telling me this, I was shrugging, and in all honesty, I did not care at all.

"I don't really fucking care about what he is going to do with my father. I have a feeling that the fact that I know you might be able to give me some leverage. And if he does notice what I am doing, then I will keep you out of it." I said, and I was hoping that saying that to him would be able to make him feel at least a little bit better.

"Oh god, I feel like there is no convincing you out of this. I don't know if that is a good thing, or a bad thing." After he was telling me this, I was feeling kind of bad for the way that he was saying this. But in all honesty, I was hardly fucking caring at all.

"Well, Todd and I were just wanting to know what type of business your father even works at. I mean, I get that he works at one of the casinos. But does he lead it, or is just simply a fucking employee." I said, feeling like the more that I was exerting some firmness here, the more he was going to realize that I was not really playing around here.

"He owns the fucking place. There is no fucking angle he is playing at. He wants to fucking get up there in the towns hierarchy, and that means that he is basically fucking bowing down to Shaun, and whatever that company wants. And then there is the politicians that he basically has to support all over the place. Can't really be choosers when you are trying to get yourself in a position of power with everybody." He said, and then I was shaking my head at this, wishing that I had more to work with here.

"But what about the people who lose the elections? Is he doing business with them? That seems like it would be counter productive." Todd said, and he was clearly wondering what Harold's dad was even really going to actually accomplish here.

"You know, the people who lose could become dominating forces one day. He always tries to keep every page open, and he hardly even has the time to spend with me, because he is so focused on that work. And when I see that he has no interest in talking to me, then I wonder why I should even find myself bothering with what he is doing." He said, and then he was shrugging as he was saying this.

"We were wondering if we can be able to get access to go inside, and see if we can find anything that can help us with the investigation?" Todd asked in a rather blunt matter. As he said this, Harold looked like he was clearly thinking this was a terrible fucking idea.

"Oh god, my father is going to hate it if he knows that I would actually be fine with doing this. I mean, if it is what is going to get us to know more about what is happening here, then I feel like there might really be no choice in the matter at all." After he was telling me this, I was starting to smile, knowing that Harold was still able to work with us on things that he might not have been very excited over.

"So you are willing to give us the information that we need?" I asked, and I was feeling so much better as I was saying this. He looked down at the ground, and he was clearly looking like this was the opposite of what he wanted to be discussing.

"Yeah, I guess I am. But don't let that get to your head too much. I am sure that if finds out about this, then there will be a rather good chance that we will never be able to see each other again." After he was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like this was fair enough. So with that, he was taking me inside of the house.

"Is he even here right now?" I asked, and then Harold was shaking his head, as if feeling like that was the main thing that was making the whole thing slightly less bad for him. "I just wanted to know just in case if we had to be much more careful than we already have to be."

"He isn't but mom is. In all honesty, I might be able to get away with her because I can just tell her that I was doing some work with my father. I doubt she would fucking buy it. But I don't think she will care enough to fight with me on it right then and there, as there is always the chance that this could be true." Harold was telling me, and then I was forgetting about his mom being there. I guess that with my mother, and just being with my father for the last seven years, I sort of have a hard time picturing what it would be like with both parents.

As we were walking up to the main room, I was wondering what I was even going to be doing now. "So Sheldon, if you do go in there, just please make sure that even if you tell me what you find, that you do not bring me up as the person who gave you the source to do this. I do not want to be having a target on my back as a result of this." He said, and then I was slowly nodding at this, feeling like he was being fair enough with me.

Once we were in the office though, we were looking around, and then I was feeling like I needed to actually slow down a bit, and figure out what the hell we were even going to be doing in here in the first place.

"So what in the world are we actually going to be doing here?" After I asked him this, he looked at me, and he was looking like he was shocked to be hearing that I didn't know what I was getting myself into here. He needed to know that I wasn't knowledgeable about these various things.

"I am looking for a pass that can allow you guys to go inside, and check the area out. You can't go inside without a pass. That is my dads way of making sure that people who aren't of a certified status can't come in." After he was saying this, I was slowly nodding, since this did technically make some sense here.

He was looking around all the drawers, trying to find something that we can use. "He does a rather good job keeping these things call locked up. He knows that he can only give a certain amount out. If we can't find one, then you might have to ask your dad if perhaps he has one." He said, and then I was looking right at him, as if feeling like the idea of my dad having one is absolutely ridiculous.

As I was looking around a little bit as well, to not make it look like I was being lazy or anything, that was when I was feeling like I needed to ask him another question. One that he probably wouldn't really enjoy, but I wasn't caring. "I am guessing that there is something that you are going to want in return for all of this. People never do something for free." I said, feeling like that was just the truth.

"Well, yeah, I will want something out of it. But I am not going to list those until I know that I can give you one in the first place. Would be ridiculous to make demands of the most consistent friend I have had in years without giving them something first." He said, and then when he had said that, I was feeling really unsure of what in the world I was going to be telling him here.

"Makes sense." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking at the main table, and then he was grabbing something. He was holding up a pair of keys for us, which was making both Harold and I feel like idiots for not seeing this.

"Let's see if there is something in this drawer." Todd said, and then he unlocked it. When he was looking inside, he was seeing a small stack of passes, probably about twenty or so, and then he grabbed two of them, and handed me one of them. Then with that, he locked the drawer again, as we put both of the passes in our pocket.

Once we were out of the room, we closed the door to make sure that there was still at least the impression that nothing was going on. "So Harold, you were telling me about the things that you were wanting in return." I said, feeling like that was something that we needed to focus on here.

"Well, the more that I think about it, the more that I want to join along for the ride, and see what I could be able to find in there. After all, if my father is indeed up to something, then I need to do whatever I can to ensure that his work doesn't affect you all anymore. And besides, I feel like that is something that you guys would want me to do." Harold said, and then I was kind of unsure of what to even tell him now.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't want to have everybody be able to immediately figure out that I am working with you. But I guess that if it all came down to that, then I guess that something like this would just be a reality that I have to accept." After he was telling me this, I was slowly nodding at this.

"Well, that can be a bit hard to work with." I said, and then I decided that I was going to leave things alone as I was saying this. Not really wanting to make things too much harder for him. "But regardless, if you guys go in there, just do what you need to do, and I will check things around, and see if there is anything that I can learn."

"When do you think you are going to do anything like this?" He asked, and then I was thinking about that for a second. In all honesty, I had no idea what I was going to do here. I shrugged, not really having much of a idea what I was going to do.

"I think that tomorrow can work in all honesty. I have nothing too big going on that day, and as long as it happens later during the night, then everything will be fine. Like say around nine or something." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was not too excited with that time frame. But he seemed aware that it was not really worth the fight.

"Alright, well, if you are willing to do this, then I guess that I can do that I can do this. Just make sure that whenever you are ready, to just pick me up, and we can get right to work then." After he was saying this, I was seeing that he was not looking like this was exiting him all that much anymore.

"See you then." I said, and then Todd started to walk behind me. I was feeling bad for the fact that I had kind of been using Harold in a degree. But I was really having no choice. I had to, if I was going to be getting this job done. I am sure that he would understand, if it was all in the name of the job.

As Todd and I were out of the area, I took out another cigarette, and I was ready to be thinking of the next stage in the plan. "See you tomorrow. I think that we might find a bit more of what we need when we are there. Thanks for coming along this time." I said, and then started to head off.

Scene 11: The Wilson Casino

The next night, when I was done with my shift, I had remembered to put on my hoodie, since I wanted to make sure that I wasn't too cold, and I was taking out some cigarettes, ready to just relax a bit, and I was hoping that whatever Todd and I were going to do wasn't going to be putting us in too much risk.

I picked Todd up right away, and then we went on over to Harold's house, who got in his car, and he was looking like he was kind of scared of what we were doing here. "Okay guys, I am not going to stop you from what you are planning on doing. But in all honesty, I feel like we just need to at least plan our shit out a bit more." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, kind of annoyed that this was the way that he was acting right now here.

"If you don't want to do this, we can fucking leave. You don't have to get involved." I said, trying one final time to be making him feel slightly better here. He shook his head, as if convinced that his feelings here were only going to be making things much worse if he was going to actually follow through with them.

"No, I have to know what my father is doing. that way if I ever take over for him, then I can be able to be prepared for whatever is coming on." After Harold was telling me this, I decided that I would leave him alone for a while. I started to drive off, and then I was wondering if the casino was going to be the best place for us to be heading right now.

"Do you really think we are going to find anything in here?" I asked, and I was seeing Harold looking like he was not too sure what to believe for the time being. "I mean, if he knows that people are going to suspect him, then he might be covering what he is doing here, and just hope that nobody notices what he is up to anyways." I said, feeling like I just needed to bring up the idea at least.

Eventually, we were at the casino, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he just wanted to get out of here right away, and get right to work. "God, that man is probably going to have a tight lock on us right now, and make sure that we don't do anything." Todd said, probably just trying to make us aware that we needed to be much more careful with our strategy going forward.

"Yeah, that is probably pretty obvious. But I think we might have to just take that risk." I said, and then we were getting out of the car, and then I was taking out another cigarette. Just trying to get myself ready for whatever was to be coming right now.

We were heading inside, and Todd and I showed the front person the passes. He looked over at Harold, and seemed to be thinking about how much this was probably going to be getting him in trouble. "I am sure that you are going to make sure that they do not do anything that could be considered a liability. I am sure that your father would be the first one to hear about it if they cause any trouble." After he said that, Harold was slowly nodding at this.

"I am well aware of that. But I feel like there is nothing to worry about. These are very careful people, who make sure that they do not do anything to cause trouble." He said, and he was sounding like he was trying his hardest to really sell the roll as he was saying this.

"Alright, have a good time, and make sure that if you enjoy yourselves, you tell your friends and family all about it. We can use all the publicity that we can get here." After he was saying this, I was slowly nodding, and I was feeling like I would just remain silent, and not be driving myself too forward with the fact that I had no intention to do so.

Once inside of the casino, we were looking around, and I was thinking about where I could be first looking. "I think the best area to first look is to check around up top. Since casual guests would probably not be allowed up there." I said, and then I was looking right at Harold, and he was kind of upset at the fact that I was bringing him into this idea of mine.

"Do you seriously think for a fucking second that you are going to be allowed up there? If they notice you there, then you are going to be caught off guard. They will probably kill you on sight." He said, and then Todd was laughing as he was hearing this. Aware of what I was suggesting, and kind of getting in the zone as well.

"I think he is suggesting that you are going to be our gate up there as well. And to be honest, I think I might be inclined to agree with him." Todd was saying, and then Harold was looking at us, and I was seeing that he was clearly looking like this was super against his best interest.

"Oh god, you guys know how to test my luck at this place. Anyways, I guess that maybe it is worth a fucking try." After he was saying this, he clearly looking like he was not really in the mood to be fighting this right now. So we were heading to the elevator, where I was clearly seeing that Harold was just having a pleading look in his eyes.

"I mean, I know that my father can't do anything to you Sheldon, due to the fact that your dad is the mayor, and he would be in so much fucking shit if he even tries. But that doesn't mean that he can't go after Todd. And in all honesty, if something happens to Todd, then I have a feeling like I will not be able to really forgive myself." After he said that, I was thinking about what he was saying.

The elevator door opened up a bit, and then we were allowed inside. Once we got inside, I was feeling like what he was saying about Todd was way too true for me to argue. "Sorry for not considering that before. I guess that maybe it would be best for his safety that Todd starts to leave this alone." After I was saying this to Harold, I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of annoyed here.

"Hey, I am allowed to make my own choices on what I am going to do. And besides, I was the one who was wanting to do this for my own friends. So if anything happens, it is entirely on my own fucking fault." After he was saying this, I was wanting to believe what he was saying. It would have been so much easier. But that was just not fucking possible.

"Do you even think that you are going to find what you need here in the first place? If I was being honest, I feel like there is nothing that my father would even know about your friends here. So in all honesty, it might just kind of not really work out well for you." After Harold was telling Todd this, he was clearly looking like he was wanting to just make Todd see the reality of the situation a bit more. Todd looked down, and still was not too sure what to say here.

"I don't fucking care. I would rather be one hundred percent sure about what is happening here than just fucking brush off the whole thing entirely. I am sure that you would probably feel the same way if Ashley went missing or something." Todd said, and then when he had said that to Harold, I was seeing Harold looking like he was kind of saddened by that counter argument.

"Yeah, I guess that you are right. God, I hate it when people start to bring that up. Always makes me feel like I am just a horrible person for trying to make any arguments." Harold said, and then before we were able to go any further with this, the elevator door opened, and we were ready for work here.

When the door opened, that was when the three of us were walking out, and we were seeing a couple of older guys, probably mid to late thirties, talking with each other. It was clear that they were doing some form of business deal with each other. Harold and I were remaining silent for a bit, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to say something. But was holding back as best as he could for our sake.

When they were done talking with each other, one of the men were leaving to head on to a completely different room on the other side of the hall. When he was gone, the other guy looked over, and he was having a scared look on his face. Well aware of the fact that I would fucking hurt him if he was planning on anything.

"What the fucking hell are you guys fucking doing here? You know this area is supposed to be off limits." He said, and he was sounding like he was just trying to at least pretend like he was maintaining a level of composure here. Harold was looking like this was going to be his time to shine, and that he just needed to put on a great poker face.

"I am just trying to help my father with his business, and I was checking by to see what I could be able to do to assist." After he was telling the man this, he was clearly looking like he was still not buying a single word of what he was saying. He shook his head, as if unable to believe that he was in this situation right now in the first place.

"Oh shit, what is your father even trying to do with this? That man is keeping way too much of a tight lock on what we are doing. That man is going to run us out of business if he doesn't stop his over reaching." After he was saying this, I was shrugging, as if not fucking caring what he was saying.

"I just wanted to check up on some of the projects here. What was the man you were talking with doing here?" He asked, and looked at the name tag. His name was 'Tom' although I was unsure if that was his actual name, or what he was going under in order to keep himself having at least some form of under cover disguise.

"Oh god, we were just talking about the pay roll of some of the employees here. Yeah, that was what we were talking about. Something that would have no interest to the casual person." He was saying, and he was hoping that his bullshit would be able to buy him some time. But I was clearly unsure of what he was saying.

"I was wanting to ask you a couple of questions." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was even more afraid of me than he was afraid of Harold. Probably because of my father. As I was seeing the look on his face, I was feeling like I just needed to take advantage of that fear.

"Alright, I guess that you can shoot me with them. Although I will let you know that I am only doing this because your daddy is the mayor, and I really have no fucking choice but to comply." He said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like this was a fair enough statement. And one that I was already kind of aware of.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that this would be the truth. But I was wanting to know some things here. So a couple of days ago, two women were found dead. One from the library, and one from the Lazarus Corporation head quarters. Is there something that you know about that?" I asked, and then I was seeing him looking like this question was really putting him on the spot. And I knew that I got him where it mattered, and that I needed to take advantage of this.

"The truth is that there are some people who have been contracted to take care of people who try to oppose our operations. Our town is all run under a very loosely connected machine, and we are all trying our best to contribute. But sometimes, people have a hard time keeping in with the program. So when this happens, we are supposed to come in, and take care of them." The man said, and I was shocked to hear that he literally confirmed this whole thing. And I was wondering why in the world this was the case.

"What did they even do to get the assassination contract?" I asked, and while I knew the truth, I wanted to hear it from him. I felt like hearing it from him was really the only way to confirm that my theories were true. He was looking down, and really looked like he was going to regret telling me any of this.

"They were trying to tell some people about the red powder. Which is a very classified topic, and something that only a very small handful of people are allowed to know about. You guys are certainly not any of those people. Especially due to the fact that you guys are not really even old enough to vote yet or anything." After he said that to me, I was slowly nodding. Having my suspicion confirmed was enough to keep me going here.

"Alright, well what do you know about the Carbunkles?" After Todd asked him this, I was getting super upset with Todd for getting the investigation like this. He was letting his emotions purely get in the way of actually making progress on this whole thing. And he was going to get us caught here.

"Oh god, more than you want to know. She tries to put on the look of a normal mother, but that woman is very ruthless with the business during the night times. Her sheer loyalty to that son of hers has driven her up the wall. She keeps claiming that she will do whatever she can to make sure that Wayside is the best city in the world for him. And having no regard to anybody else." He said, and then I was getting rather confused at what he was saying.

"So what you are saying is that she is actually involved in the businesses you guys are doing?" I asked, and then he was slowly nodding as I asked him this. This was a turn of events that I was not expecting at all, and I was feeling like I needed to be more careful with what I was asking if this was the case.

"Yeah, she comes here every Friday from eight to midnight, and during the time she is here, she is spent talking with Mr. Wilson and some of his other employees. Not much is known on what she is talking with them on, but the next morning, Mr. Wilson always presents a report to Shaun. So it is safe to say that she is involved in the weekly deals that Mr. Wilson is doing." He said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like that was enough of a starting spot here.

"If you want to know what she is doing, which I would highly suggest that you don't, due to the fact that she will almost certainly learn, but you can find it in her office on this floor. But don't say that I was the one who brought you there if you guys get caught. I may be involved in a casino business, but I prefer living more than you might think." After he said that to me, I was slowly nodding, and with that, I was seeing the selfishness starting to seep through once again.

"Alright, well I appreciate the fact that you let me know. This is something that we can work with." I said, and I was feeling like saying this, in a way to mildly flatter him was the best that I can do. With that, he looked scared as hell, and then he started to leave, as a way to make sure that nobody had seen what he was doing here.

"Well, I feel like we can use this as leverage to look into her stuff. Do you guys want to perhaps go in there and check what we can find?" I asked, and then I was seeing both Harold and Todd looking like they were not too sure what to think here.

"Well, if we want to check things out, then I think we are going to have to do things soon. You know, you can never be sure on when people are going to come back here to check." After Harold was saying this, he was sounding like he just hoped that I would actually be at least mildly careful here.

Scene 12: The Carbunkle Office

Todd and I were in the office, and Harold was looking at us, as if hoping that we would just hurry up, and not be taking up much time at this place. "Okay guys, I understand if you want to have some time to be here, but I feel like we need to be careful. You never know when somebody could be watching." He said, and he was sounding like he was just totally trying to get us to at least understand what he was feeling here.

"We were told that she would only be here on Fridays, so the biggest risk is not going to be all that big of a deal." After I was telling him this, I was feeling like maybe I was being a bit too careless with what I was doing. But in all honesty, I was not caring all that much anymore. Everybody knew what I was doing.

"Well, whatever you think you can find here, just make sure that you do not like steal it or anything. There are cameras in this office. If something is gone, you sure as hell know they are going to look through everything. If you just look and leave, there is a small chance that we will be safe here." When Harold said this, I was sighing, and I felt like there was nothing else to say now.

"Yeah, fair enough. I guess that does make some sense." After I said this, I was feeling like it was best to just say that, as a way to at least mildly appease him. Todd and I were looking around, checking to see what we could be able to potentially find if we were looking along.

Todd had been looking around this entire time, trying to find something. And he was looking at Harold and I, probably trying to hide his annoyance at the fact that we were just having this discussion right now, and that we had not been helping him out at all. I was kind of starting to feel bad, so I felt like it was time for me to step up here.

Eventually, Todd was pulling a small black book out. As we were looking at it, I think we were both realizing that this was going to be like a journal or something. Or a bill of sales. So he was opening it up, and checking things around to see what he can find.

"Why would these people be so dumb to have these things in offices like this, when people can just find them." After Todd said this, he was laughing, and then he opened up to the first page, and started to read it to us, to see what we would say here.

…

Entry 1: So I heard something that is of my interest today. I heard that the Robinson family is moving back to Wayside. If that is the true, then for the first time, I will be able to see what I missed out on this whole time. What I was supposed to get, but wasn't given the chance to for no god damn reason.

I feel like I need to approach this idea with caution though, because if I make my feelings too obvious, then people are going to assume that I can't fucking keep my cool. But in all honesty, I feel like I just need to work with them despite everything else. After all, that is what Mr. Wilson would probably want me to be doing here.

I have considered many times telling Brad the truth. After all, he is twelve years old already, so he probably will start getting curious about these things on his own. But I am scared if he gets too interested in this, that he might take it into his own hands.

I might start writing these down in a journal, so that way when he turns eighteen, or when I feel like the gig is up, I can let him read these, and he can be able to make his own choices for himself. I hope that he understands that it has been incredibly hard to raise him as a single mother, especially when people always just feel like they have the right to judge you.

But I just feel like despite the fact that I have been doing my best to make sure that he has a life that he can be happy of, there is always the feeling that I have been missing out on what I should be having. I mean, I was told nearly three weeks in advance that they were going to let me have both the boys when they were born.

Then when Brad came, I was super excited. But the other one hadn't shown up. They said it was due to some contract difficulties, and that they might need a month or so before they can get him over to me. At first, when I heard this, I believed it.

But now twelve years later, I realize that they were just saying that as a way to keep my cool, and not get in my business about what I have been doing. I realize now that they hardly cared about what I was feeling, or what I need, and were just playing me like a damn fiddle.

Entry 2: I tried to talk to Jimmy White about what the Robinson family was doing here, and I asked him to be a bit more open with this information since he was going to be leaving the office of being mayor in a few months anyways, so he can say whatever the hell he had wanted.

But he seemed to have literally no desire to be telling me the stuff. He just said something on the lines of how he understood my concerns, but that this was something that he needed to work on in his own. Clearly just having no desire to tell me anything.

I guess that I will have to get to know for myself on my own time, if I really care that much. I tried to tell him that doing this might be bad for business, and sooner or later people were going to find out what they had been doing, but he just told me to focus on my own work, and to not be constantly getting into this business.

The main reason I care so much is that I know that Mr. Robinson is nothing more than a oil tycoon through and through. He is hardly going to be caring about what everybody else is dealing with, as long as he is able to have his own say in the matter. I just know that we need to be far more careful with what we are doing today.

Regardless, I do know that at the end of the day, my opinion isn't really taken that much into consideration compared to his, and that I just need to be happy that he is even willing to hear what I have to say at all. And I just hope that in due time, my feelings will be validated in a strange sense.

Well, in a couple of weeks from now, Brad is going to be starting his seventh grade year. The same grade I was when the mines were destroyed. Crazy to think that he is now as old as I was at a very pivotal moment of not just my life, but the entire town.

I just hope that whatever Mr. Kidswatter is doing there, he doesn't try to get Brad involved in his stuff. After all, Brad still only really knows the basics, and I feel like every year that he stays away from this stuff on the grander scale is another year of life that he can appreciate more. I have a feeling that if he ever gets involved in the politics of this town, he will not only be jaded at what the town is like, but jaded at the way that I handled things around here. And I have no idea how I will be able to apologize to him when the time comes.

Entry 3: I am not on duty, but I needed to come in here for a moment today to write this down. I saw the mayors son today. He came to the house, asking about the adoption agency, and tried to get to know about my personal family history a bit more. He seemed rather firm about the idea that he needed to know what I was planning. It as quite annoying, and I wonder if his father had anything to do with it.

He was also asking me about Brad, and what he had been doing here. I haven't even tried to bring Brad into this, since in all honesty, I feel like that is something that he should be waiting on, and then make the choice on his own later on.

But in all honesty, I feel like the fact that he was trying so hard to get to know everything was kind of concerning. As if he had the right to know these fucking things. But I guess that when you are younger at this town, and you feel like you are on top of the world, you kind of get that idea that you deserve more than you really do.

The one that was really interesting to me though was the friend that was coming along with him. That fucking guy seemed like he was ten times more serious about getting help here than anything else. Not to mention the fact that he looks exactly like Brad.

I heard about the incident a couple of days ago, where those two guys had tried to come by my house another time, and they were looking around. But I wasn't there. And one of those security guards were there to see what they had done. And he was telling the one that looked like Brad about how he needed to return to his parents.

I wished that he would keep his mouth shut about those things. They really do not concern him, and he is trying to act like he has a better idea of what is happening here than I do. I guess that people who work in that company inherently think they know better than I do.

Regardless, I am going to have to keep a close eye out on these things. If the mayors son knows about what I am doing, then there is a good chance that he will be telling his dad. And I have no idea what that man is doing. He is quite the wild card, and I need to make sure that he doesn't get too close to my data.

Entry 4: Mr. Wilson was coming to me earlier today, and said that he was worried that I wasn't taking the job as seriously anymore, and was hoping that I would get back into a more serious tone again. In all honesty, if he was feeling this way, then I feel like he hasn't actually seen seeing how much I had really been working here.

I just feel like he has always had these expectations that are a bit more out of this world than normal. Especially since he probably doesn't really realize that I am looking at doing other forms of business with those who are willing to actually work with me. After all, I am just trying to make it so that when it comes time for Brad to be old enough to work in this business, that he can handle what is given to him much more.

He had always wanted to know what exactly I have been doing on Friday nights, and wondering why I haven't been able to be there for him on some of those days. I feel bad for it, especially since I do want to explain. But I am scared out of my mind that if he learns the truth, he will not want to help me out.

I think my best course of action will be to eventually try and reach out to that Robinson family. After all, that guy who came with Sheldon Lee a couple of days ago is with them. Maybe I can try and talk to them about what they know. And I can hope that they can at least clear some things up with the guy, and get him to stop looking around at things the way that he has been.

I have been hearing some people also trying to look around for Mrs. Wakeman. I mean, it really is a shame that her daughter Jenny has been as upset about it as she has. I had hoped, and assumed, that most people in this town kind of knew that woman going away was kind of the name of the game, and that in all honesty, they kind of just needed to accept this.

But I guess that people just have a issue of taking bigger protest to it when it actually does affect them than when it is with somebody they know. I guess that in some ways, there is just a bit of a selfish view to this whole thing.

I just hope that if something happens to me, that Brad will be able to realize that it was all just the name of the game, and that it was meant to happen this way. But I guess that something like that might be too big to assume, and would have to imply that people are mostly able to actually look beyond their emotions, and actually look at all the facts that are on the table.

Entry 5: It seems that some of my wishes are starting to be respected. When I was coming in today, Mr. Wilson has told me that there was moment he would like to have with me alone. When we went in his office, I thought that he was going to fire me for all the stuff that I had said about the Robinsons.

Instead, he told me that as a reward for my good work, and the persistence that I have been able to keep up, that the next boy that is born in our business will be given to me, free of all charge. He said that he knew that I wanted a second son for over thirteen years now, and that this was his way of making it happen.

When I heard that, I literally couldn't hold my excitement. He said he would be ready in about two to three weeks, since there were minor complications, but that when I do eventually get him, I am allowed to take the first month off with maternity pay.

Oh my god, I can't even think straight about what is happening. After all these years, these people who I thought were only in it for themselves are finally accepting what I need. I haven't gone a single day not wondering what it would have been like if I had both of them.

Now that I have seen the other one, even briefly, I wonder how much his life would have been better or worse if I was the one that raised him. All that I do know is that I would not have given him any issues, and I would have been there to make sure that no matter how much I wished that he would not be getting into this investigation, I would be there for him, and I would tell him the truth when he finally knew it all.

I just hope that Brad doesn't end up telling him what happens before he is old enough to understand. If this is the case, I might have to consider just never telling Brad at all, and letting him find out on his own accord. I am sure that in due time, he would be able to understand why I feel this way.

I guess that these are all hurdles that I will come across when it is time. But for now, I am just thinking about the fact that for the first time in two years, I am finally getting what was rightfully mine. It might have taken a bit longer, and happened in a different way than what I was hoping, but things just have a way of working out differently.

One of these days, I will probably remember that maybe this was something that should have never happened, and that I am making a giant mistake by agreeing to all of this. But in all honesty, I am finding myself slowly not even fucking caring.

I mean, in all honesty, if I cared nearly as much about the ethics of this town as I would try to pretend like I do, then I would have leaked all this information months ago. I think the fact that I haven't done anything like this just shows that deep down, no matter how much I pretend, I don't really fucking care all that much. Or that maybe I am too scared to confront the truth if it ever got to the point where it got too well known for our own good.

…

It was at this time, when we were hearing some noises, and I was feeling like it was time to get the hell out of here. "Okay guys, I understand that you want to learn some stuff, but I think we need to just get the hell out of here." Harold said, and he was starting to sound like he was kind of not having a whole lot of patience here.

I was heading out of the room, and Harold was too. I saw Todd looking down for a moment, and was shaking his head for a second. Probably upset that he wasn't able to get more of the information that he needed. I understood his anger at the situation. But we were getting somewhere, and he needed to be happy here.

Eventually, he was leaving as well, and then with that, we were heading down the elevator, and as we were taking the time to think for a bit, I was realizing how retarded I was being. "Guys, I feel like we should have been a whole lot more careful here." I said, and I was not really sure how else to put it, especially since this was indeed my idea after all.

"That is what I have been saying this whole time. You have been fucking going crazy, and trying to do things that should have been left alone. But here you are, just trying to find out what my father was doing. That I didn't mind. But bringing the Carbunkle family into this just doesn't even seem to be doing anybody any favors." Harold said, and then Todd looked at him slightly annoyed here.

"It would be doing favors for me. I want to know what is going on here, so that way I know why she hates me so much. Just trying to act like what I am doing is this horrible act." Todd said, and then he was shaking his head as he was saying this. Clearly not in the mood to be trying to have this discussion with Harold.

The door opened up, and then Harold was looking at us and he was trying his best to hide his annoyance as he was dealing with this right now. "Look guys, I am supporting what you are trying to do. But I feel like we need to have a better plan here. That is all I am trying to say." He said, and then I was feeling like it was best to just not really argue with what he was saying right now.

We were heading out of the casino, and I started to drive to Harold's house again, and once we were there, I was feeling like I just needed to try and see what I could be able to do to make him feel at least slightly better here.

"Harold, sorry that we did not get what you wanted here. I thought that I could have been able to find much more than we did there. I hope that you don't hate me for this." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was trying to maintain a level of cool. But had a harder time doing so than I expected.

"The worst part is that we barely even found anything. We had spent all that time looking around, and trying to find things, but then it got us nowhere. I just feel like we should have been much more careful with what we were doing than before." After he said that, I was then feeling like I just needed to tread what I was saying much more lightly.

"But I guess that there some things that we are able to learn by checking this whole thing out. After all, I guess that we did learn that my father is basically high up there as one of the leads in the projects that are going on in this town. Safe to say that is the district project turns out, he will lead one of them." Harold said, trying to be keeping a better perspective on this.

"The other thing I suppose I can say that we learned is that Carbunkle has been doing some shady dealings. Like much more than either of us could imagine. I just wonder what she even thinks she can accomplish by doing all that stuff." Harold said, and then he was sounding like he was kind of really piecing everything together.

"Although it is kind of sad to know that she is not the woman that everybody thought that she was. This person who was trying super hard to be the victim. It seems that the main thing she wants is to make sure that Brad is safe. And everything else is irrelevant." After Harold said this, he was shaking his head, as if that was something horrible to be considering.

Harold was leaving the car, and then took a deep breath. "Thanks for doing all this. I mean, I feel like we still have a long way to go before we got everything we needed. But we are getting there. And I love that. I love how for once, I feel like we are somewhere that we need to be." After he was saying this, he was heading out of the car. I looked at Todd, thinking of what else to say now.

"I have some other ideas on what we should be doing. I am going to check around for a bit. I hope that you don't mind that I have to get back with you tomorrow about my new plans." He said, and then I looked at him, wondering what he was planning on doing here.

"How are you feeling, with the stuff that you read us?" I asked, hoping that he wasn't going to get too mad at the way that I was saying this. But he just simply shook his head, not having much to really say to the matter at all.

"Honestly, I have no idea what to think. And in all honesty, I feel like I just need to kind of think about that a bit more. But thanks for checking up on me. I just feel like I should have taken pictures or something." Todd said, and then I nodded. He probably didn't know that I snuck in a recorder when we went inside. "That way if I ever did need to expose her, the information would be right there." As he finished, I wanted to interject, but I decided to just not say more to it than that.

I eventually got to Todd's house, I was taking a long and deep breath. "Todd, I know that I am probably the last person in the world who should be trying to make you feel better, but I know how hard it can be to keep a smile on your face after all the stuff that you learn."

"And I just wanted you to know that if there was ever a remote chance that I might be able to help you feel better about what is happening, and try to give you a chance to see what can happen that's different, I will do it. After all, you guys had hope in me. And I feel like it would be best to try and live up to that hope that you guys had." I said, feeling that I just needed to leave it at that.

"I feel like things would be better if I just was able to speak to my parents about what they know. But they always seem to be fucking gone, and they seem to never have any interest in actually talking to me about what I want to know." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else to tell him.

"Do you even feel like your parents would want to talk to you about this stuff? They are probably going to try and find a way to act like you are over reaching too far. I know how that is when I speak with my father." I said, and I was wondering if there was even a remote chance that he would be able to actually listen to me here.

"I feel like the best thing to do is just defy them a bit. Even if I can't get him to talk to me, there is always something that he is going to hide. I mean, he might not really want to talk about the whole oil business. But at the same time, I feel like he would have to if he wanted to have any chance of me wanting to come along." Todd said, and then he was groaning, and he was sounding just way too annoyed to be having this discussion any longer.

"Are you going to get into that business later on? I mean, for all you know, that might be the only choice that you have here." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was considering what I had been telling him here.

"I have no interest in getting into some fucking thing that is only going to make the town in even worse condition than it is already in. I mean, I might not get the whole gas station gig that you have… But in all honesty, I feel like it might be the best bet that I have in a bad situation." He said, and I was feeling glad that he was willing to admit that.

"Regardless, I will tell you my idea tomorrow. I just need to make sure that it has any chance of working." Todd said, and then he was leaving me alone, and then he was walking inside the house. When I was alone again, I was feeling like there was nothing left to do. So I went on home, just trying to not think on it more.

I eventually made it home, and when I was inside, I was heading right to my room. Before I was able to relax, and just pretend like nothing fucking happened, I heard my father calling out to me. I sighed, and felt like I just needed to at least pretend like I was actually wanting to be dealing with this.

I looked at him, and he was looking like there was a level of sympathy that he was feeling here. "So I was wanting to talk to you about something important. I heard that you went to one of the casinos earlier tonight. I was just wanting to know what you were doing there?" He asked, and then I was sighing. I knew damn well that no matter what I said, he was going to be acting like what I was doing was absolutely dangerous and wrong.

"What did you want to know?" I asked, trying my best to keep myself at least at a relatively level of calm. "I was helping Harold with something. He wanted to check something out, and that was the best way that I could be able to do it." I said, and then I was shrugging. Hoping that this would finally make him calm down about the subject a bit.

"But what would Harold even want from going in there? You can tell me what is happening if you need to, I won't judge you. Just try and let me understand what you are trying to handle." He said, and then I was shaking my head at this whole thing. He was just clearly trying to annoy the absolute shit out of me here.

"He was just wanting to see if he would be able to help his father. He thought that by checking some things out, he would be able to give him more. It seems like something like this was just not really meant to be though. But that is fine." I said, and then I was hoping that he would just calm down, and not be getting too upset with what I was doing here.

"I really hope that you are telling the truth. I mean, I feel like you have to understand that no matter what you might be thinking of me, that I am just trying to help you all out as much as I can. But in order to do so, you sometimes just need to let me do my job a bit." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like I needed to at least try and keep a relatively positive look on this. But it was getting harder and harder to do so.

"Sooner or later, something will happen, and people are going to just take over what you are trying so fucking hard to do, and turn it into a fucking game of politics. Even if you have the best of intentions in the entire world, people are going to stop caring one of these days." I said, and I hoped that me just being honest with him would make him feel much better.

"Try being a politician. I was never ready for such a thing. I thought that something like this would in a strange fashion make me the best man for the job. But in all honesty, I could not have been more wrong. I ended up only making things a million times worse, and making several people hate me in the process. I wish that I was able to make things differently. But I guess that maybe it was just not meant to be." After my father was telling me this, I was feeling some pity for the man. Knowing that he was finally admitting to not having the dealings of this job.

"I mean, I thought that when I would get this job, I would have a better chance at finding Riley. Jimmy made a promise to me that he would do whatever he could to find her. But in all honesty, we both know that this thing failed miserably. I thought that maybe if I took all the matters into my own hands, then I would make things better." After he was saying this, I was thinking about what he was telling me.

But now when I look at what I am doing, and I look at the way that everybody has carried this entire case without me, I am starting to find myself wondering if they even fucking care what happened with Riley. That they were just putting on a façade to make me feel like there was some chance to turn this whole thing around." After he said that, I was taking what he said deeply.

"I think that we both know how saddening it can truly be when you get to the point where you are never sure of what you are doing, and never sure if people you know are even in this for you as well. But I mean, when you have your friends at your side, and have been working with you on all the issues that you have been working on, you have something that you can rely on. I wished that I would have something like this." My father finished, and then I was thinking nothing more of it.

"Although in all honesty, I am proud of everything that you have been doing. Going out there, and getting a job. If you can manage to keep that up, and it seems like you have the intention to, then you are going to have no issue with getting into something when you are done with high school." He said, as I was slowly nodding.

"That was a large reason of why I got the job. I wanted to be able to have something that I could rely on when I would be done with this. Although I will say that when you have something to work on, you have a much bigger sense on how fast time flies. Because you are just breezing your way through the days." I said, and then my father was just smiling as he was hearing this.

"If you are already saying this when you are in your senior year of high school, then you are nowhere near ready to see the insanity that can come along when you are even in your twenties. But I guess that you will be seeing that soon enough." He said, and then I was wondering if I was wanting to say something else here, or just not speak.

"Well, you guys keep repeating the adage over and over again every year. I was just basically confirming that I was starting to see that for myself." I said, and then I was smiling as I was saying this. Hoping that I could get him to calm down a bit. And when I was thinking about what we were going to do now was just peacefully put a end to this discussion, as I was not wanting to make things even worse for us.

"Well, I do need to be heading to bed now. Thanks for the conversation. I hope that you are telling the truth about you just simply trying to help Harold out. If it turns out that something else happened, such as your growing obsession with this towns mysteries, then I will have no choice but to really just talk with you about what you are doing." After he was saying this, I was feeling like I just needed to remain silent at this, for his sake.

When he was gone, I was feeling like I just needed to not say anything that would make what I was doing super fucking obvious. If he was aware that I was indeed just doing this for my own investigation, then I would have to be super fucking careful with how I would approach all of these things going forward. I would just have to assume that he would be more forgiving here.

I laid down on my bed, and I was feeling like no matter how careful I would be here, nothing was going to be going my way. And in all honesty, I was not too sure if I was really ready for what was going to be coming next. I took out my next cigarette, and I was considering what I was going to do when I would be seeing Todd once again.

I was also worried about what his next plan was. If he was actually serious here, this was probably going to be getting us killed, and that was the main reason he was just telling me to be patient about what he was doing. There were some moments when I really hated working with him, and wished to be independent.

But I closed my eyes, and decided to not think about that shit for a while, and just enjoy my night to myself. And when Todd was ready to see me tomorrow, I would deal with the issues much more. But for now, I would just leave things alone.

Scene 13: The Awful Sound

I was at Jenny's house the next day, and I was feeling like I was just needing to see what in the world I would even want to tell her. I was scared that telling her anything about what her mother was doing was just going to be making her probably hate my fucking guts. But I hardly fucking cared what she would be saying here.

I knocked on her door, and took out a cigarette, and after a moment, she was looking right at me, and I was seeing her looking like she was just kind of confused at what the hell I was even doing here. "Sheldon, what is your plan here?" She asked, and then I was sighing, feeling like I just needed to tell her what I felt.

"Honestly Jenny, I was wanting to see what your mother was doing at her job. If you know what she was up to, then that means that in all honesty, we might actually have some extra clues on where to go." I said, and then she was shaking her head, feeling like I was needing to give her some space on this.

"I don't know what my mother was doing. I think that she was working with Mr. Wilson or something, and every time I even tried to speak to her about this, she seemed to be rather annoyed with me bringing it up. It is obvious that she doesn't want me getting involved with anything here." She said, and then I was sighing, feeling like I just needed to leave her alone here.

"God damn it. I was hoping that you might have been able to know some more. But I guess that something like this might make some sense. Todd and I were at that casino earlier, and we were trying to get some information there. But it failed miserably, and we learned literally fucking nothing." I said, and I was looking at her, hoping that she was not going to be too upset with what I would say here.

"Every time I was speaking to her, I got nothing. Seriously, if I was able to get to know more about what my mother was doing, then I feel like I would have never needed your help." Jenny said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to take that for what she was. In all honesty, I think she was probably right.

"But yeah, when we were at the casino, I learned that she and Mr. Wilson got into a fight. I have no idea what the fight was over, and I feel like if we try to figure that out, then it would probably be kind of a waste of time." After I was telling her this, I was seeing Jenny looking like she was just trying to figure out where to go with this.

"What in the world would she be getting into a fight with him over anyways? I mean, she has never once showed any interest in the work that Harold's dad was doing. Please try to find out more next time you meet up with Todd. And make sure that no matter what happens, Todd stays safe. He needs somebody there with him." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding at what she was saying.

"I have no idea what she would be getting in a fight with him over. In all honesty, your guess is as good as mine." I said, and then I was looking at her, and I was hoping that the clearness of what I was saying would be making her feel at least slightly less angry here.

"Well, I guess that I should thank you for at least trying to figure some thing out. After all, you probably are just as lost as everybody else is here. I appreciate the fact that you are trying to do this. That is what I can give you." She said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like I just needed to take the compliment here.

As I was leaving Jenny alone, I was wishing that I could have been able to get her more comfort to feel better. But in all honesty, I felt like something like this was just fucking impossible. I was really having no idea what I was even going to tell Todd. In all honesty, I was feeling like it would be best to just leave her out of this one for a while.

I started to head on towards Todd's house, and I was kind of scared what his plan was going to be right now. If he had a plan, and needed to explain to me what they were, then I just hoped that I would actually be able to really fucking help him out. As long as it was not really bound to fucking suicide.

After a while, I was eventually at the house, and I was taking out a cigarette, and I was hoping that whatever was going on here, Jenny was still actually willing to be happy to talk to me. After all, I had virtually given her nothing to work with, and I was feeling like she was probably going to be fucking sick and tired of me.

Before long, Todd answered the door, and then he was looking like he was super happy with seeing me here. I was wondering what in the world he was even planning on here. "Hey Sheldon, I was wondering when you were going to be here. I have something to tell you. It's about the plan that I was telling you about last night that I wanted to get your help out on."

"What were you planning here?" I asked, and I was hoping that he was actually not going to be doing anything that was going to be getting us both killed here. I was closing my eyes for a second. "If this is going to be getting the two of us killed, then I feel like there better be a damn good reason for it." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to be fucking clear on what I was saying.

"No, it will not be getting us killed. Probably at least. What I was planning was that we can get really deep into looking into the grinding noise, and seeing what that awful sound is." Todd said, and then I was sighing, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to tell him now. "I mean, I think that just figuring out the origins of where they are happening is going to be enough to work on."

"I don't think that doing something like this is really going to be worth it. I mean, there is no way in hell people are going to be heading up to us, and tell us what is creating these noises." I said, and then Todd was looking at me, and he was looking like he was not really wanting to fucking hear it at all.

"I don't fucking care. I feel like we need to fucking try at the very fucking least." Todd was telling me, and I was seeing him looking like he was not really wanting to deal with this. "And besides, you might find somebody who just doesn't want to hide information anymore. So you might be able to get somebody to agree to this."

"Fine, you win. If you feel like if you might be able to find something here, then I guess that maybe we can just give this a fucking chance." After I told him, and I was seeing him looking like he was just kind of tired of hearing this. Just brushing him off and everything that he had been saying, and had hoped that I would actually take him more seriously.

"I feel like we both know this is going to be the best idea that we fucking have. It might not be what you fucking want, but I honestly don't fucking care what you are going to say." He said, and then I was feeling like there was virtually nothing else that I could have said.

"Where do you even feel like we can find anything." I shrugged, being annoyed at the whole thing that we were doing this. "I mean, I feel like we both fucking know that there is no actual clue on where to go."

"I guess that the library is not really worth it. I mean, if we go there, then we are probably going to get somebody else killed here." After Todd was telling me this, he was sounding like he was kind of sad about what he had been saying. "I feel like everything that is going on that is bad is all my fucking fault."

"Yeah, exactly, that is the one place that I feel like we could have had any fucking chance of looking into, and not having things totally fucking ruined. But that is just not fucking happening here." I said, and then I was sighing, feeling like there was nothing else that I could have told him.

"And I have a feeling your father is not going to be telling you jack shit. Since he seems to have absolutely no interest in giving you the help that we both need." After he was telling me this, I was wondering what his problem with my father was. I mean, he was a busy politician, and that was something he needed to just kind of accept.

"My dad is a busy guy. I feel like you need to give him more of a chance here. He is doing the best that we fucking can." After I was telling him this, I was seeing him looking like he was not really in the mood to be hearing anything like this. I was sighing, and I was wondering what in the world I could have done.

"I wonder if Jimmy White is back in business again. I mean, I know not to approach him about the red powder, which I am still wondering why everybody acts like is just the worst thing in the entire world." I said, feeling like if Jimmy White could actually give us some things here, then perhaps he was going to be telling my father about it, which I supposed could have been a issue that I might have to deal with later. But for now, I was hardly finding myself caring all that much.

"I guess that maybe it can be worth a try. But if they say no when we check, we need to fucking leave. No wasting time with that counter person or anything. I am not going to be letting another person die on my hands, or my word, in such a short span." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like what he was saying was fair enough given the whole situation that we were in.

"Yeah, I guess that what you're saying does make some sense. As much as I fucking hate it." I said, and then we were walking towards the company hall. I was feeling like was going to be a waste of time anymore. "In all honesty, I have a feeling that when we are going to talk to him, he might not even have all that much interest anyways."

As we were heading towards the company hall, I was feeling like there was another question that I needed to ask him. He might not really like the question, but I was honestly feeling like there was no fucking choice here at all.

"I think we need to try and see Kevin about this. Maybe he knows something. Or the man in the purple jacket. So after Jimmy, maybe we can see what he knows." After I was saying this, I was seeing Todd looking like he had not really wanted to hear that, but that he was willing to put his emotions aside for that.

When we were at the company hall, I was wondering what Todd was going to be saying here. "I wish that you didn't bring up the whole Kevin idea. But I guess that something like this does make some fucking sense." He said, and then he was shaking his head at this.

"You know that I am right deep down inside." I said, and then with that, we were walking inside of the hall, and then headed on towards the company hall, wondering what in the world I was even going to accomplish by doing this in the first place.

When we were right where the counter lady was, I was seeing that there was a look of mild fear in her mind. Which made perfect sense given everything that was happening here. "What were you wanting to talk about?" She asked, and I was feeling like if I wasn't careful with what I was saying, then she was going to just tell me that she wanted nothing to do with me.

"I was hoping to see if Jimmy White was coming back to work now." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I saw her looking like she was still relatively unsure of what in the world to tell me. She was sighing a bit, kind of annoyed to hear what I was asking her.

"Yeah, he returned last night. Are you planning on speaking to him soon?" She asked, trying to keep herself at least mildly calm as she was saying this. Hoping that she would not give away what she was feeling. I was slowly nodding, feeling there was no other choice.

"Yeah, we are needing to see if he can help us out right now. I will be heading there, and leave you alone." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was starting to walk off, and then Todd was looking like he was just trying to decide what he was wanting to say now. Probably scared of what the plan was here anyways.

She was sighing, looking like she was just glad to know that I was finally willing to leave her alone for the time being. Todd was looking like he was just kind of unsure of what we were even going to be doing. "God, I just have a feeling that if we are not careful enough, then maybe she is going to suffer the same fate that the previous one did. I can see why she was looking so fucking scared of us being here." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, feeling like I needed to at least consider what he was telling me here.

Eventually, when we were at the White office, I was taking a moment to just consider what I was going to be doing at this rate. I opened up the door, feeling like I just needed to get this over with, and see what I could have been able to do in order to make her feel a whole lot better about this.

Jimmy looked up at us for a few seconds. "Oh god, I was wondering if you were going to be coming by here again. I was prepared for something like this, even if I really wanted nothing to do with this." After he was telling me this, he was rubbing his eyes for a second, trying to just pretend like this was something he even wanted to do in the first place.

"I wanted to ask you if you knew where we would be able to find the grinding noise origins if we were looking around for it? I mean, I get that it is up at the mountain." I said, and then I was wondering if this a question that he was willing to discuss in the first place.

"Why do you even feel like you are going to be finding anything important there in the first place? For all you know, this might kind of be a red herring." Jimmy said, and he was starting to put on a fake smile on his face. I was looking at Todd, and I knew that what he was saying was just his attempt to hide what he had known.

"I feel like you are clearly aware that something is happening, and that you are just trying to get me to not be looking at this." I said, and then I was sitting down at the couch. "Tell me Jimmy, what made you believe that my father was going to be a great successor to your previous position?"

"Because your father was the first person who seemed to be more willing to open up about actually checking the area out, beyond the fucking emotional investment, then before. He wants to know where his daughter Riley is obviously, but there is more to it than just that. I figured that he was able to look at things much more objectively." After he was telling me this, I was taking a second to think about what he said.

"Did he work with you a lot when you were the mayor? Did you basically help train him up to become the person who takes over after you were done?" I asked, and then Jimmy was looking like he was considering what I was asking him. Looking like he was not really wanting to have this discussion at all.

"In some senses, yeah. I mean, he was feeling like I would be the person he could rely on the most. Especially with my promise to him and you when I first took over, that I would try and bring peace and prosperity to this town. And I feel like I did a much better job than you might believe. I mean, as you know, the missing cases went down when I was mayor." He said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like what he was saying was at least relatively true.

"I guess that this is a fair point that I have never fucking considered that before." I said, and then I was shrugging for a second, and I really had no idea what in the world I would have been able to say. "But if the cases have gone down, doesn't that mean that you have a idea what is happening, and you are just having a hard time telling me here?" I asked, and then after I asked him this, I was seeing that he was looking like he was just kind of annoyed with the way that I was taking this whole situation.

"That was not what I was trying to say. You are looking too deeply into my words, and trying to make false interpretations with it." He said, and then I was sighing, and I was feeling like I just needed to just let the situation go, and not be fighting it all that much anymore.

"I am just trying to get some fucking hope here. I feel like that is fair enough here." I said, and then I was shrugging at this. Todd was just trying to think about what he was even going to be saying now. Probably clearly feeling like there was too much for him to not dig up here.

"I understand that you have some hope here, but the more that you look deeper into things, the more and more that it is going to be clear that you are just making things a bit fucking trite here." After he was telling me this, I was looking down on the ground for a few seconds, clearly unsure of what in the world I would have been able to say now.

"Jimmy, I am scared about what everybody knows here. Because I am just trying to figure out what in the world I would be able to do to make Riley come home. I feel like my father still far prefers her than he prefers me. I have made my peace with that. But that doesn't mean that I feel like if I can find her, then I might be able to make him start to have a different mindset here." I said, and then I was seeing Jimmy White looking like he was not sure what to say now.

"Are you saying that you are doing this because of trying to make your father love you? I mean, if that is the case, then I feel like your intentions are going to have a hard time really making a huge difference here." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like he was just trying to tell me this as a way to get me riled up and wanting to yell at him here.

"I never once felt that way. I mean, I don't really care about that. And besides, my father acknowledges my good work enough to make me feel much better here." I said, and then I was wondering if saying this was actually something that I was fucking believing here.

"I am just saying the way that I took the way you said it. But Sheldon, if you care about learning what this grinding sound really is, then perhaps you need to just start looking at the super obvious here." Jimmy White said, and he was sounding like he was challenging me here.

"What do you mean by the super obvious?" I asked, and then I was seeing him looking like he was thinking about what I was saying. He was laughing, thinking about what I was asking him, just trying to decide what I would say here.

"Like the mines, or the rest of the forest? If you look in those hard enough, you might be able to find more than you are really giving it credit for." After he was telling me this, I was looking right at him, and I was wondering what in the world I could even fucking tell him here.

"I have tried to look around the town, and when I did, I found a red truck near one of the destroyed mines. But nothing else was there to help me out. I have a feeling that whatever happened there is just going to be fucking gone." After I was saying this to him, and then I was seeing him looking like he was just kind of unsure of what in the world he could have said.

"Wow, every time it seems like you are getting the main pieces, you are starting to lose what you fucking have. It is almost amazing how close and how far away you are from getting everything that you fucking need." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was feeling like he just needed to fucking tell me what he knew.

"I get it. You have no interest in telling me what I fucking need. That's fine. My father is very much the same way." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing that Jimmy White was looking like he was wanting to say more. But he just couldn't fucking really handle it all that much.

"Sheldon, when you know the truth, you will realize that you never needed my help or anybody elses at this point. You need to just fucking look in yourself, and realize that you can probably figure out all that you need with revising a couple of details." He said, and then after he was saying this, I was really having no idea what in the world I could have said at all.

I was leaving him, and I was just refusing to talk to him. There was nothing that I was going to get out of this, and I fucking knew this conversation was just going to be making me feel like I was just trying to really burn all the bridges here. When I was heading down the elevator, Todd was clearly looking like he was just feeling kind of bad for what I was doing. But he had no idea what to tell me, and just felt like letting me marinate in my annoyance was what he needed to let me do.

Scene 14: Accidental Reminiscence

The next day, Jenny and I were meeting up again, and she was with Kevin, and I was wondering if there was a chance that I would be seeing them grow into a couple. I mean, if it was the best way to have Kevin start to open up, and have a happier life, than I was feeling like I would just need to take it for what it was.

"Sorry for asking you stuff about your mom earlier. I wasn't trying to throw her under the bus, and I feel like maybe I was just kind of jumping the gun too much. Do you think that you would be able to not hate me too much as a result of it?" I asked, and I was being selfish when I asked this. But I felt like it was a important question to ask.

As I said this, I was seeing her looking like she was hardly even fucking caring all that much to oppose it. "Honestly, I knew what you were trying to do. I might not have to like it. But I knew that you were just trying to make sure all the options were laid out." After she was telling me this, I was feeling like she was just saying that to preserve some level of cordialness, but I knew that it was a rough situation.

"But I was wondering why you were wanting to see me now. After all, I had been kind of burning some bridges here, and I feel like you deserve a lot better than a guy who is constantly getting on your case about various little things." I said, feeling like what I was telling her would get her to calm down a little bit more.

"I was wondering if there was something you were able to help me and Kevin on." She said, and she was sounding pretty happy as she was saying this. As she was saying this, I was unsure of what in the world I was even going to say. I gulped a little bit, hoping that whatever they were having for me, I would actually be ready for.

"What is that?" I asked, hoping that this was just a relatively minor thing, and nothing too serious. As I was closing my eyes for a second, I was also just hoping that whatever the hell this thing was, I would be able to tell Todd about it, and see what his thoughts on the situation was.

"Well, I was wondering if it was true that you were mainly in this to help find a girl that you had a crush on when you first moved here. A girl named Christen or something like that." She said, and then after she was saying this, I was sighing, and felt like I just needed to leave it alone.

"Yeah, that is a part of it. I mean, my sister was friends with her, so I was feeling like this would not only help me, but help her as well. It didn't exactly turn out this way, but I was feeling like if I had tried at least, I would be able to make her feel better." I said, and then I was looking right at her, feeling that there was nothing else to say about it.

"But why are you asking this in the first place?" I asked, and I was feeling like I was just needing to get that point across. Both Kevin and Jenny were looking like there was a slight smile on their face, despite the fact that they knew that it would annoy the shit out of me.

"Just something that I was interested in hearing. Anyways, the actual thing that we were curious about was seeing if you would be willing to help Kevin and I look into the stuff that Dana had been talking to us all about lately. You know, the stuff with monsters and everything." After she was telling me this, I was sighing, feeling like what Jenny was asking me was just out of the fucking question.

"Honestly, if I do that, then things are only going to just become a never ending spiral of insanity. I mean, I am done pretending like they are not real. So that is not the issue. I just feel like if you get involved in this, then you are going to have to get Dana involved in it, and then maybe Todd and the others as well. Then it will just be a massive fucking scene." I said, feeling like what I was doing was just kind of making them not really even pay attention to my fears.

"That is something that I feel like we both need to accept. But we were planning on maybe seeing if Dana would be willing to give us a starting point, to try and find more of these monsters." After Kevin was saying this, I was clearly able to see that there was no fucking arguing with them, no matter how hard I was trying.

"Wow, I feel like nothing that I will say will make you see that this is going to be getting you guys killed. But I guess that you guys have no interest in hearing that at all." I said, and I was feeling like saying that was just the best way to keep my fucking sanity at this situation.

"You are doing something that is far more likely to get you killed than what we are doing. Let's just be realistic here." Kevin said, and then after he was saying this, I was thinking about what he was saying. There was a minor form of truth to it. As much as I hated to admit it.

"Yeah, I guess that is possible. Regardless, talking about it constantly is not going to be getting anything done here. So let's just get to work, and see what the hell we can do to fix this up." I said, and then after I was saying this, I felt like constantly fighting this all was only going to just get them upset at me for no real reason at all.

As I was saying this, I was then feeling like I did need to clear something up with them. "So we were thinking about starting at where the well was." Kevin said, and I was wanting to stop him there, since I had already been there with Steven. But in all honesty, that was regarding Shari, and at night time. And this was about monsters, during the day, so maybe that did make things slightly different here.

"Why are you even interested in finding out where the monsters are in the first place? I mean, after all, this has virtually nothing to do with trying to find Shari, and the other people. I thought that trying to find Shari was the biggest thing to be worried about." I said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to call them out on that.

"I know that it has nothing to do with finding Shari. But half of the issues in this town are related to the monsters, so we feel like maybe it will be fine." After Jenny said this, I was feeling like they needed to have a better grasp at what they were fucking doing. This whole thing was going to drive me insane if this kept going on.

"What do you think Shari's parents will feel about this? They will probably feel like you are betraying them for acting like this." After I was saying this, I was feeling like I just needed to keep what I said to a certain level of truth.

"I don't know Shari's parents nearly enough to know how they will feel about this, or to feel too terrible for their way of treating this situation. They are just going to have to find their own way to make some peace with thus." Jenny said, and I was feeling like she of all people needed to have a more strict way of looking at this than Kevin does. After all, she was a woman, and Kevin was the guy. If anything, the roles needed to be switched.

"How do you think Steven will feel? I mean, he liked Shari more than anybody else here, and I feel like if he knew what was going on, he would probably hate you for what you are saying." After I was telling them this, I was seeing that both Kevin and Jenny looked like they were at least considering this one a bit more. Probably both feeling a tad bad for Steven here.

"God, yeah, that is true. Steven has been having a lot of issues here. I guess that maybe I should try and consider that a bit more." Kevin said, and I was feeling like every time they were saying something like this, it was a clear sign that neither of them really had as much of a drive in that friendship as I was kind of hoping that they would have.

When we were at the well though, I was already seeing that there was somebody there. I was sighing as I had seen this, and I was hoping that in all honesty, the person here would not care too much that I was going to need to be here for a moment. Just checking certain things out, and then when I was done, I would leave them alone.

I was looking around it for a bit, just trying to decide what I was going to be seeing. I looked down the well, and I was seeing something that looked like a glimmer down there as well. I was wondering what that glimmer was, and I was wondering if I could find something that could be able to get down there.

"Do you guys feel like there is a way to get down there?" I asked, and then I was looking at Kevin and Jenny. Neither one of them were looking like they were really wanting any part of that at all. I was sighing, and felt like they were going to just make my life hell right now.

"Do you seriously feel like you are going to find something down there?" Kevin asked, and then he was looking down as well. Jenny was too. Doing all of this was even getting the woman who was the slightly interested in what I was doing. But I decided to just not say anything at all to them, to not make it too obvious what I was doing.

"Yeah, I want to see what is causing that glimmer down there." I said, and then I was taking a deep breath, wondering what the hell I could even get out of this. I was taking a cigarette out, and starting to smoke it, and I was aware that doing this was going to be just making things worse for my health in the long run. But I was hardly caring at all.

"Now that I think about it, I do remember when Jamie took me here one time. I told her about how she was the first person since Christen, so in six years, that I truly liked. You know, that made me feel like I was actually a normal person, who did not have anything to worry about." I said, and then after I was telling them this, I was seeing Kevin looking like he was slightly sad at this.

I think it was because he knew that hanging out with Jamie, and all those things around that time, was a massive part of what caused Sam and I to have that first falling out. I was sighing, and I was feeling like I just needed to stop bringing that up, for his sake. Since he was still getting affected by something like this, much more than I thought he would.

"What interest did she have in the well in the first place?" After Jenny asked me this, I was shrugging, since I was convinced that telling her this was going to only be getting her interested in something that quite frankly was none of her damn business.

But I decided to not really be rude about what she was asking, and that I would answer her question, since she did have some interest here. "In all honesty, I think she probably just liked looking at the stars at night. She was always somebody that had a interest in that." I said, feeling like there was nothing else to say on the matter now.

"But regardless, I feel like I need to go down there, and find out what the origins of that glimmering light is." I said, and then after I was saying this, I was seeing Kevin looking like he was thinking that this idea was just fucking insane, and that I needed to just consider what I was saying before I did it.

"Sheldon, don't you have a shift or something tonight? Don't you need to worry about that more? Besides, you have nothing to go down there with." After he was saying this, I was slowly sighing, since I knew that he was just trying to find a way to have an excuse to not have me worry about going down there.

That was just going to drive me insane. "Yeah, I do have to go to the station today. But tomorrow, I am going to have to go down there, and see what I can find." I said, and then I was feeling like this was what I needed to do right away. Kevin and Jenny looked like they were both just kind of worried here.

"Maybe you can get Todd or Sam to do it. I am sure that they would both be more than willing to help out in this insane endeavor." After Jenny was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could possibly be able to tell her.

"I am sure that Sam wants nothing to do with helping me here. He will do it if he has to, but that doesn't mean that he wants to." I said, and then I was shrugging as I was saying this to her. Not having much else that I could add to the discussion.

"God damn it. This whole thing is going to be a massive fucking failure for all of us if I do not find a way to be able to get down there." I said, and then I was looking at the two of them, wondering what they were going to be saying to this.

The person who was there was then starting to speak up, against their own interest as they were probably going to learn eventually. "What are you planning on doing down there?" They asked, and then I looked at them, wondering what their intention was with asking me this. I sighed, and decided to not say anything.

"Honestly, I am going to try and find something that was lost. I have no idea how I am going to get down there though." I said, and then I was shrugging, not too sure what to say about it. "And I feel like if I try to do this, most people wouldn't fucking care to hear it." After I told them this, I was feeling like there was nothing to tell them at all, that would get them interested.

"Did you seriously lose something down there? Oh my god, that is fucking hilarious." After they were saying this, I was feeling like what they were saying was really out of taste. But I decided that I was not going to be saying much to it. After all, they probably just had a poor sense of humor here.

"Well, I am not sure if I lost something down there, but I was helping some of my friends here." I said and I was just hoping that they would just leave me alone. After I was done saying this, the person looked like they were willing to just let the subject go finally, and I was feeling like I was going to be a million times better here.

The person was gone, and I was wondering if they were going to be talking to other people about me for various reasons. But in all honesty, I hardly fucking cared. I was going to just focus on getting down there. "But yeah, I guess that I do have a shift to focus on for now. But when I am done with this, I am going to be heading down there. If you guys don't see me for a while, then you know that I went down there." I said, and looked at Jenny for a bit.

"I know it might be going against what I was saying earlier, but I have a feeling that the things between your mother and the monsters are all fucking connected. I mean, I don't want to think about what that would be like. But I feel like there is a level of truth to this." I said, and then I was shaking my head as I was saying this to her.

"So you are believing the things that Dana say? I mean, I believe her about the monsters. But the missing girls is something that I have a hard time connecting the two things with. If that is the case, then I guess that maybe I should be listening to her ideas a bit more." Jenny said, and then I was slowly nodding, and I was feeling there was nothing else to say here.

"I am saying that there is a very large possibility, and that I need to at least consider it for myself." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was feeling there was nothing else to say here. "But regardless, I feel like saying this out loud to anybody will just do nothing but cause people to laugh or get super serious." I said, feeling there was nothing else to say here.

"And I hope that whatever you guys do, that you both feel safe whenever you do it. I would never want anything to happen to you guys. But I think we both know that there will have to come a point in time where you can't have people at your side forever." I said, and I was feeling like they would probably prefer that. But I wanted to make the point clear here.

"Sheldon, I want to just know that you feel like you could be able to find the answers of what is happening in this town. I mean, if you feel like there is a chance that you will never be able to find my mother, then I guess that I will just have to find something else to be doing." Jenny said, and then I was feeling bad for this situation, because I knew that no matter what I told her, she would be upset with me here.

"Jenny, I really have no idea what I am going to do to help you out. I mean, I want to have all the answers ready to go. I would love that. But at the same time, I feel like I do not have nearly as much information as I need to make it work." I said, and then I was feeling like no matter what I was going to tell her, she was not really going to want to hear it.

"I think that as much as you might not want to admit it, I might have to speak to your father personally if I am going to be able to give you any clue on what happened to your mother." I finished, and I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have been able to tell her.

"Oh god, you know that something like this is not going to happen. He already barely tolerates most of you guys as it is. I feel like if he knows that you are getting in the case of trying to find my mother, he will probably feel like I am just sabotaging the situation." I said, and then I was looking at her, and I was feeling like I needed to try and just not get too upset with the way that she was acting here.

"I don't fucking care. If he is going to act like this, then there might be a chance that he is hiding something. You might not want to hear that, but I feel like just being real with you might be the bets way to get you to hear what I am saying." I said, and then I was feeling like I was only making things worse for her to hear this.

"Please don't say something like that. I don't want to even think about something like this. My father is a man trying to fix the issues that we both had. He deserves a chance." She said, and then I was feeling like I did need to tone down what I was saying. But I was hardly feeling any guilt as I was saying this. I just felt like what I was saying was the thing that would make her at least think harder on what to do from now on. But I felt it would be best to drop it, so I left, and decided to go on my shift to the gas station, hoping to take care of it then.

Scene 15: The Mole

That night, after I was done with my shift, I had a terrible idea in my mind, and I was hoping that people would be willing to forgive me for what I had been doing. I was feeling like talking to Myron might have been the best choice to figure out where the hell to go here.

When I was at his house, I was wondering if he was even going to have a minor form of interest in this idea or not. But at the same time, I was hardly finding myself even fucking caring at all. I knocked on the door, and before long, he answered the door, and he was looking utterly shocked to be seeing me here at all.

"What are you planning on doing here?" After Myron asked me this, I was feeling like I just needed to be nice to him, and in a way find a sense to appeal to him. "If this is about my friendships with the other people, I think you are going to have to find something else to discuss with me."

"I was wanting to talk to you about a deal. One that I feel like would probably benefit you far more than you could ever have imagined." I said, and then after I was saying this to him, I was seeing Myron looking like he was kind of confused what I was even meaning.

"What do you mean?" Myron asked, and then I was smiling as I said this. I was hoping that getting him more interested in politics was going to be my best course of action, regardless of what is happening around me at all.

"I was wanting to see if you would be able to help me get down in the well in down. Which I am sure is going to fucking help me with finding Shari. In return, I will help your campaign as you try to get elected as class president next year." I said, and then I was seeing Myron looking kind of shocked at what I was suggesting here.

"Oh god, everybody is going to hate this idea, and they are going to accuse me of corruption. But I feel like I need to see what I can fucking do. After all, even if I did hardly know her, Shari was a nice person. And I was friends with her at one point." Myron said, and I was wondering what I could even say to that.

"What were you doing with her?" I asked, feeling like maybe if I could get to know what he was doing, he would actually give me some context. Myron was looking down, and he was closing his eyes to hide the uncertainty he had been feeling here.

"Well, Dana and I got into a dispute, and I needed a friend after that. Shari was the first person who was willing to fucking help me, and when I was speaking to her, I was finally seeing her for what she was. She really showed me a new level of compassion that I had not been used to yet." Myron said, and then I decided to nod at this.

"Do you feel like you care much about finding her here? I mean, if you can find her, I feel like you would be able to find some closure on a pretty important friend." I said, and then I was seeing Myron looking like he was just sort of unsure on what to tell me.

"I do fucking care about finding her. I mean, even beyond the campaign, she was somebody that deserved better. But that campaign is something that also does fucking help me out. It is both selfish and righteous what I am doing." After Myron was telling me this, I started to laugh at what he was saying.

"Well, regardless of your reasoning behind it, I feel like as long as you give everybody some help, then they will be dealing with this. If you find something, like a ladder, or a different entrance, then fucking tell me." I said, and then I was seeing that he was still clearly not sure what to tell me.

"I will try and see what my parents know. After all, they have been living here their whole life. And I believe that one of them had said that they had gone down there before." Myron said, and I was shocked to be hearing him say this. But I decided to remain silent here.

"That is strange. But if it is true, then I feel like we need to fucking take it." I said, and then after I was saying this, I felt like my plan was going to fucking get me killed before long. But I hardly cared, and I was feeling like as long as I was going through with finding Shari, then everybody had no excuse to hate me.

"I will tell you what I find tomorrow. And maybe we can fucking get to work on what we can do next." Myron said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was more or less relatively confident on what he was doing. But not in the way that he wanted.

"I think I should tell Todd that he has been a good friend so far. Somebody who every single person can rely on, and I feel like he needs to be given another chance for once." After Myron was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to find something else to say. But had no response now.

"I will tell him for you. That is something that I can cover for you and vouch on if you just continue to help me with the fucking well." I said, and I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could say. I took out a cigarette, ready to relax, and glad that Myron was willing to help me here.

…

The next day, before my shift started, I was hanging out with Myron for a bit, and we were trying to find a way to get in the well. "In all honesty, my parents were telling me that they had no way to go down there, but they do remember there was a path down there that could be able to help us out." After Myron said this, I was shrugging as he was saying this.

"Oh great, I have a feeling that they are going to tell me that they do not remember the path down there, and that we are going to have to find it ourselves." I said, mildly annoyed, and I was trying to pretend like this was something that was even remotely surprising. Myron was looking down, as if feeling slightly bad for what I was saying.

"Yeah, that is basically it. But where do you feel like we would even be able to find something." Myron said, and then I was shaking my head, not remotely in the mood to even fucking consider this at all. We started to walk down the street for a bit.

"Well, I feel like the best way to start would be to go to the well, and then once we are there, we can perhaps find a fucking walk way that we can follow. Surely something has to come up that we can work with." I said, feeling like we needed to just try and be more careful with all the areas that we had been looking at.

"Do you remember anything that Shari mentioned earlier? Maybe she will probably have had a idea on how to get there." I said, and then Myron was looking like he was really not looking like he was in the mood to be having this discussion at all.

"I have no idea. I feel like if you would want to do that, you would have to meet up with Steven. But unless if you want to take even more time, and then try and see him, then I feel like we are going to be on our own." After Myron was saying this to me, I was shrugging for a second. Not sure what to tell him.

"Damn it. I guess that this does make some sense. I have a feeling that no matter what I tell Steven, he is going to be questioning my involvement in everything that is going on." I said, and then I was feeling like if I was going to try and push forward, I would have to find a way to really fucking prove to Steven that I was being serious about what I had been saying.

Once we were at the well once again, I was taking out a cigarette, and then I was smoking it for a second. "God damn, I feel like if I was my father, watching what I was doing, I would be able to see what he was saying when he said that I was wasting my time here." I said, and then I was looking at Myron for a moment, wondering what he thought.

As Myron was looking down, and he was just trying to see what the glimmer was, he was looking like he was just trying to piece something together. "Is that Shari's necklace down there?" He asked, and then I was looking right at me, and I was wondering what to say to this.

"If that is the case, then I feel like maybe this means that this was the location that she had gone missing." I said, and then I was throwing the cigarette down, both in frustration, and feeling like I just needed to try and focus on this once again.

As the cigarette hit the ground, there was a small flicker of light, and there was a hole to the right, and then I was showing Myron what I was seeing. When we both saw that small hole, I was looking at him with a smile on my face. "Does this mean that the fucking way to go down is through the right?"

I went to the left of the well, and then looked through, and then I was seeing that there was a giant walk way. "Myron, I think that we have a start at least. Now we need to head to our right until we find a entrance." After I was telling him this, I was seeing that Myron looking like he was slightly worried about what we were doing.

"Damn it. Okay, this is going to be the best clue that we have right now." After Myron was telling me this, we were walking to the right, and then he was laughing. "Who would have thought that a cigarette would have been the best lead that we could have had to continue this investigation?"

"I have a feeling that when this is all said and done, you guys are going to be making fun of me non fucking stop." I said, and then after I was shrugging. "But if she went missing in that area, then how in the fucking world did people not notice what we were doing." After I was telling him this, I was really having no idea what the hell I could have said.

"I don't know. I guess that perhaps this confirms that maybe nobody really cares when somebody is taken. I mean, I wish that maybe I was there, and could have saved her here." After Myron said this, I really did not know what I could have been tell him. I was feeling that he could not have made a difference, no matter what we fucking tried at all. It was just a big fucking shame.

"Myron, once I find where to go, you need to leave. That way if something happens, and you do not see me, then you could be able to tell everybody what had happened. Just trust me when I say that this is the best that we can do." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Myron looking like he was just wanting to argue with me here.

"That is a terrible idea. If I go with you, there is a higher chance that you will survive." After Myron said this, I was feeling like I just needed to scream at him until he was finally getting what I was trying to tell him here. I saw when he was seeing the look on my face, that he was more willing to just fucking calm down a bit.

"You know that what I am saying is true." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was taking a deep breath, and felt like I just needed to be careful. After a moment, he decided to calm down, and then figured that arguing with me was not going to give him any help at all.

"I just guess that I wish that I could be able to help you out more. You know, I want to be useful, even if it makes things kind of worse for everybody else." After he was telling me this, I was then feeling like I just needed to try and find a way to make him feel a lot better.

"You are helping. Just tell Todd or something what I am doing. Maybe Kevin and Sam as well. Basically if I am not seen returning home and other things, just get people to fucking know what I am doing." After I was telling him this, I was feeling like I was going to have to do my best to make him feel better.

I was seeing that by telling Myron that he was being helpful, and therefore just giving him at least some credit, that this was something to be making him feel slightly better. He probably just felt like I was doing my best to make him feel slightly different.

"Okay. I will tell Todd tomorrow what you are planning on doing. And if you are not found for a while, I will have to tell your father. I mean, I will not like it. But at least he will have a small chance of being able to help out." After he was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, and I was feeling like there was nothing else that I needed to tell him at all.

Eventually, I was wondering if Myron really was as selfish as he was claiming that he had been. If he was, then he would have just tried and tell us off. I feel like the fact that he was sticking up for us was showing that in all honesty, there was a small amount of selflessness to what he had been doing.

Before long, that was when we were heading down a small path for a couple of minutes. One of those alley ways that had been looked like they had not been used at all. I was wondering what in the world I was going to be finding there in the first place.

"Are you seriously going to be finding something in a random ass alley way? I think that you might be trying way too hard here." After Myron was telling me this, I was not really in the mood to be hearing him tell me this. I felt like he was saying this to make me feel more unsure here.

"I think there is a small chance, and that enough is enough to make it worth looking." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Myron looking like he was just feeling like there was no reason to fight with me at this point in time. Probably thought that I was just being slightly annoying.

I was seeing a small latch after looking around for a bit. When I had found it, I was seeing Myron looking like he was trying to decide what he was wanting to say right now. "Are you going to be looking down there for possible evidence?" After he was asking me this, I was slowly nodding, and he just seemed to just figure that fighting wouldn't be worth it at all.

"Yeah, I guess that makes some sense. Alright, I guess that we might as well just get this over with." After Myron was telling me this, I was looking at him for a second, and felt like telling him that I needed him to leave now was probably not going to be helping my cause at all.

I was looking down, and then I was seeing that there was a small stair way. I walked down the stair way, and then saw a giant dark path, and I was aware that going down that was going to be the best chance that I had right now.

Knowing that I now had a path to go down, and a chance to resume this investigation, I was walking up the stairs again. I was fucking happy to know that I was going to have a chance to finally get some closure to the shit I was doing.

"Alright, well, I feel like I am going to be heading down there when it is time. I will probably go tomorrow. Thanks for helping me. Myron." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was just trying to decide what to think here.

"Just make sure that you don't get Dana involved here. She's my best friend, and I really don't want to see her get in any danger as well." Myron said, and then I needed to give him a promise. But at the same time, I felt like if I made a promise, then things were going to turn out worse for both of us.

"I will try. No promises though." I said, feeling like that was the best response I could give him. I saw Myron wanting to fight further, but decided to just let it go there, as what I was giving him was better than he was having earlier, and he fucking knew that.

Scene 16: Shari's Necklace

The next day, I was meeting up with Harold, hoping that he would be able to give me some leverage when I was going down in the well. We were sitting down at his house deck, and he was waiting for his girlfriend. He was wearing some form of Hawaiian shirt, which was kind of funny to see.

Any other day, I would have wanted to poke fun at him, but today was far more serious than anything else. "Harold, I need your help right now. I am planning on going down to the sewers, to find Shari's necklace down at the well. I feel like this is going to help me see why she went missing. And besides, I feel like if you give me some help, then there is a minor form of leverage that I can get here." I said, and then he was looking like he was just feeling this was utterly insane here.

"What the fucking hell dude? I have a date coming up tonight? I mean, I can cancel if I really have to, but I don't really want to do that." He said, and he was sounding like he was genuinely feeling bad for Jacqueline, and I was wanting to make him feel better. But I felt like this would not fucking work at all.

"I really do feel bad for this. I wish that I never was going to be coming to you here. But I feel like you would be the best option here." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing him looking like he was really wanting to just not get involved in this at all.

"If I do this, then you owe me a big fucking favor. Like I don't know, a fucking promise that you are going to be finding the answer this whole case by the end of the fucking summer." He said, and he was sounding like he was barely keeping his cool as he was saying this.

"Yeah, it's a deal. I will have to see what I can do to pull this off. And I promise that when I learn the truth, I will be able to fucking tell you everything." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing him looking like he was just scared out of his fucking mind on what he was feeling here. I was feeling so bad about the fucking cancellation that I was wondering what my main issues were now.

Harold went to his phone, and called Jacqueline about how he would have to do the date tomorrow, and then told her that he would explain what happened when they met then, and then after he was done, he hung up. Then he took a deep breath, feeling like he was a fucking terrible person for doing this.

"Let's just get this over with. I mean, I feel like I do not want to do this. But I am not going to be a bit of a bitch over something like this." He said, and then he was starting to head on towards his car. I went inside with him, and then he took out some of his weed, and smoked it for a bit. "I can't fucking believe that the two of us ae doing this. This is fucking ridiculous. But I guess that when you are with me, that is the name of the fucking game."

He smoked for a second, and took two puffs, and then when he was done, he was placing the bong down on the cup holder, and then he started to drive on towards the alley way that I was telling him he needed to go.

"So we are heading to a area so you can find a fucking necklace, and that you feel that whatever Shari has down there, is your fucking best bet here? My god, I really hope you're right, as this whole thing sounds just out of this world insane." He said, and then I was shrugging for a split second.

"Not to mention, if you find this necklace, and it has no fucking meaning, then I had to cancel my date for no fucking reason." He said, and then I was sighing, and I was feeling like he just needed to stop with this shit right now. It was getting fucking ridiculous to deal with right now.

"I said that I was sorry. But seriously, I feel like we both know that if this is the truth, then it will all be worth it." I said, and then I was seeing that Harold was looking like he was still not terribly sure on what he was going to be saying here. And I was wondering if I just needed to remain silent now.

"God I hate it when you are right. And as much as I fucking hate to admit it, I feel like you are probably right." He said, and then I was wondering why he was acting like this over something so fucking simple. I felt like we were working well enough, given everything going on.

We were eventually at the latch that Myron and I found yesterday. As I was saying this, I was sort of wondering if what I was doing was a good thing. But then I was shaking my head. I felt like I just needed to not think too much on it, and get to work on finding out what I could find down there.

Once I was at the latch, I opened it up, and I was seeing that despite everything else, Harold was still not looking too happy here. He was looking like he almost just wanted to leave me alone, and pretend like this conversation had never fucking happened.

But then the two of us started to go down, and at this point in time, there was no point in arguing over it at all. "What are you thinking people are going to do when they realize how long it had been since they last see us?" He asked, as if that was honestly my main concern. It wasn't. But I was in no mood to be having this argument right now.

"Harold, look, I understand how much this whole thing sucks. I hate doing this as well. But the reality is that we have a fucking plan, and we need to go through with it." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else that I was able to get here.

"I mean, I just have a fear that everybody is going to instantly think that we went missing too. And then we just become the next set of people that everybody starts theorizing over. All that I am saying is that we should have potentially thought about this more." After he was telling me this, I was really unsure of what to even say now.

"Look, I feel like we are going to be fine. I told Myron what I was doing, and he will be able to tell people if we ever start staying down here for too long." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing that he was probably no longer having any intention to fight with this.

"Oh god, seriously, Myron? That fat guy who is constantly obsessed with class politics? What did you have to do to get him to agree to this?" He asked, clearly annoyed at what was going on. I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have said to make him feel better.

"I just told him that I would help him with his campaign for next year. I mean, I felt like that would be painless enough. You know, it's just fucking year from now. I am sure that by that point, he will have forgotten all about it." After I was telling him this, I was not too sure what I was feeling about a stupid agreement here.

"Alright. I guess that there is nothing that I can say that will be making the situation any different. Just be sure that whatever you are doing, you are actually ready for it." He said, and then he decided to not speak any further about it at all. And as we were walking along, I was feeling grosser and grosser every time that I was doing this.

The longer that we had been walking along, I was feeling like I just needed to try and find something to tell Harold, in order to make him feel slightly better here. "Look, I am sorry that I dragged you into a situation where it feels like most people do not like you. I feel like it is all my fucking fault." I said, feeling like I needed to make him feel better.

"Sheldon, I have no idea what you want me to say. That I am glad that I am dealing with a bunch of people that treat me like shit for no fucking reason. I mean, I want my friends to like me. But I feel like something like this is just going to be a waste of time." Harold was saying, and then I was feeling that nothing that I could say would make any difference.

"I thought that Dakota was the main person that you had the issue with. I didn't really realize that it was much bigger than this." I said, and then I was seeing Harold looking like he was wanting to say more. But then he was looking like he was just going to be leaving the subject alone for the time being.

"I mean, I liked Ashley, and I thought she was a great friend. But she started to just side with Harold, and act like I was this horrible person." After he was telling me this, I was having nothing else that I could have told him at all.

As we were walking along, we were seeing a cat walking down the walk way. I was wondering what in the world I was going to be saying here. "What the hell is a cat doing here. But then as I was staring at them, I was starting to realize that this cat was walking. Like a actual person.

"You know, why does it feel like every time that the two of us work together on something, we run into something like a god damn monster? And you always happen to have nothing to do to defend yourself here." After he was telling me this, I was looking at him, and I was having no idea what I could have been able to say.

The cat turned at me, and had literally glowing yellow eyes. I screamed at that as I was just not expecting this at all. I was taking a step back, to show my shock, but then I was starting to calm down, and not having any idea what in the world I could say.

"Okay, why the fuck do they have that look?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to find something to say, in order to make the whole thing seem slightly fun here. "But Harold, what do you feel like you are going to want to do?"

The cat was running off, and since they were already going in the direction of the necklace, I started to run in that direction, and I was seeing that Harold was not really wanting to follow this fucking cat. But then he decided to just not fucking deal with this.

"Do you seriously that some fucking creepy cat monster is going to be the best course of action to go off of?" Harold asked, and he was sounding like he was just relatively annoyed with what I was doing. But I was feeling like I just needed to remain focused on the matter at hand.

"I don't fucking care! I have to check and see what I might be able to find!" I yelled, feeling like I just needed to leave it at this. As I was telling him this, I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have told him. Before too long, we were eventually at what looked to be a slightly bigger opening, and the cat was starting to slow down.

"I have no idea what in the world I can fucking tell you. It seems like nothing I say will be able to convince you that this is insanity. But who knows, there is some fucking merit to this." As Harold was saying this, I was starting to look up, and saw that the hole at the well was near by.

I started to walk as quietly as I could, and I was feeling like this cat was going to act out if I started to get really fucking loud or anything. Harold and I were both probably just feeling like if we were going to go missing down here, it was not going to be because of a fucking cat.

We followed it along for a while longer, and then we were at the lighting area, and then I was feeling like we needed to just start looking around for a while longer. But before I was able to think about it too much longer, Harold called out to me.

I looked over, and I was seeing that it was a skeleton that he was pointing at. As I saw this, I was clearly able to tell that Harold was scared out of his mind here. I was feeling like I just needed to try and tell him to calm down, and that everything would have to be fine.

"We need to tell the police what we find when we have the chance. Maybe we can find something to give this subject some closure." I said, and then after I was telling him this, Harold was looking like he was kind of scared on what I was suggesting. Probably thinking that by doing this, we were going to put a target on our backs.

"Can we please fucking focus on the necklace first? I mean, we were down here for that?" Harold asked, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like I just needed to agree to this, before he was getting upset at what I was talking about. So with that, it was time to get back to work.

When were down at the well, I was looking up, and I was seeing the sky. I was wanting to throw up this entire time, feeling utterly disgusted at what I had been dealing with. "God, I feel like I should have thought about this a whole lot more than I had earlier."

I was looking at the necklace, and then I grabbed it, and I was looking down at it, thinking about how disgusting it was from the drop. I was rubbing it a bit, and then I was placing it down in my pocket. I was seeing Harold looking like he was just kind of unsure on what he was even wanting to say here.

"Sheldon, what are you going to be doing now, since you got what you wanted?" After he was asking me this, I was looking at him, and I was shrugging for a second. "You still need to remember to go through with your fucking promise. Make sure that you actually fucking find out what is going on at this town during this summer break."

"Sam, I give you my word. I am going to do whatever I can to finally give us the answers that I fucking need." I said, and then I was wondering if what I was saying was actually true or not. I wanted to believe that it was true. But had a hard time really feeling so.

"I hope that you are telling the truth. I feel like I need to be there at your side, to make sure that this doesn't not fucking happen. I mean, I want to trust you and like you. But after everything that has happened, things seem to be hard to really fucking believe." He said, and then I was wondering what in the world I was even going to be telling him now.

"Dakota and Ashley seem to have a hard time believing in me right now. For some reason, they think that I am a fucking liar. Or at least somebody who will not be able to give you guys the answer that you need." I said, and then I was seeing Harold looking like this statement was not too surprising to him at all.

"Honestly, I thought that Ashley might have been able to see your merits. But Dakota brushing off what you are doing, and saying he doesn't believe you, makes perfect fucking sense." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could even tell him.

"Dakota isn't a bad guy. In all honesty, I can see why he feels the way that he does here. I just wish that I would have been able to give him less reason to feel this way." I said, and then I was feeling that there was nothing else that I could have said to him. So there was almost no point in trying.

As I was talking with him about what I was doing, that was when I was looking up, and I saw something that made my blood turn to ice. I was unable to believe what I was seeing. It was a ghostly figure in front of Harold and I. Which was absolutely shocking for me to see.

It took a second to figure out what I was seeing. And when I did, I instantly felt like it was time for me to just give up, and stop working with this whole thing. Harold started to realize who it was pretty quickly as well, and I was seeing that there was a lot of sympathy in his eyes as he saw this.

"Oh god Sheldon, I am so fucking sorry." After he said that to me, I was not really caring. I was staring at my first crush. Christen was there once again, and seeing this was able to essentially remove any remote chance that she might have been alive.

As I was seeing this, I wondered what in the world I was even going to be able to tell her. "Christen, I was trying to find you. I wanted to make sure that you came home. I hope that you can fucking forgive me." I said, and then Christen was coming towards me, and I was seeing her bringing her right hand out to me.

"Sheldon, I know that you tried your best to help us out here. But Sheldon, I feel like you need to know that I am going to be for you in the future. Even in spirit." Christen said, and then I was wondering what she was meaning here. I was wondering if this was her way of admitting that she did like me at one point.

"Just promise me that no matter what happens, you never give up until the truth of what these men have been doing to us have been exposed. I know that you are going to be able to bring the truth out. You just need to believe it in yourself." After she was telling me this, I was unsure of what I was even going to be telling her.

"I will find the truth. I have been wanting to do so this whole time. I will never fucking give up until the truth is revealed." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was wondering if she was willing to actually believe what I had been saying.

"Sheldon, I hope that you know that I did appreciate you as a friend when I was here." She said, and in all honesty, her telling me this was something that made me feel a whole lot better. Just knowing that she had thought that I was a friend.

"That necklace will be a part of the puzzle." She said, and then she was gone again, and I knew that this time, as bad as it was, there was a level of closure. I knew for sure this time. And I looked at Harold, and I was wondering what I could be able to tell him now.

That night, I went on over to Todd's house, and then I knocked on his door, and then he was answering, wondering what I was doing so late at night. He was placing his hand on his nose, as if finding what I was doing really fucking gross. "What the fucking hell were you doing?" Todd asked, and then I was sighing, not really in the mood to be hearing what he was saying.

"Look, if you are going to be a smart ass about what you are saying, then just fucking stop with this shit. Anyways, I was down at the well with Harold, trying to find Shari's necklace, since Myron confirmed that was one of the things that was down there." I said, and then Todd was looking like he was starting to be slightly more interested in what I was saying, now that he knew what was happening.

"Oh shit, I am impressed that Myron was able to figure that shit out so soon." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and then and then I was pulling it out of my pocket, and I was showing it to him.

"I was feeling like I needed to show you this, so that way we can be able to make some plans on what to be doing here." I said, and then I was really having no idea what to say here.

Todd was looking at it, and I was seeing that he was looking like he was kind of feeling bad for what was happening. He was closing his eyes, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to even tell him. "God, I feel like Steven is going to need to see something like this. He would probably feel like you are the fucking hero of the day here." He was telling me, and I was wondering why he was so fucking casual about this all.

"Steven. I wonder if he is going to think that I am just being way too careless with this whole thing." I said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to think about what I was going to be doing more. "I will find out what is happening here, and I will bring you the truth this summer."

As I was saying this to Todd, I was seeing him looking like he was just kind of confused about what I was meaning here. "Are you going to try and do this all on your own? I mean, I need your fucking help here." He told me, and then I was feeling like he was just taking this way too excitedly.

"I am going to keep the idea possible. I mean, I already know that Harold wants to fucking help me, and I feel like he is going to be a great man here. Even if his father is a asshole, full of corruption, Harold still seems to have some humanity left." I said, and I was hoping that I would not regret what I was saying here.

"I have been with you on this from the start. I am going to be looking into this one way or another. Regardless of how much you want to help me. I feel like however, if this is something that we are both getting ourselves into, then perhaps it would just be best to team up, and work this whole thing out." After Todd was telling me this, I was slowly nodding.

In all honesty, I was feeling like I could sort of see what he was trying to say. "But Todd, what if it gets to the point where your friends start to hate me? And feel like I am being nothing but a liability?" I asked, and I was seeing him looking like he was not really sure what to tell me. As if feeling like he was just kind of aware that what I was saying was true to a degree.

"I feel like you do not need to worry about my friends hating you. I mean, don't fucking forget that in all honesty, your friends are already seeming to turn on you. It is not the end of the world if my friends are like this. But to be honest, when my friends talk with me, I hear very good things about you." After he was telling me this, I could tell from the look on his face, that he was seeming to tell the truth.

"I hope that you are fucking telling the truth here." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was having no idea what in the fucking world I could have been able to tell her. "But I feel like there comes a point in time where I need to remember the promises that I had made."

"Yeah, you have made quite a fucking few of them. Do you really feel like you are going to actually follow through with them?" Todd asked, and then I was looking at him, and I was feeling like I just needed to be much more careful with what I was telling him. For both of our sakes here.

"I mean, I told Harold that I was going to find out the truth before the end of the summer. It might be hard to do with a job, and trying to have some friends. But I feel like I need to just give it a try. And besides, with the necklace, I feel like some of her friends might know the truth." I said, and I was wondering what else to say now.

"In all honesty, I feel like we need to just make sure that we bring that necklace back to her house. Her parents might want to see that. Just in case if they feel like that could be able to give them even the most minor form of closure in the entire fucking world." I said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to say so much more. I placed my hand on his shoulder, knowing that I needed to make this work out for us.

Scene 17: Sale Out

The next day, I was at Ashley's house again, as I was feeling that it was time for me to potentially apologize to her for the way that I had been acting earlier, and I was feeling at this point in time, they probably did deserve better than the way that I had been acting.

She answered the door, and when she was looking at me, I was seeing her looking like she was just kind of shocked to be see that I was still willing to be here in the first place. I was sighing, and felt like I just needed to give her everything that I knew.

"Hey Sheldon, I honestly was wondering if you were ever wanting to talk to us again. I mean, with how much you were seeming to be really upset about everything, I was starting to kind of really feel bad for you." After she was telling me this, I sighed, and felt there was nothing to say.

"I mean, I figured that I needed to try and apologize for everything earlier. But I still feel like there was some truth to what I said. But you deserve better than me getting on your case over things your parents are fucking doing." I said, feeling like maybe this was something that I could say to make her feel better now.

"I am going to be honest, I feel like I kind of knew that you guys were right about my parents. But at the same time, I just don't know what I would be able to do if I looked into this all. They would probably realize what I was doing eventually, and then what would I have gotten out of helping you at all? Nothing." Ashley said, and I was wondering why she was saying it this way.

"I can help you. I mean, if Todd and I are already getting involved in learning everything in the first place, then I feel like maybe we just need to look at all the things that are going on. Even the things that hurt us to be looking at." I said, and then I was shaking my fucking head at this. "I will be at your side this whole time, and I will make sure that no matter how bad things get, you know that I will still be there for you."

"Honestly, I have no idea what to feel about that offer. I mean, I know that I should probably appreciate the offer here. But it might be kind of hard to do so. Especially when all of your stuff just fails to add up." She reminded me, and I wondered why she kept saying this.

"I think that the best way to start this investigation will be to go to Mezmers. Maybe we can go there, and just tell them that we are trying to get some research files for your parents work on the site." I said, and then I was looking right at her, and I wondered what Ashley would have felt about this situation.

"God damn it. I wonder how Harold has even been willing to work with you lately, considering the fact that you are basically forcing him to admit that his father is a fucking terrible human being." After she was telling me this, I was shrugging, and honestly did not care at all.

As I was leaving, I was wondering what to say. "Honestly, I wished that I had taken more time to really get to know you guys. You know, beyond the whole fucking situation of knowing what your parents and other people were doing. I feel like I should have just finally let you be the people you wanted to be."

As I said this to her, I was seeing that Ashley was really not sure what in the world she was wanting to say. She probably thought about all of the ways she was going to try and make me feel better. Try and make it seem like I was not making things worse for her, even we both knew that would not be the truth at all.

"If you feel like that is something you should have done, then maybe you should just try and talk to me. Not fucking talk about this case all the fucking time. Maybe that is the biggest mistake you are making." She said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like what she was saying was true enough.

"Fine, I will go along with your Mezmer's idea this time. Not like I have much of a choice. But after this, unless if you start putting in the effort to really get to know Dakota and I for who we are, then I feel like it is time to end this." She said, and then I was slowly nodding, feeling like what she was saying sucked, but was making enough sense to me.

"Fair enough. Honestly, I am surprised that you are willing to work with me at all here. I just assumed that you guys wanted nothing to do with me at all." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I just felt like there was nothing else that I could have told her.

"It is so strange when I see you coming around, and being reasonable about the things you are getting yourself into." After she was telling me this, we were beginning to walk on our way to Mezmer's, and I was feeling like maybe this was my chance to try and get to know her, even just a mere modicum. Just to make her feel like maybe I was actually listening to her a little.

"I hope that you know that Harold still seems to like you a bit. You know, trying to really get to know you. I think he is still holding out hope that you like her well enough." After I was telling her this, I saw that Ashley looked like she had no real desire to deal with this.

"I know that he likes me still. But I feel like he is just kind of unable to really look at the bigger picture, and I feel like until he sees what he has been doing, I believe that he needs to just stay away from dating." She said, and then I was shocked to be hearing what she was saying now.

"Honestly, I still feel like I could be able to like him as a friend. But Dakota keeps fucking insisting that I shouldn't be dealing with Harold at all. And at this point in time, I am just kind of fucking over trying to have a fight with him about this." She said, and she was sounding kind of upset with what she had said.

"You need to be making your own choices. Not let what Dakota decide what you are doing. I mean, Dakota is a good guy, and I know that he probably has good intentions. But I feel like you need to see that if you let him make these choices for you too much, then things are only going to get worse." I said, and I was wondering if she was going to actually listen to what I said.

"But what if the choices I make are terrible, and get me nothing in return. At least when I let other people kind of make the choices for me, then things seem to be relatively easy." She said, and I was wondering why she was even telling me this in the first place. That was a terrible fucking statement to be making, and I wondered what was wrong with her.

"At least they are your choices. I mean, you can look to people like Dakota and myself, as a way to get some advice on how to handle this. But at the same time, you need to be making your own choices." After I was telling her this, I saw that she was probably not really wanting to hear anything like this.

"I guess that this is true. I mean, I don't know. I will have to think about it a bit. Maybe you are right." After she was telling me this, I was glad to finally hear that she was willing to start to own up to the idea that she was her own person, and that there was nothing wrong with what she was doing.

I just hoped that this statement was going to be one that I would not regret. After all, Ashley was one of my best friends, and I just hoped that this was not going to be a miserable choice on helping her along.

When we were at Mezmer's, I was already seeing that Ashley was looking like she was kind of feeling terrible for what she was getting herself into. "I just have a feeling that despite how much I hate to say it, that you are right about what you are saying. And that is the thing that I hate the most." After she was telling me this, she was starting to remain silent.

We went inside, and I was feeling that it would be best to just remain silent, and not press the matter further as I walked inside. Once I was inside of the restaurant, that was when Ashley and I started to walk on towards the guy at the counter.

"Hey, I was wanting to ask you some questions." Ashley said, clearly feeling scared of what she was going to be asking this guy. He looked at both of us, wondering what we were going to be getting ourselves into.

"So my parents were working on this park back then. My father was the one leading the project. I want to learn what my parents were doing when working on this project." Ashley said, and I was feeling like maybe I needed to try and say something in order to make her feel better here, and do to so would require interjection.

"Oh yeah, you're Ashley. I remember something about that. What were you wanting to know?" He asked, and he seemed pleasant enough here. Which was extremely shocking to hear. I was seeing that this tone of voice was making Ashley feel a whole lot better about what she was saying.

"I was wanting to see if there was any paperwork that I might be able to read about this." After Ashley said this, I was seeing her looking like she was kind of getting into the mindset of a person who needed to know these things. Probably to make it seem at least slightly convincing to the guy at the counter.

"I guess that I can try and find something here. Just wait a moment while I go back, and try to find something." After he was telling us this, I saw him looking like he was just trying to find something else to say. But then decided against it.

As he was gone, Ashley was looking at me, and I was seeing that she was clearly upset at what was going on here. "God damn it Sheldon, this better be fucking worth it. I just hope that you know what in the world you are getting yourself into." After she said this, I was shrugging, feeling like we both knew that I was right.

"You know that this is something that I am right on." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to leave it at that, to make her not too upset. Then the guy showed up, and then started to lead us to the back room, where we could be able to look at the files that were given to us.

Once we were in the back room, I was seeing Ashley going right to the drawers with her parents name on it. "I hope that something is in here. That way there is some justification to the bullshit you are pulling." After she was telling me this, I simply shrugged for a second.

She was opening one of them, and she was looking at the information that was on the paper. I was walking right to her side, feeling like I might be able to just try and fucking see what her confusion was coming from, and why she was so fucking horrified at what was there.

"What do they fucking mean 'we were given five percent of the funds that we got from the most recent transaction for our project. We hoped that they did not go after Christen, as those two Lee children are rather attached to her, but we just hope that this was all worth it.'" After she was telling me this, she was looking right at me, and I wondered what to even fucking tell her now.

"What the fucking hell did they fucking do?" I asked, and I was barely containing my anger as she was telling me this, I looked at Ashley, and I knew that she would not have the answer, but I was hoping that she would at least have some fucking clue what her parents had known.

"I don't know what that means Sheldon… Please don't get angry at me. I was not the one who had set this whole thing up." After she was telling me this, I was looking at her, and I was wanting to strangle her for what she was saying.

"Your parents know something about Christen's case. I think that is more than enough to be upset. Not at you, but at your piece of shit parents." I said, and then I was looking at the door, and I was wondering what I was even going to fucking do right now.

"I don't think they were the one who set this whole thing up. Maybe you need to keep a calm mind, and think about what they are doing. If you jump to conclusions, then you might be making things worse for everybody." She said, and then I was shaking my head, not wanting to hear what she was telling me.

"Ashley, I don't care how you fucking do it, you need to find out what her parents know about Christen's case. I don't care if it breaks your heart to do so. You need to fucking do this." I was telling her, and then I was seeing her looking like she was completely overwhelmed by what I was saying. And I was not really in the mood to deal with her acting like a cry baby over something like this. I was seriously not in the mood.

Scene 18: Returning The Necklace

When I was meeting up with Todd once again that next day, I was wanting to really just not think about what I had learned about Christen and the parents sale. I feel like If I thought about that too much, then I would have been going insane, and would have hated what I was putting myself into.

I was seeing that when Todd was looking right at me, he was just sort of a bit worried about what in the world I was even going to be doing. "So Sheldon, what are you planning on doing now?" He asked, and then I was shaking my head. Not really too sure what my plan was.

"I was planning on giving Shari's necklace to her parents. I feel like they deserve the right to have that back." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he had wanted to find a way to fight this, but then decided against it.

"Well, if you are planning on doing this, then I want to come with you. You know, make sure that I truly know what they feel about this situation." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was really feeling bad for what in the world I would tell him.

"I kind of figured that you would be saying that, so that was why I am coming to you." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was wondering what in the world Todd was even going to be telling me here. I felt like Todd was just not trusting me nearly as much as he was trying to make it seem like he had been.

As we were heading on, I was wondering what I was even going to be telling Todd. "I just have no idea what they are going to be seeing when I give them this fucking necklace. I love to help, but I have a feeling that if they see this, they are going to be getting all the wrong thoughts in their head about what is happening." I expressed my fears about what was happening in this situation.

"Sheldon, they are probably going to be feeling a bit better, knowing that you are at least working on this. I feel like if they are going to get upset about what you found, then as sad as that might be, then that is just something we will have to be ready for." Todd said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying.

When we were at her house, I was feeling like just showing her was going to be my best option, and then we could be able to move on. I had hoped that Todd was going to give me as much support as I need for this, as I really had been working as best as I could on this.

Her mother answered the door, and looked at Todd and I. As she was seeing us, I was seeing that she was not really all that excited about what I was going to be doing here. But before she was able to tell me that she wanted me to not be here, I was already pulling the necklace, and I was showing it to her. And she was looking like she was actually kind of shocked to be seeing this.

"Wow did you end up finding that?" She asked, clearly trying to not be too upset with the fact that I had been showing her this. I was looking down on the ground, and I was wondering what in the world I could say. She would be utterly broken if she heard about the sewers.

But I felt that in all honesty, it would be best to just be honest with her. "Honestly, I found it in the well. I also found some bones near the necklace. I have no idea what else to tell you." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I was seeing her starting to have some tears running down her eyes. Clearly saddened at the fact that I had just told her this.

"What was she doing in that area? I knew that she had been sneaking out a couple of times at night." She said, and then after she was saying this to me, I was feeling like it would be best to just remain silent, and let her have her moment, no matter how much it hurt.

"I am sorry. I am not saying that the body is her. I am just saying what I saw down there, and decided to show you." I said, and then after I was telling her this, she was shaking her head, clearly feeling that there was no need to be playing around with the words. After all, I know what I did say, so lying would only make things worse.

"You said a body was found down there, and it was next to the necklace. It's obvious who it is." She finished, and started to head on inside. "Thanks for finding out the truth. But please, don't try and tell me that it isn't anything other than what we both know."

As she was done, I decided that I would leave the subject alone, knowing that she was just unable to hear anything else. I was starting to head off, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was wanting to say more. But then he decided against it, feeling that at this point in time, there was nothing to get by trying to say anything else.

"Sheldon, what do you think we need to be doing now?" Todd asked, hoping that I would have something, literally anything to tell him. But in all honesty, I did not, and probably never fucking would.

"I don't fucking know. I thought that I might have been able to make her feel better, and give her hope. But I feel like maybe that situation just isn't fucking happening. I hope that she will actually be able to forgive me here." I said, and then I was wondering what I could have said now.

"Todd, do you feel like you would ever be able to forgive me if that really is what happened? You know, that Shari is the body down there, and she is dead?" I asked, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was really having nothing else to say on it at all.

"Honestly, I feel like you are needing to calm the fucking hell down. I mean, for fucks sake, you were not the one that set up this situation in the first place. You were not the one that killed Shari. You were just simply the one that brought the answers to me." He said, and then after he was saying this to me, I was feeling like there was nothing else to be saying.

"I wish that I could calm down. But I gave Shari's parents my word, and I promised people that I would get the truth out one way or another. And now that this is what happens, I feel like maybe I set myself up with something that was just fucking wrong." After I was telling him this, I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have said to say anything else.

"You did give them your word. And if that is the body that is down there, then you did go through with it, as sad as it is. If it is not, then we just need to work on finding out where to go now. We can always just head on down to the fucking mines, and see what in the world we can find." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like nothing I could say would change the way he felt.

"Where would I even head now? I mean, there is only so many times that I can go in the forest before there is nothing left to possibly get there. I can't get into the school files." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to get out of this.

"I don't know. I feel like maybe the school files are still the best bet. Lazarus wants nothing to do with it. And besides, the man in the purple jacket still is involved in the school. So maybe he is still the best bet that we have right now." After he was saying this, I was feeling there was no point in arguing what he was telling me now.

"How are we even going to be heading there in the first place? Kidswatter probably wouldn't want to have us looking into individual student files." I said, and then I was wondering what else I would have been able to tell them. Todd shook his head, feeling this was a horrible idea.

"That could honestly be true. But what the fucking hell else do you feel I could be doing? I mean, even if this idea with Kidswatter is a bad idea, it is going to be better than nothing at all." After he was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have said to make him feel better.

"And the whole idea of getting to talk to the man in the purple jacket is a fucking miserable nightmare. There is no way in fucking hell that he is going to be willing to talk to any of us at all." I said, shaking my head, wondering what in the world I could have been able to say that would have added or taken away from this discussion.

"Fuck that man. I mean, I have a feeling that this man is going to be the best bet on how we can get some level of truth here. And yet when we try to talk to him, there is nothing else that I could be able to get here." After Todd said this, he was balling his right fist for a second, and he was really looking like he wanted to just let out a really loud yell.

"I wonder what the hell this man is even fucking trying to accomplish by having this discussion at all. I just feel like he wants to pretend like he is the biggest savior of this town, when we are just a fucking set of puppets for him." He said, and had nothing else to discuss here.

"I have no idea. I feel like Kevin is gong to refuse to tell us anything. But who knows, I guess that he will probably just think that we are being too harsh for him or whatever." I said, and then I was feeling like nothing that I could say would make the situation any different at all.

"Kevin is going to be the most stubborn human being in existence, with how much he refuses to be telling us anything. I feel like he almost wants us to be failing this here." After Todd said this, I was feeling like he was probably best to not say something like this, for his own sake.

"I wonder if Sam would be willing to find out what in the world we could be able to do in order to have some fucking clues for Shari. He would probably tell us to just not be looking too deep into this. As if we were just being silly for even thinking anything like this at all." I said, and I was feeling that perhaps Sam would just hardly even fucking care what I would do, due to how much this would probably be putting Kevin at some level of danger.

I was looking down at the ground, and I was really feeling lost at what the hell I was even going to be doing here. I was feeling that my next plan was going to be something that would piss Todd off. But in all honesty, I had hardly fucking cared.

"What are you even going to do now?" Todd asked, and then I was looking right at him. I was feeling like if he knew what I was wanting to do, then he would just probably think that I was only wasting everybodys time, and I knew that he would be very fucking open about this.

"Maybe not tonight, but soon, I am going to be trying to talk to Larry. I will see if I will be able to force him to finally speak to me. He might be willing to give me something, if I just put my fucking foot down here." I said, and then I was seeing that Todd looked like this idea was going to fucking fail.

"Larry is not going to fucking speak with you about this. You have tried to speak to him several times before, and there is a greater chance that you can figure this out all on your own than anything else." After he was telling me this, I was shaking my head, and I felt like there was nothing else to be saying.

"I don't fucking care. I am not going to be leaving the chances alone. I feel like this is the best option that I could ever fucking have." I said, and then I was wondering why in the world I was even having this discussion with Todd.

"If you want to waste your time with getting to know this guy, and feel like you might be able to get him to give us some bullshit, then go ahead. I am going to let you fucking try. But please be smart enough to know that there is no fucking chance that this is going to happen." I hoped that in due time, I would have gotten Todd to work with me more. That I would get him to see that I was working hard. But I guess that something like this was just not going to happen.

"I thought that I would have been able to help you out and make you feel so much better." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have been able to get out of this. If Todd was not going to respect the work that I was doing, then why in the world would I even bother trying? I felt like I was only just wasting my time here.

But I guess nothing else fucking mattered. "You have a lot of crazy ideas, and I feel like you need to see that this is the best that I can do." I said, and then I was feeling that nothing I could tell Todd would even give him any willingness to work with me. But I hardly cared.

After we were done, Todd and I were just hanging around, just trying to figure out what to do. I was feeling like whatever Todd and I were going to be doing, there was nothing else that I could have possibly said at all. "Honestly Sheldon, I figured that this was going to be turning out that way. I feel like you need to not be so scared of everything." Todd said, and I gave him a straight evil look.

"I don't know. I feel like they are probably just feeling better knowing that even the most minor amount of looking had been done. That doesn't mean that they have to automatically what I had been doing. They might be just trying to find some form of silver lining here." I said, and then I was wanting to scream at what I was doing.

"If I had a daughter that never returned home, I would probably just be wondering why I was the one who had the terrible stroke of luck in this town. I mean, I can tell from what my dad is like, that having a child go missing is a rather fucking terrible thing to deal with." After I was telling him this, I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have said.

"You were saying that you feel like your father hasn't been giving you nearly as much as you need to be comfortable with. But here you are saying that he is somebody who has been dealing with the grief for a super long period of time." Todd said, trying to call me out for no good reason at all.

"Just because I feel like he hasn't really given me all the answers that I want doesn't mean that I have ever once doubted that he was wanting to do everything that he can to find Riley. The scary thing in my mind is if he really did find her already, and then is fucking lying to me about it. That would piss me of a million times worse." I said, and then I was feeling like saying that was all that I could ever say.

"If that is the case, then do you feel like you would ever forgive your father. You know, since by that point, he would have thrown you into something that could have easily been fixed…" Todd said, and he was clearly feeling horrible for what he was saying. I was wondering what in the world he was even trying to accomplish here.

"I don't know what I am going to tell him. I feel like if he has been lying this whole time, then I feel like I will just have to try and really get over it now." After I told him this, I really had no idea what I could say. But before long, that was when Joy was walking up to where the two of us were sitting, wanting to see us.

"Hey guys, I wanted to talk with you for a bit. I feel like it was time for me to finally open up, and just stop being so fucking scared here." Joy said, and then she was sitting down at our booth, and I was seeing that she clearly was having a lot of lost thoughts in her mind.

"What were you wishing to discuss?" I asked, hoping that whatever was happening, I could be able to make her feel at least slightly better here. She was shaking her head, clearly feeling like we were both going to be judging her for some fucking reason. But I had no idea what I would tell her here.

"I was wanting to talk to you about my parents. I mean, I feel like I want to be at your side if you are going to be looking into what they are doing. I have kind of given up on the idea of them being super innocent and stuff. Thanks for that guys. And I feel like if I am going to help, I feel like we just need to jump right to it." After she was telling me this, I was really unsure what in the world I would even be able to say now.

"What is changing your mind about this? That is making you suddenly feel like you need to fucking just start to help us out?" I asked, and then I was seeing her looking like she was not really in the mood to be hearing this at all.

"I think that the thing that is changing my mind is knowing that if my parents are in this, then they need to start to have some accountability. And besides, I feel like the truth is that if you guys are going to be looking into this as much as you want, then I just need to be at your side, and see what I could be able to give you." She was saying, and I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have said.

"I guess that is fair enough. But Joy, I want to tell you that if you are going to be looking into this, then you will have to see the truth to the fact that this might really start hurting your perspective of your parents quite a bit. And that loss of truth is going to really be the worst thing ever." I said, and then after I was telling her this, I saw her looking like she hardly fucking cared.

"My opinions of them are going to be ruined anyways if you guys are telling the truth. At least this way, if I see what is happening, I know what is happening is true, and that I will know you guys are never fucking lying to me." After she said this, I figured there was nothing else to be saying.

"I guess that does make some sense. I don't know if I fully fucking get it, but I will fucking go along with it." I said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to say. I was standing up, and then I was wondering what in the world I would even be able to tell Joy to be making her feel better about what was going on here.

"I thought that you of all people would have gotten it, with the stuff that you always say about your dad. I just thought that I would be able to be most open with you." After she was telling me this, I was wondering what I would even be able to tell her.

"That is a touchy subject for the guy. I think it would be best for us to stop looking so deeply into his dad right now. We can talk about it more between us if you fucking need it." After Todd was telling her this, I was seeing that Joy was kind of looking like she was wanting to find something else to say now.

As we were leaving, I was looking at Larry, feeling like I just needed to find something to tell him. To make him feel much better here. "Hey Larry, I do apologize for forcing you into all this shit. I mean, I thought that you would have been fine with what we are doing." After I told him this, I was seeing that Larry looked like he had hardly fucking could react to this.

"Look Sheldon, I know that if you really actually fucking meant that, then you would never be looking into this right now. You are just telling me this to try and make me feel better here. I mean, I have to deal with the risk of you guys steering my customers away on a daily fucking basis." After he was telling me this, I felt like there was nothing else that I could have said.

"Larry, I feel like you need to just tell me what I could do to make things better for you. But I just wanted to let you know that I do indeed feel bad, even if you do not see something like that." I said, feeling like there was nothing left to tell him at all.

"Just don't do anything so fucking stupid that I instantly become the top suspect. That is the thing that I am most scared about." He said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing left to tell him. I felt like there was nothing left to tell him. So with that, I decided that I would be heading away, and not pissing him off too much.

Eventually, we left the area, and I was hoping that this apology would be able to make Larry feel like I was at least sort of looking at the stuff he was dealing with. Acknowledging that I was making things worse for him, and that I would do everything that I would to turn things around.

As we were leaving, we were seeing a bunch of police cars starting to drive along. As we realized what was happening, we decided to head on where they were going, aware that they were trying to head to the well. I was wondering what in the world they were going to do now. Just grab that body, and then see who it possibly was.

The longer that we were heading there, the more and more that I was starting to feel like my fear was just really fucking running through my mind. I was wondering if they were going to be bringing the situation to us, and find a way to blame us for something that we had no fucking involvement at all in.

After a while, we were seeing that there were four cars at the well. Todd, Joy, and I were all well aware of what was about to go down. Somebody pulled out a rope, and started to bring it down, with one officer, to grab who was there. "Do you guys know anything about this?" Joy asked us, clearly trying to sound like she was having a minor form of cool here.

"When Myron and I were looking around, and grabbed Shari's necklace down there, we both saw a dead body there. Neither one of us were sure what we were going to find. But Shari's mother is convinced that this was Shari." I said, and then I was seeing Joy looking like she was kind of seeing what her mother was meaning with this.

"I mean, I do sort of see what she might have felt here. If there really was a body that was found right next to the necklace, that would be the natural assumption to be making." After she was saying this, I was looking right at her, and I was wondering what in the world I would even tell her at all.

"Don't tell me that you feel like we fucking failed this too." I said, and Joy was looking right at me, and she was clearly looking like she was not wanting to commit one way or another, but was feeling like something like this was at least slightly possible.

"Look, all that I am saying is that I believe that there is a chance that she could be the one that is down there. I feel like you need to at least consider that idea before you start getting too fucking upset with me here." She said, and then I was feeling like I would have failed Shari if this happened.

"If you did find her down there, then at least her mother would be able to say that she knows what happened. I feel like you need to be looking at things with that level of positivity." After she said this, the body was pulled up, and then placed down on a stretcher. I was closing my eyes, feeling completely unsure of what we were going to do here.

"Joy, were you ever really close with Shari at all?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to try and see what I could be able to do in order to make you have a easier time coping with this." I said, and I was feeling like there was no way in hell that any of what I would be able to say would even get her to appreciate me more.

"Honestly, she was more friends with Steven and Myron than she was ever friends with me. As much as that is true though, I did have some time connecting with her. We talked a few times working on school. But she just always seemed to be thinking that people were always kind of making fun of her here." After she was saying this, I was slowly nodding. Feeling there was nothing to say.

"I guess that at the end of the day, knowing that a person that I went to school with, is going to be gone, and that I will never have a chance to try and make things right with her, is a terrible situation. I doubt that anybody really cares though." After she was telling me this, I was deciding that I would just leave things alone for a while.

"Hey Joy, can you be honest with me here? Did you ever really think that I would find her? I mean, I wanted to do so. But I feel like more likely than not, the whole thing was just not going to fucking work." After Todd was telling Joy this, I was hearing him sounding like he was just trying to hold back his anger at this whole thing.

"I mean, on your own, I feel like you would have had no fucking chance. But with Sheldon and the other members of your social circle, I thought that it might have been possible. I mean, I thought that I would trust you." After she was telling Todd this, I saw her looking like she was finally willing to just have the honesty there.

"I guess that you have a more realistic perspective than I ever would. I guess that maybe when I saw you guys, I could have been able to help you. But I only just made things worse." After Todd was telling her this, I was wondering if there was anything else to be saying now.

"Sorry that I have been so hard on you Todd. I mean, I feel like you deserve better than what I gave you. I just feel like a part of the issue was the fact that I was feeling like you would not have been able to fix the issue. And as a result, I just felt like there was nothing to worry about." After Joy said that, I was wondering if there was any way that the two of them were going to be getting along much better now.

"So guys, what do you plan on doing now? I mean, either way, it might be good to know what happened with her. Like exactly. I feel like if you are going to be looking into things like the man in the purple jacket, you might be able to find something more here." After Joy was telling me this, I was wondering what I could even be able to tell her.

"Todd was saying it might be best to go into the school, and try to get some information on her again. I feel like something like this might not really fucking help. But I feel like there is no reason to he fighting this at all." I said, and I was feeling like there was nothing else to be arguing with at all.

"Do you feel like in order to do that, you might have to try and get Kidswatter to talk with you? I mean, in all honesty, the main thing to be looking at, is the fact that Kidswatter is kind of a idiot more than anything else." After Joy was telling me this, I was really having nothing else that I would have been able to tell her.

"I don't fucking know. I mean, maybe Kidswatter is just acting like that in order to get people to be leaving him alone. I feel like that is actually much more possible then you might want to believe that it is." After Todd was telling her this, I was wondering if he was actually believing in everything that he had just said at this rate.

"Hey Sheldon, what do you feel?" Joy asked, and then I looked right at her, and I wondered what I would have been able to tell her. In all honesty, I felt like everything that I told her would just be a fucking lie, and nothing else would even fucking mattered at all.

"I mean, it might be the best option that we have. But I feel like the best thing to do right now is figure out a way that maybe we can just all get to know each other." After I was telling her this, I was seeing that Joy was looking like she was having nothing else to be telling me at all.

"I am afraid that I am not that interesting, and I feel like you are probably going to be wasting your time if you even fucking try here." After Joy told me this, I was feeling like she was needing to give me more to work with. And that her way of acting like this was never going to be making me feel just kind of like I was wasting my time.

"Even if you are not that interesting, it would be something that I would like to get to know more about." After I was telling Joy this, I was feeling like telling her this was going to be able to get her to slightly more open about what was going on.

"Most of the stuff that I have been doing in my life has all been related to my fucking friendships with you all." After Joy was telling me this, I was feeling like there might have been a level of truth to this. But that did not mean that I actually even have to be liking this in the first place.

"I don't really fucking care about that too much. Everything is going to be fine. I just feel like we need to have some time for everything to all fucking wrap up." I said, and then I was having no idea what I could have done to change what was going on. Perhaps Joy was just not confident at all, and I needed to help her break out of her shell.

"You are probably the most stubborn person aside from Todd that I know. And I feel like maybe if you were around before Shari went missing, then things would have changed." She said, and I was feeling like she was just kind of ruining my thoughts on this whole thing.

"Don't fucking throw me under the bus like this. I would not have been able to make the changes that you guys needed to bring her home. So I feel like you need to give me some fucking slack here." I said, and I was feeling like standing up for myself for once was what I needed.

"I just felt like I needed to be fucking honest with you here. That is all that I felt like needed to be done." She said, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have done. I finally figured that I just needed to let her say what she needed to say, for her own sake, since she was clearly scared now.

"I mean, I guess that if this is something is true, then maybe you are technically giving me some compliments here." I said, and then I was wondering what in the world I would have been able to say besides that. To try and make me feel at least slightly better about what had been happening.

"I knew you were going to come around and see what I was meaning." After she was telling me this, I was feeling that there was nothing else to be saying now. But I knew that at the end of the day, there was nothing else to say, and I just couldn't fucking care at all.

I just had a hope that the body down there wasn't fucking Shari. I mean, in all honesty in all honesty, it probably was. But if it wasn't, then I could have some chance. But I felt like in all honesty, this was going to be the starting of the ending of this entire story. I took out a cigarette, as a way to grief for what I knew.

Scene 19: The School Files

The next day I was meeting up with Todd, and the entire time that I was meeting up with him, I was wondering what in the world I was even going to say to him. "I guess that maybe we just need to follow through with your suggestion of the school files." I said, and I was wondering what I would even say to him to change things.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that you were going to come around eventually. I knew that there was no way in hell that you were going to turn down the best chance to learn any new fucking clues." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, feeling that I just didn't really want to hear it.

"Stop dude. I am trying to fucking help. How is Joy by the way? I mean, she was telling us about how she was planning on helping out the investigation with her parents. I mean, she probably wants to pretend like she is holding up well. But if she is saying this, then that means something came up and hurt her." I said, feeling that telling her this was all that I could say to make her feel better.

"I haven't talked to her much. Although I have a fear that what you are suggesting is true. After all, I was never really much of a friend of hers until lately. But she is a good woman, and I feel like she deserves more than what I am giving her." He was telling me this, and I was really having nothing else that I could tell him to make him feel better.

"Do you feel like you are going to ever see Joy willing to talk to you?" I asked him, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was not really in the mood to be having this discussion right now. I figured that it would be best to just leave it alone, for the time being at least.

"I don't know. I think she is starting to slowly see that she is kind of having no fucking choice on the matter. But that is not really for me to fucking decide." After he was telling me this, I felt like it was finally time for us to be getting to work once again, for both of our sakes.

"Never mind. Forget what I said. Clearly that is not the main subject that you are worried about." I said, feeling that for both our sakes, knowing how he had been feeling, there was nothing that I could get out of speaking to him like this. He had his own feelings on this, and that was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I think it is best to not worry too much about what my friends are doing. They like hanging out with you, and I feel like that is the main thing you need to be worried about." After he was telling me this, I was just kind of feeling that I was wasting my fucking time.

"There are only so many times you can tell me this before I start to feel like I am not going to be buying anything that you are saying." After I told him this, we were starting to walk on along, and hoping that eventually, when we were at the school, we would just get this over with, and not be wasting any further time with this.

"What do you even think you will find at the school anyways? I mean, realistically, I believe that Kidswatter would be smart enough to know what you and some friends are planning, and would plan ahead to make sure that people do not steal their items. I mean, you probably should have considered that before setting yourself up for anything." I said, hoping he would hear what I was saying now.

"I don't fucking know dude. I mean, I feel like the worst that can come out of this is that if it fails, then we just need to look for other places to check out. There is no reason to be so scared of various little things that in all honesty, we have no fucking control over." After Todd was telling me this, I was hearing that the patience in his voice was clearly running out, and that he was not wanting to hear it at all.

"Never mind me bringing anything up. It seems like people will just hardly fucking listen to anything that I say. Act like I am being a fucking idiot for even bringing these things up in the first place." I said, and then I was shaking my head, having no patience here.

I was seeing that Todd was wanting to say something. But then he was just feeling that there was nothing else to say at all. "Sheldon, you are not having any better ideas on how to handle this either. It seems after a point, you are just following what I am doing, and not really figuring things out on your own." Todd told me, and then I was feeling like I just needed to fight with him a little bit.

We eventually were at the school once again, and then I was rubbing my eyes a bit, not too sure what in the world I was even going to accomplish right now. "Todd, I was the one that decided to bring you along because you were feeling like you needed to find something to do. To actually make a difference here. So please don't fucking give me that crap about how I am not really helping out."

Todd sighed in annoyance, not sure what to say. "I didn't quite literally mean that. I was just saying that as a way to express my annoyance at what was happening. There was no reason for me to say that." He said, trying to have a moment where he was able to try and fix the situation that he was in. But before long, we were both looking at the school a bit.

Once at the school, I was looking right at him, and I was wondering what I was going to do. "Look, I guess that I just get on edge when I hear people calling me out on certain things. I just wish that I knew better than to just instantly get up at arms over it." I said, and then after I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of hearing what I said.

We just went inside the school, and the entire time that we were going around, I was feeling like whatever Todd was thinking right now, he was just simply going to not want to be hearing it at all. He would probably just get a bit annoyed here.

We went right into the office, where there was nobody inside. I was so fucking happy to be seeing that we were going to be alone for the time being. I saw Todd get a quick flicker of excitement as he was seeing this. Probably thinking that we now finally had a chance of making this work out.

"God, I thought that there would be somebody guarding the area. Who knows, maybe we now finally have a chance to get what we fucking need." After he was telling me this, I was shaking my head, and I was feeling like we were both going to be getting ourselves in a lot of danger.

"Are you sure that we should be doing this? You know, with the security cameras?" I asked and then Todd looked at me, and had a smile on his face as if feeling like what he would tell me was the greatest secret in the fucking world.

"I was told by one of the teachers that nobody even checks those. They just have to keep them in case the mayor comes by and wants to check." After he was telling me this, I was then sighing, and I was feeling like there was nothing else to say on the matter at all.

"Wow, that is kind of shocking. I thought there would have at least been a night crew person who would put it on fast forward." I said, and then I was opening the door, having no interest in this conversation at all. I was seeing Todd looking like he was kind of proud to be able to give me that moment of correction.

Once in the principal's office, Todd went right to the main files. I was watching the door anyways, just to keep guard. The truth was that no matter how hard I wanted to pretend like we were going to be fine, I was feeling there was nothing wrong with being even more careful. For some reason, I just had a feeling that this was really going to be getting us in a lot of trouble.

Before long, he was pulling out the one with Shari. He was looking over all of the things that were written in there. "Has sleeping issues, and has been working on staying away more during class." Todd said, and gave a slight chuckle as he was reading this.

"Reported missing with less than two weeks left in the school year. Hopefully the school district will be able to recover from this. The teachers have been told to not give any hints on what happened to her, due to certain contracts." The note said, and then Todd was looking like he was just kind of unsure of what in the world he was wanting to say.

"What the fucking hell does Kidswatter mean? Is he saying this as a way to avoid public panic, or does he already know something, as if lying about it in order to give people a chance to hide the truth? I really don't know what to think about this." Todd responded to me, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and get him to hurry up, for our own sake.

"Look Todd, I understand that you are angry at this, but I feel like if we stay here any longer, then we are only going to be making thing worse for both of us." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and get him to fucking calm down, and not be having a melt down in here of all places.

"How can I not be upset? This man is aware of the fact that he is lying, and doesn't seem to fucking care about the fact that we are all being mislead like a bunch of fucking sheep. I think you need to see that this is really fucking upsetting." He said, and I was feeling there was nothing else to tell him.

"Well, maybe if you want to make a judgement, you should read it all. It seems like there is still more left in here." After I was telling him this, I was wondering if he was going to finally just get his shit together, and not be messing around at all.

"You are really hard to work with sometimes. I wish that you would fucking know this." Todd said, and then I was smiling as he was saying this. Knowing that in all honesty, he was kind of having a lack of patience to deal with the fact that I was being honest with him was so good to hear.

"In order to keep my silence, 10,000 dollars has been sent to the school account, in a way to help fix the rooms that haven't been usable in a long time." Todd said, and then after he was telling me this, I was really having no idea what in the world I could say. I knew that there was no way in hell that I would be able to defend the principal when I hear that one.

"Look dude, I know that you are probably super upset with everything that is going on, but if we stay here for super long, and do not make any plans on how to change this, then we are only going to be making things worse." I said, and then I was looking at him, and I was seeing Todd looking like he wanted to scream at me for the way that I had been acting.

"Just give me a fucking moment." Todd said, and then he was finishing up what he was reading, and then he was placing the file inside. "What the fucking hell was this guy doing? Does he know how much people would trust him, love him, for all the work he was doing? I mean, does he not see that he is only making things worse for us all?"

"I don't know what to tell you Todd. I feel like you are maybe just looking at everything that is going on. I know that it can be hard to look at things that way, but I just feel like that is something that you will just have to accept." After I was telling him this, I felt like there was nothing else to be saying.

"You are not fucking helping me right now. You are just making me get even more angry, hearing people come up with reasons to justify his shitty behavior." After Todd was saying this, I was sighing, and I felt like there was nothing else that I could even tell him.

"Todd, what the hell can I even tell you to even make you feel any fucking different. I mean, I am not the greatest social guy ever, and you fucking know this. I feel like you just need to fucking find something else to be looking at, without dragging things down even worse." I said, and then I was really having no idea what I could have even said to this.

"Sheldon, I just feel like I just need to know that maybe I am not being stupid right now. You know, just feeling like I need to be standing up for myself." Todd was telling me, and I was wondering what in the world I would have even be able to tell him to make this whole thing better for him.

"I don't think you are being stupid. What I do think however is that maybe we just need to have some fucking plans on what we are fucking doing here." After I was telling him this, I was feeling like nothing that I would say would even fucking make him start to lighten up at all.

"I wish that I could fucking know what to do. I feel like maybe I should just try and see what my other friends are like right now. Maybe they might know what I am supposed to be doing right now." After Todd was telling me this, I was really just thinking there was nothing else to say.

We left the office, and the moment that we were gone, I knew both Todd and I heard some foot steps. As I was hearing this, I was sighing, and I felt like there was no way in the fucking world I was going to get myself out of this here.

"Do you think that maybe we should just be leaving right now?" I asked, and I was looking at Todd, and I was seeing him rather fucking annoyed at the fact that I was even suggesting something like this. "We both know that putting ourselves in danger is not going to be fucking worth it."

"I don't fucking care if we are getting ourselves in danger. We are going to fucking check out what the hell this man is doing." Todd said, and I was feeling like there was no fucking point in arguing with what he was saying. So I just decided to stop fucking talking.

We were heading down the school hall, and I was feeling that if either one of us were going to die because of what this man was doing, then he was needing to fucking grow up, and realize where his faults were. "Todd, what if Shari is dead? You are throwing away the chance to learn because of a fucking hunch that you have? Are you fucking serious?"

"I think that we both know there is a better chance that she is dead than alive. But if that is the case, then wouldn't it be worse to just fucking brush off the one chance that I have, than to just check things out for a god damn minute." He was saying, and I was feeling there was nothing else that I could say to make things any different.

We eventually got outside, and we were seeing Lewis, one of the men who worked in the school, talking with one of the men in black. Todd and I hid behind a bush, to just buy us some fucking time. I closed my eyes, wondering what I would get here.

"I convinced Kidswatter to take the files out by the end of the summer. If any of those are shown, then we will be throwing everything in the water, all because of the idea that he wants to have everything recorded." Lewis said, and then I was seeing Todd looking like he was just trying to keep his cool as he was hearing what Lewis had been saying.

"If he does not comply by the last Friday of summer break, then we will have no choice but to eliminate him. It is a shame, since he was the one principal who seemed to be making most of the students feel like they were welcome at home." After the man in black was saying this, I was seeing that Todd was now looking like he was even more scared of what was going on. Knowing that Kidswatter might even be in danger over this.

"What the hell is Lewis doing? I thought that he was supposed to be a friend. Is he seriously setting up this whole thing with other people?" Todd asked, and he was sounding like he was just kind of barely holding his patience at this.

"Maybe Kidswatter was just thrown into this, and he was just writing this whole thing down as a way to make it seem like he was doing some work." I said, feeling like I would be able to make Todd feel a bit better about what I was doing.

"I don't really know dude. Either way, I am really starting to lose my cool with this right now." Todd was saying, and I was feeling like I just needed to let him say what he needed to say. No matter how much I wanted to help him, I felt like just remaining silent was the best thing that I can fucking do in his favor.

"Have the students been told that Mrs. Jewels won't be returning to the school next year? If they haven't been told this, then they will have to be told this tomorrow." The man in the black suit again, and then Lewis was looking down for a moment, unsure what to tell him.

"I will let them all know. I guess that I better start writing the letters for it. Are you sure that this is the best option?" After Lewis said this, the man in black was laughing at this. Probably finding that this story was just kind of funny.

"I know that you kind of had a thing for you, but you know that she was getting close to the dead line, and that she had a working sample. We really had no choice." The man in black was saying, and then I was feeling like there was nothing that could be keeping Todd feeling more calm and collected here.

I was placing my hand on his shoulder, trying to fucking get him to calm down, feeling like this was the best that I could have done. "This is not worth throwing everything away for. Just let things slide for now, and we can see what to do here." I said, and then I was closing my eyes, feeling like there was nothing to tell him.

"Sheldon, do you not fucking hear what they are doing. They are throwing my teacher away. For no god damn reason." Todd said, and then he was trying to keep himself calm here. But then I was feeling like there was nothing else that I could have told him.

"Look, I hear what you are saying. I understand that you want revenge. But this is not the way to do it. And besides, we are kind of stuck here." After I said this, there was one more bit to the conversation.

"Get the fucking job done. Do not be holding us back." He said, and then the man was Lewis alone. As I was seeing Lewis looking down and he was looking like he was clearly not happy with what he was saying. Probably just feeling like he lost what he had for him.

Later, we were at his house, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and find something to say in order to make him feel a whole lot better. "Todd, if there is something that you need to discuss, then you can just open up to me. I do not mean to be making you have a hard time." I said, and then I was seeing that Todd was just not in the mood.

"Honestly, I don't fucking care right now. I just want to fucking know what the hell I can do. The principal probably just not only knows what is going on with Shari, but the other people that are going to be going missing at our school. And he is just getting a pass every single fucking time. I wonder why everybody even believes he deserves a chance at all." After Todd was telling me this, I was wondering what else I could have said to change this feeling.

"But Todd, he is the principal, and therefore he basically has a fucking locked in immunity on what he wants to do. There is nothing you are going to get by going after him. Unless if you have proof." I said, and then Todd was looking at me, and I was seeing him looking kind of upset here.

"We do have proof. We just saw it there. There is no fucking reason to even fucking claim that we do not have proof. The only reason we do not have it on me right now is because I didn't have the time to snatch it up." Todd was telling me, and I was feeling like I just needed to remain silent for a moment. There was nothing that I could even get out of telling him this.

"Todd, I want to believe that we can make this work. It would fucking be amazing. But I think we both know that people will just hear our stories, and just tell us that we are pulling at straws here." I said, and then I was feeling like I needed to leave it there.

"I am going to go back in there, and either take pictures of everything, or steal them. I mean, with the latter though, they might finally check out the cameras for once. But the pictures, I feel like maybe that can fucking work." After he was telling me this, I was remaining silent for a moment.

"Well, I guess that there is no reason to say no." I said, feeling like I just needed to at least pretend like this was something that I was actually fucking down for. I wasn't, but pretending like this was going to be enough.

"Sheldon, I just really need a friend to support me through this whole thing." Todd said, and I was wondering what in the world I even could say. Maybe he just meant right now, and not in general. If that is the case, I just needed to step the fuck up and get in there to help.

"What do you think you need to be doing? You were kind of talking about the idea of reaching out to your other members of the group? Who do you feel like you will try to speak to first?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to see what his real plan was. He shook his head, not sure what to fucking say.

"I mean, I feel like maybe I need to start giving Maurecia a chance. I feel like too often, I have kind of brushed her off, and that might just be making things worse for us. And I feel like she deserves better than what I have been doing." After Todd was saying this, I was starting to nod. Feeling like maybe this was a good starting point.

"I know that I am not really the friend you deserve, and that all the times that I have been hanging out with you has only been making things worse." I said, knowing that just owning up to the truth was something that I felt like would make him feel much better.

"I mean, I feel like maybe I need to give you credit. You are a good guy, who has been working hard to help us. But in all honesty, I just feel like you kind of have that more brotherly like feeling than that friend feeling. If that makes any sense." Todd said, and then I was nodding, as that reminded me of what Kevin was feeling.

"You and Kevin both told me this. Knowing that you guys both feel that way, I feel like maybe I need to at least consider what you guys are saying. I just feel like I can't really get myself in that character. I want to, since it would be great for us. But maybe that is just not fucking me." I finally felt like the pure honesty was all that I could give him.

"Yeah, Kevin mentioned that to me the first time I was hanging out with him after I saw you. I felt like maybe he was wrong. That you deserved a chance. But I guess that something like that is just not going to fucking matter anymore." Todd was telling me, and then I was wondering why in the world I even was so upset over something like this. Probably knowing that there was a bond that he admitted we were probably never going to have.

"I don't know what I can say to make it different. I suppose that maybe it is fucking impossible." I said, and then I was shrugging, feeling like nothing that I could tell him would make this story any better for him. Todd was sitting down, and looked at the streets ahead, wondering what his thoughts were even going to be now. Probably just rather tired at this.

"Maybe that is something that you need to do when looking at Dakota once again. Maybe he is more of a brother like figure than a friend. That is something that I feel like could be worth looking at." Todd said, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and tell him off. But then I was thinking about what he was saying now.

"How are you and Emily doing right now?" After he was asking me this, I was wondering what the fucking hell I was even going to tell him. I was feeling like trying to talk to her was only going to be making things much worse for her.

"In all honesty, I like her. A lot. But in all honesty, I feel like if I try and speak to her again, she will probably just tell me that I am a fucking asshole for brushing her off too much." I said, and then I was thinking that I was only going to be making things worse.

"That makes some sense, I suppose. I just wish that I could have helped you a bit. Maybe you can talk to her at some point, and even if she doesn't like you anymore, at least you fucking know now." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing I could get here.

"Yeah, I suppose that makes sense It feels strange, being so deep into something like this that relationship drama hardly even processes anything with me. I feel like I would be able to date somebody, and have that be the only thing I was worried about. But I guess that isn't fucking happening." I said, and I didn't really know what to say.

"Yeah, right. That would be kind of crazy. I mean, if the fucking mysteries weren't around, all that I would be doing would be focusing on dating. And hell, even when the school year starts, I feel like that is something that I will have to do. Especially since nobody believes me." Todd was saying, and I was thinking about the school year.

"I wonder if maybe there really is nothing. I mean, I know that is not true at all. But if that is the case, then that would explain why nobody would be going after us at all." I said, and then I was feeling like nothing I said would even fucking make me buy what I said.

"Dude, I think even you know that is bullshit so don't even fucking start." Todd said, and he was kind of annoyed with that. "But I know that you are just trying to make yourself feel better here. I just hope that several years from now, we can look back at this, and fucking laugh at this." As he said that, I was wondering what I could do to become a friend to him, the way he wanted.

Scene 20: The Love Affair

I remember one time, when Jamie was hanging out with me, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and show her some of my own friends. "Sheldon, is there something on your mind?" She asked, when she was seeing my dazed expression. I was looking down at her, and I was feeling like maybe I could just tell her what my theory was here.

"I was thinking that I would show you one of my friends. A guy named Sam. I mean, he has a hard time really getting out there socially. I don't know. I just feel like he might need something like this." I said, as Jamie was looking kind of unsure of what to tell me.

"Are you sure that this is going to actually fucking work out? I mean, you are hinging your bet on this guy being willing to branch out to you and the first place?" Jamie asked, and I was hearing that she was clearly not too sure of what to believe.

"I don't really fucking know. I feel like it might be worth a fucking try. I mean, after all, if I know some of your friends, and they seem like pretty cool people, then wouldn't it be worth a try?" I asked, and then I was seeing her looking like she was just kind of willing to hear what I was saying for a bit. But she was starting to smile for a second, as if feeling like she needed to just find something good out of this.

"I mean, I guess that it can be worth a try. But if this fails, then you need to help me on the car as a pay back." After she was telling me this, I was slowly sighing, and I felt like there was no need to be arguing with her over this. I knew that she was going to get what she had wanted, one way or another.

"God damn it. Fine. I will agree to this. I mean, can't really help you if you don't help me learn how to work on them." I said, hoping that I would be able to get her to start to open up with actually teaching me. She looked at me, and she was seeming to take what I said into a least some form of consideration.

"I think that maybe we can perhaps work this out." Jamie told me, and kept a small grin before I was finally feeling better at the fact that she was willing to agree to help me out at all. There was only so much that I was going to be able to do to make her feel better.

I was starting to head to my car, I was seeing Jamie looking like she was trying to find something to say about the idea of hanging out with Sam. She probably was not really all that into the idea, and just felt like she was kind of forced into it all.

As I was driving on towards Sam's house, I was wondering if Kevin was going to be there. If he was, then I was going to have to explain to him that I was trying to get into a relationship with Jamie, and that this was something that I was feeling like would be worth fighting for.

"I know that you and Sam had been friends for quite a while now. Do you feel like Sam is your best friend or something?" She asked, and I was having no idea what in the world I could even fucking tell her. There was nothing that I could tell her.

"Honestly, I feel like he would be a good candidate for my best friend. But to be honest, I feel like I know Dakota and Ashley much more, and have been hanging out with them a whole lot more. So I feel like they are probably better bets to my best friend." I said, and I was seeing her looking like she was just kind of unsure of what to even believe here.

"Sorry. I try to not pry too much. I just have seen how much you guys sort of have a click in there. And I know that you probably had a reason to try and introduce me to him before you tried to introduce me to the others." After she was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else to fucking tell her at all.

"I mean, Dakota and Ashley already have each other, and Dakota is trying to ask Ashley out. I feel like he might be much more focused on that for the time being. So in all honesty, I feel like I need to just respect their spaces here." I said, and then I was seeing her looking like she was kind of not sure what to even think of that.

"I always kind of knew that Dakota was wanting to ask her out. But after the time when she was going out with Harold, he always seemed to be kind of scared to meet up with her. So I wonder if she will accept his offer." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, not sure what to tell her.

"Honestly, I feel like he will get her to at least be willing to try it once. He does have a mile amount of charm with him. Not enough to get him girlfriends all the time, but enough for when it counts." After I was telling her this, I was wondering if I was actually believing what I was saying.

"I guess that makes some sense. After all, he is that type of guy who has a jack of all trades appeal to him, and I feel like that might be enough to get him something here." After she was telling me this, I was slowly nodding, before long, we were at Sam's house, and I knocked on his door, hoping he would actually agree to seeing Jamie.

When Sam opened up the door, he looked at Jamie and I. I was seeing that despite the fact that he was not really having much stake in the matter, seeing Jamie here was really fucking exciting. "Oh dude, you are still going strong with her? That is fucking awesome man." He said, and then pointed at Jamie for a bit.

"Sheldon has been telling me so much about you. He fucking loves hanging out with her." After he was telling her this, I was seeing her looking like she was slightly embarrassed by what he was saying. Probably feeling like he was just telling her this to make her feel better.

"I mean, I am just somebody who really enjoys working on cars and stuff. Not really much to say besides that." She said, and then Sam looked like he was kind of glad to know that his point was being proven fucking correct here.

"That's more than what we are both doing. All Sheldon does is go around and hang with his friends, and smoke a lot. So I feel like you are doing rather well." He said, and then he patted my shoulder, and I was feeling like his throwing me under the bus was rather fucking annoying. But I knew that he was trying to be playful here, so I was feeling like I just needed to pretend to not be too incredibly annoyed.

"I mean, he is not incredibly fucking far off." I said, trying to not be annoyed at what he was saying. In all honesty, the way that he was acting here was just really fucking driving me fucking insane. "But I feel like we are not going to get much out of this discussion right now."

"So Sam, what are you doing during summer right now?" She asked Sam, and then he was remaining silent for a bit. Probably just a bit annoyed at what she was getting in his space about. He rubbed his eyes, trying to just come up with a more neutral answer right now.

"Not much. I have been just working around the house, and killing a lot of time going in the forests, and just seeing the scenery. Not much besides that, to be totally honest." He said, and then after he was saying this, he saw Jamie looking like she was actually almost kind of impressed at what he was saying.

"Never thought that was something that you would have been into. What do you even fucking find in the forests anyways? It seems like most people who go there start to feel like they are kind of wasting their time doing this." She said, and then Sam was shaking his head, kind of unsure of what to tell her. He probably thought she was trying too hard to pretend to be into this.

"Just curious to see if the rumors of shit like monsters have any validity to them at all. You know, I doubt that any of them are true. But what if they are? I mean, if they are, then I feel like maybe it is worth looking into right now." After Sam was saying this, I was feeling like I just needed to remain silent for a few seconds longer.

"Seriously, it feels like everything always comes back to that." Jamie said, and she was sounding like her annoyance was relatively easy to find. I was feeling like whatever I would have said would have just kind of made her kind of annoyed.

"And besides, while I never fully believed everything that was said, I have a feeling that things like the monsters and the missing girls are connected. I never really wanted to find them. But you never know, maybe one day I am lucky and find something." Sam said, and I was feeling like saying "lucky" was quite the fucking stretch of the word, but I decided to not say anything, since being a smart ass was the last thing that Sam needed right now.

"You have a strange sense of the word luck." Jamie said, mostly trying to play it off for laughs, but I could tell that she was not really too sure what in the world she was able to say to this. I was kind of feeling bad for what she was hearing, and I wondered what I could say to make her feel better at all.

"Well, I am just mostly spit balling when I say shit like that. I know that most of this is not really good fucking luck. But you know, I just feel like any time I hear somebody like Sheldon speak about this, I feel like it might be worth looking into once or twice." After Sam was telling her this, I was wondering what else they were going to say.

"But going back to a more superficial reasoning, is that despite everything else, the forest is absolutely gorgeous. When I see the area, I can't help but just look around, and see what in the world I might be able to fucking find." Sam was saying, and then he was sounding like he was kind of going back to the past as he was hearing this.

"I mean, I feel peaceful there. Like that I do not have to prove to anybody what I think. I just have to do what I can, to make things right. Simple as that." After he was saying this, I was wondering if Sam was worried about what people were saying about him. As I was thinking this, I decided that I would just remain silent for a few seconds longer.

…

When I was taken out of this thought, that was when I looked down, and saw that it was already eight in the evening. My shift was over. Despite the fact that I was fine with doing this job, I was glad to finally just be leaving, and then I headed on out.

When I was out of the gas station, I was already seeing that Todd and Joy were there. I was sighing, since in all honesty, I was feeling like whatever Todd was going to try here, I just needed to fucking take what he was going to get here.

"So Sheldon, Joy and I were planning on working on finding out what is happening with the grinding noise, and her parents tonight. Since they are going to be gone for the next few days. We were wondering if you were wanting to come and join us." After he was telling me this, I was sighing, and I felt there was no reason to be saying no here.

"Oh god, I was hoping that I would at least be able to take a smoke first." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was laughing really hard at this. "If this is happening, then I guess that I might as well just see what I could be able to get out of this." I said, feeling that there was no reason to argue with any of this at all.

"Your fucking smoking can take a fucking break. This is the best chance that we have, and I think we both know that it is going to be a terrible idea to not really look into it any further." After Todd was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was feeling like nothing that I could have ever said that would be able to get him to really think that I was having a reasonable look at this.

"What do you even think you are going to fucking find?" I asked Joy, wondering what in the world I was going to get out of this. Joy looked like she was worried that I was accusing her of something. I felt like I just was only making things much worse for her, and I was hardly fucking caring at all.

"I don't know. I mean, I have tried to talk to her about this, and see what she knew. But nothing ever fucking worked out at all. I feel like they are starting to suspect me of looking into them. I feel like if that is the case, then I just need to be much more careful." After she was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing else to say. "I feel like I shouldn't bring it up around them anymore, or else they might start to really hate me a lot here."

As I was driving to her house, I was really upset at what I was doing. I hated what I was doing, since I was sure that if Joy was actually going to be doing this, she was going to find some excuse to be throwing me under the bus, and treating me like a fucking idiot for doing all of this. I was hoping that maybe Joy would just keep my name out of it.

"Joy, if your parents are actually involved in something, then be one hundred percent real with this… This is going to be fucking dangerous. We are all probably going to be getting ourselves killed here." I said, and I was wondering if she was even taking what I was saying into any form of consideration at all.

"I don't fucking care. Do you seriously think that I fucking care what I could be getting myself into? Todd is giving what he can to learn the truth right now, and I feel like that is what I need to be doing now." After Joy was telling me this, I was feeling that any response would be a waste of time.

"I already made a bunch of deals with other people. And like you said earlier, I still hardly fucking know you at all. I feel like I need to know more about what you are doing, and what you are like, before I sent you out there. You said you wanted me to get to know you much more." After I was saying this, I felt like nothing I could have said would make her even ponder what I was saying at all.

When I was at her house, Joy was holding her hands up. "Look, we are going to be able to debate this all as much as we like. But the reality is that my parents are not going to be here yet. So I can technically do whatever I want for the time being. So fucking relax a bit." She said, and then she went right into the house. I was closing my eyes, and I was feeling like I had kind of done this to myself, and that I should just try and take responsibility for what I was getting myself into.

"Todd, why is she going around and judging you for being the man that you are, but then she goes around and does absolutely insane crap like this as well?" I asked, and then Todd was shrugging, and I was seeing him looking like he had nothing else to say here.

As soon as Todd and I walked in the car, there was a giant grinding sound. "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" I yelled, and then I was closing my eyes. It went on for a couple of minutes, as Todd and I were looking at each other. "Mrs. Jewels." I said, and then Todd was slowly nodding, as if aware that I was probably right here. Neither one of us really wanted to talk about this at all. I looked at Joy, wondering what I could tell her. Probably wondering what we knew about Jewel's anyways.

When we were up to Joy again, when the grinding noise was done, I was seeing that Joy had looked like she wanted to ask us some serious questions. "Guys, what the fucking hell do you know about Mrs. Jewels right now?" She asked, and I was upset at the fact that she had heard what I had said.

"Well, Todd and I went to the school for a bit, and we heard a discussion between Lewis and one of the men in black. They were talking about how she was not going to be returning to the school next year, and that her expiration date was coming up rather close." Todd said, and then he was shrugging, feeling like this was the best he could say in order to make Joy get what was being said.

"Are they selling our teacher off? My god, okay, we have to try and look into that the next chance that we get. Tomorrow, we should take some time to try and see what she knows." After Joy was saying this, I was having a horrible feeling that this was not going to work out at all.

"I don't fucking know if something like this could be a good idea. In all honesty, I have a feeling that if we try and speak to Jewels about this, she would basically have no interest in hearing it. She would probably feel like we are just making things much worse." After Todd said this, he was hoping to potentially get Joy to see that something like this was a terrible fucking idea.

"I mean, I feel like it is still worth the fucking try Todd. I mean, if this is the only way to potentially save her, then we need to do what we can to change things up for a bit." After Joy was saying this, I was seeing both of them looking right at me, and they were clearly just wanting to know what in the world my plans on the idea were.

"I don't know. I mean, currently you were wanting to look into the stuff that your parents were looking into. I feel like maybe I should look into the stuff with Jewels, if I have to." I said, and then I was seeing that neither one of them looked like they were too happy into this.

"You are not going to fucking look into that shit on your own. Either bring us into this with you, or you do not look into this at all." After Todd was telling me this, I was wondering what he was even trying to accomplish by telling me this in the first place. I was feeling like nothing I could say would make either of them more satisfied.

"Shouldn't we just be glad that at least we kind of a have a idea on where we are going?" I mean, that should be enough to be making you feel better." I said, and then I was wondering if what I was going to say would make either one of them just shut the fucking hell up. Neither one of them were looking like they were too satisfied with what I had been saying.

"You have a really bad way of getting people to feel better about something. I hope that you fucking know that." Todd said, and then I was sighing, feeling like there was virtually nothing else that I could say to defend myself. They had their own opinion on the matter, and I was not going to waste my time on it at all.

"I am just saying what I believe needs to be said. I am not trying to be making you feel worse as a result of this." I said, and then I was really having no fucking idea what in the world I could have fucking said. "But Joy, I promise that no matter what in the world is fucking going on, I will try and stop things from happening to Jewels and the other people. Even if I never find her and talk with her, I will try and make sure it never gets worse before she has the chance to go missing." I said, and then I was feeling like nothing I could have said would make her feel any better at all.

I was seeing Joy looking like she was kind of annoyed with the statement that I was making. Probably feeling that no matter how much I was getting her to feel better, nothing could change how terrible situation at all. "In all honesty, I wish that I could buy what the hell you are saying. But I know that as long as people can fight you, they fucking will."

I felt like no matter what I told Joy, she was going to be hurt by everything that was happening. I felt like I was going to perhaps make Joy hurt more if I was trying to be getting deeper into something like this. "Sheldon, I think we both know that if anybody can do this, it is you. As the mayors son, you virtually have immunity from things going on here. At least until 1968." Todd was telling me, and him reminding me of this was just getting worse. I was not wanting to be the one who everybody was relying on to be fixing crazy shit like this.

"I swear, one of these days, you are going to be getting me into so much trouble that my fucking father can't fucking save me. And when that happens, it is all your fucking fault." I said, and then I was wondering if Todd was going to actually take what I said into heart this time, or if he was going to be pretending like I was being a bit of a cry baby here.

I was thinking that no matter what I was wanting to do, and what I wanted to say, I was the only person who would give Todd hope, and I just felt like I needed to shut the fucking hell up at this.

Scene 22: Without Your Approval

Eventually, Todd and I were going to head off, and leave Joy alone. "Just make sure that no matter what happens if you feel like something is going to happen, just tell us what is going on. Todd and I will be able to fucking help you if you need some fucking help." I said, and then I was really unsure of what to say.

"Yeah, whatever. I just want you guys to come here right away tomorrow. Don't make any fucking excuses." After Joy was telling me this, I was sighing, and I was aware that there was nothing that I could be able to say that would make her even think of something new.

"Yeah, I will get Todd as soon as I can this morning." I said, and I was wondering if what I was saying was actually fucking true. I was feeling like whatever the hell Todd and I were going to do, Joy was never going to want to hear it. She hated us, and that was simply all that there was to it.

"Well, thanks for agreeing to help me with this. I feel like I am going to need that help soon." After she was telling me this, I was feeling that her telling me this was going to be the only way that things could at least somewhat get better between the two of us.

Eventually, I went in my car, and Todd was getting inside as well. I rolled the windows up, wondering what in the world I was even going to tell him. "Todd, I feel like Joy is going to need much more than just the two of us to make things better." I said, and I was aware that nothing I could tell him would get him to think any differently here.

"I don't fucking know what Joy is going to need. I mean, I feel like the more that I talk with her, the more that I should just try and say something, anything, to help her feel better. But she is clearly in a lot of pain, and nothing that I can fucking do will change that." Todd said, and then I was wondering if Todd even thought in the first place that he would make her feel better.

"When we are done with Joy tomorrow, would you be willing to drop me off at Maurecia's house? I need to see her, and just see if the two of us can be able to repair the damage that has been caused between the two of us?" Todd asked, and I was unsure of what he was meaning. But I refused to say anything to it.

"Yeah, I can do that. Good luck dude. I think that she is going to need all the help you can give her. Especially when it comes to the idea of her buying into the fact that you actually fucking want to make her feel better." I said, and then I was feeling that nothing that I could say would even make her feel any different at all.

"Maurecia is one of those people who I feel like will love me no matter what is going on. And that is something that I am not too sure on how to feel. I mean, if I feel like I am going to be in danger, and that nobody will like me anymore, then I guess that I can feel better knowing that she will be at my side. But that is all that I can fucking say." After he was telling me this, I was sort of unsure of what to tell her.

"I mean, I would really have no leg to stand on judging you for various things, when I know that I am probably the one person in this town who everybody is fucking against. And I feel like maybe I should have known what I was doing before I dragged everybody into this. So many innocent people who deserved a fucking chance at happiness. All because of the fact that I am a fucking monster." I said, and then I was wondering if he was going to really process what I was saying. I was feeling like he would try to make some excuse to brush off what I was telling him.

"Damn, you really just need to fucking calm down with that shit. Everything you say is just constantly bringing yourself down. I mean, I kind of understand what you are saying. But at the same time, I feel like there is some level of kindness that you need to be giving yourself." After Todd was telling me this, I was feeling like there was nothing that I could tell him that would make him even remotely hear what I was saying.

"If you knew everything, you would know that I am right with everything that I am fucking saying about the monster stuff. I mean, I make promises to people all the fucking time, and I tell people that I am doing whatever I fucking can. But I guess that nobody will fucking care." I said, and then I was really having no idea what I even wanted to say at all.

"Most of that stuff was over a year ago, so I feel like there is no reason to be so upset over what you are doing. Or were doing, I guess that I should be saying. Since in all honesty, I feel like you are just being fucking ridiculous." After he was telling me this, I was feeling there was nothing to say at all.

"I don't know. I mean, I get that you are just trying to make me feel better. But I feel like there is no reason to do that. Nothing that you can say will get rid of those memories." I said, and then I decided to just remain silent after that.

When I was done with Joy that night, I started to wonder what I was going to tell my friend. He was probably going to be thinking that my refusal to see his perspective was only going to be making things much worse for all of us.

"I hope that Joy doesn't do anything that is going to be getting us killed. If she just runs around like crazy, then I am not going to be liable to everything that is happening with her." Todd said, and then I was laughing at what he was saying. I felt like that was the way that I felt when I dealt with Todd sometimes.

"I think that you might start understanding how I have been fucking feeling. Always going around, and trying to be the fucking hero, no matter how much you want to pretend otherwise." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking like he was not really in the mood to be hearing what I was saying.

Eventually, I was at his house, and I was laughing at what I was saying, and I was hoping he would be willing to see what I was doing. Just trying to fucking play around. "Todd, I am going to do whatever I can to find out the truth. Just make sure that if Joy wants to help, that she stays safe with you." I said, and then I was feeling like I just needed to add in the extra bit of truth.

"I think we both know that she is in much more danger with the shit that is going on here than you and I are. I mean, I appreciate the fact that she is trying to help out as much as she can. But I think we both know she is not really going to give us what we fucking need." I said, feeling no need to go any further with it at all.

"I have a feeling she would not want to fucking hear that. She probably feels like if you say that to her, you are basically saying that she is totally fucking helpless. But I feel like it would not really be worth it for either one of us for me to try and tell you." After Todd said this to me, he seemed relatively annoyed with what he was saying.

"Todd, I'm sorry for at one point suggesting that I shouldn't have you work with me here. I know how shitty that must be sounding to you." After I was telling him this, I was wondering what I could do to make him feel any better.

"I'm not a child anymore. I need to be making my own choices on the matter. But I think you probably know that." Todd said, and then he walked out of the car, and then left me right there. I wanted to fight him. But he was right, and he needed to make his own fucking choice on the matter, and I needed to just shut up and stop arguing.

I was heading on home, and just getting to my room. In all honesty, I was not really in the mood to be hearing anything that could happen. I just wanted to be alone, and think about what I was going to be doing. But it seemed that I would never get what I had ever fucking wanted.

"Sheldon, why are you always out so late? You can talk to me, and have me help you with your issues. You do not need to be hiding from me." My father said, and then I was looking at him, wanting to believe what he was saying. That would be amazing. But I felt like something like this was just not possible.

"Look dad, I want to believe you. But I know that you do not enjoy it when I look at this towns investigation, and you feel like it would be a terrible idea. But in all honesty, I am just trying to find something to do that would make me feel better." I said, hoping that my firmness would make him feel better here.

"I do not want you looking into that any further. I feel like this whole thing is going to be extremely dangerous, and I believe that if something happened to you, I would not be able to forgive myself." He said, and in all honesty, I was not really in the mood to hear it.

"Dad, the truth is that I have been needing to do this for quite a while now. Even if I didn't want to do it, I really have no choice but to. I hope that you can forgive me." I said, and then I was aware that he was not going to care to hear my excuses.

"Sheldon, this is going to be getting you killed, and I do not really want anything to do with that. You deserve better than what you are doing." After my father was telling me this, I was feeling like I just needed to start being more honest with him going forward.

"Look dad, I understand how upset you are at this. But the truth is that I gave Harold my word. I even gave Christen it as well, when she was here. I will look into this further, and I will find out the truth of what is happening in Wayside. And I will help Todd learn what he needs. Without your approval, if I must." I said, and then I saw that my father was clearly not wanting to hear this. But he knew that I wasn't fucking lying, which made it worse.

"God damn it. I can see that you have a level of stubbornness in you that will never leave. And I know when it is best to just not fucking fight it. Just make sure that you keep up with me when you need some help. I am your father after all, and I do want to see how I can be able to help you." My father said, and then I was slowly nodding here.

Extended scene 1: The Disturbed

Todd and I were just checking up on Kevin again, to make sure that nothing happened to him in the last while. I was hoping that he wasn't going to be too upset with us coming right towards him so suddenly.

"Hey guys, how are you?" Kevin asked, and he sounded like he was just kind of scared of how we were going to judge him or anything like this. I sighed, aware of the fact that his reaction was a sign that he was still having a hard time trusting.

"Kevin, I know that this summer has felt like you were kind of wasted, and I feel really fucking sorry for that." Todd said, and then Kevin was standing up, feeling like he needed to just be firm with his response right now.

"I don't even know what to think anymore. My brother just seems like whenever I talk with him, he just fucking deflects the subject, and treats me like trying to get to know him is only making things worse. And here you guys are, just probably doing check up time, to make sure that I don't go crazy." Kevin said, and I was shrugging, thinking that he needed to get some credit for being observent.

"Well, what do you need help with?" I asked, and then Kevin looked right at me, as if considering what I was saying. Todd looked like he was just waiting with baited breath, to see what he was planning on doing now.

"I want you to help me figure out what is going on with the principal of our school." As he was telling me this, I was looking at Todd, kind of confused why he was even saying this.

"Why are you wanting to know about the principal?" Todd asked, feeling like he just needed to get the situation update here. Kevin was considering what Todd was asking him right now.

"Because I am certain that everything we need to know is right there, and we are just not fucking paying attention." Kevin said, and I was then thinking about what he was telling me. I looked at Todd, wondering what he was going to say.

"Why do you even want to know something like this in the first place?" I asked, and Kevin was laughing as I asked him this, feeling like what I asked him was fair.

"He was the one that suggested that the man in the purple jacket go ahead and check my work out. I just want to see what he sees in me. Simple as that. I know that he has something planned. I just want to know what it is." He said, and I sighed, feeling like his plan was insane.

"Kevin, that is not going to fucking happen. If he found out that you were trying to sneak in information from that guy, he will report this to the man in the purple jacket. Mr. Kidswatter is not nearly as dumb as you might be expecting." Todd said, and Kevin shrugged, feeling like there was no way he was budging.

"I already made my fucking mind up Todd. You can fucking either help me, or fight me on this. Your fucking choice." He was tellin Todd, and I was feeling like him saying this was the last thing that I wanted to fucking hear.

I slowly held my hand out. "Alright, fine, I will help you find out what Mr. Kidswatter knows. After all, this might be able to help us figure some things out ourselves." I said, and I was looking right at Todd, hoping he would just accept what was happening.

"I guess that there is nothing that I can fucking do to change this. I just hope that I do not fucking regret this in the long run." Todd said, and I was sighing, and slowly nodded in agreement, feeling like that was fair.

"I mean, you also said yourself, that you feel like Kidswatter knew more than he was letting on, and I feel like it is time to put that theory to the fucking test." Kevin said, and then he looked right at me, wondering if I would listen to him for once.

"I did say that. I mean, nobody could be that fucking stupid, and not have it be a fucking act in some way. Let's be honest here." Todd said, and he was shrugging as he had said that, thinking it made perfect sense.

"Now you fucking get it. Just let me see if I can figure something out here. Simple as that. Maybe just a singular conversation with him will make me know." Kevin said, and he was sounding so firm, that any argument I could have had was going down the drain.

"Okay, if it is a single talk, I guess I can go along with this." Todd said, and then he was rubbing his eyes as he said this. "Do you know anything about Kidswatter, Sheldon?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"Only from what I heard from you guys. And that seems like it is not all positive at all." I said, smiling as I said this, thinking of all the things that Todd had said about the guy before.

"Well, I mean, I just feel like he needs to take his job more seriously. But that is not the general point here. If the man in the purple jacket has a connection with him, then he clearly as a connection with the entire town." Kevin said, sounding really fucking conspiracy here.

"Maybe we can just think about what you are saying, before you try and go around and solve the crime of the fucking century." I said, feeling like what I was saying was relatively valid here. Kevin looked at me, thinking that I just needed to think about what I was saying more here.

"I will let you guys know when I have a chance to speak with him, and I can maybe get him to start being more honest with us here." He said, and I felt like there was no need to argue with him anymore. All that I hoped for was that Sam was either never going to learn here, or if he did, then he would not fucking blame it on me at all.

"Also, how did that talk with Brad go anyways?" Kevin asked, and he looked at Todd, and Todd was shocked at the sudden topic change. But he smiled, knowing that Kevin was willing to still to have this discussion.

"Honestly, he seemed to be kind of confused at this all more than anything. To be honest, I feel like everything that we tried to talk to his mom about just confuses him more than anything else, and I can't blame him." Todd said, and Kevin shurgged, sort of seeing this.

When I went home that night, I was thinking about what I had just set up with Kevin. The fact that he was willing to look into Kidswatter, and the fact that he was doing this on his own free will, was something that I hoped Sam would not be too upset over.

Scene 23: The End of the Session

Sheldon was looking right at his therapist, and he was feeling so tired, and felt sorry for how long he had dragged her into this conversation

Therapist: Sheldon, did you manage to follow through with the word that you made Harold? I mean, you made a promise to him to find the answer before the end of the summer break.

Sheldon: I believe that you already know the answer to this fucking question. I mean, I should have just tried to tell Joy that I did not need her to be looking into her parents, but I failed to do that.

Therapist: I mean, she was trying to help you out, but you are acting like you hurt her so fucking badly. At least she was willing to fucking do this.

Sheldon: No matter what people say to try and make me feel better, I feel like there is no reason to be brushing off the mistakes that I have been able to make, and that is something that just makes me feel worse, knowing that I can never justify what happened.

Therapist: Did something happen to Joy? I mean, I never heard anything about it. Can you fucking tell me what happened to her?

Sheldon: It is because if this was revealed, then people would know how much of a piece of shit most of the people who work here are, and they are trying to just save their own skin. They literally only care for themselves.

Therapist: What happened to Joy? She is the only one in the entire group that you have mentioned that if I even fucking try and look her up, there is no record of her. When you mentioned her the first time, I almost tried correct you and tell you she never existed.

Sheldon: She did fucking exist. I was there the entire time. Like I said, her records are removed because if it was revealed, then nothing would redeem these people. That is another reason why I am willing to tell you the truth.

Therapist: What do you mean? Why do you believe that I am the best bet for this whole thing? Is there something that you know that the others do not?

Sheldon: Because as my therapist, due to your profession, you are never allowed to tell anybody. Not only can I get it off my chest, but the town doesn't get too much of a draining effect as a result of me finally leaking what happened to her. And I feel like if I tried to tell anybody in public, nobody would believe me.

With that, he knew that there was nothing else to discuss, and he didn't want to hear his therapist trying to justify and excuse all the things he had been doing, so he started to head on out, and leave her alone for the time being