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.

36. The Talent Show

Chapter 3: One Girl With Ten Brothers

Episode 4: The Talent Show (Seth)

Scene 1: December 8 2020 1:30 am

When I was about ready to go to bed, after doing my school work, and spending some time writing some comedy material, I was seeing Josiah come home once again. I was feeling like I just needed to see what in the world was bothering him, so I got up, to try and fucking see what was going on.

"Why have you been coming home so late the last couple of days?" I asked not at all trying to be a asshole to him when I said this. Josiah looked at me, and I was seeing that he was kind of looking a bit unsure of what he was even wanting to tell me. "You can talk to me, if you need to." I said, hoping to get him to be happier.

"Look, I am dealing with something really fucking bad right now. My fucking friend just had his mother get murdered yesterday, and I have been just trying to help him out." Josiah said, and I was confused at what I was supposed to be saying to this. It was a lot, to put it bluntly.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" I asked, and then Gabe shook his head, looking like he was really not in the mood to be talking any more, and that I would be doing him a favor if I just fucking stopped, and let him think to himself.

"No, honestly, I think that you might be better off doing the talent show on your own. Honestly, after everything that happened, I just kind of lost interest in the fucking songs and what not. Enjoy yourself." He said, and I was really not wanting that answer.

"Are you sure that is really something you fucking want to do? I mean, you were really fucking excited to be doing it earlier. I mean, your friend would probably understand." I said, trying to get him to calm down, and he was shaking his head.

"Look dude, I understand you are trying to make me feel better. But I really don't want to be dealing with this right now. I just want to think to myself, and think about what I can do to make this better for Rhett." He said, as he was walking off.

"I thought that Rhett was somebody who dad didn't really want you around anymore. Claimed that he was a bad influence or whatever." After I said that to him, Josiah sighed, and looked like he was really not in the mood be having this talk.

"Frankly, I don't fucking care what dad thinks. If he was worried about this shit, he wouldn't be acting like he was more worried about his fucking reputation." Josiah said, and I was shocked to be hearing him tell me this.

"Is this because of the fight you guys got into earlier? I remember that dad was really fucking pissed about that." I said, and then Josiah was looking like his patience was running out, and that he was trying to just leave before he snapped at me, like what Gabe did that one time a month and a half ago.

"Look, my friend is really in pain right now. And I think that I need to focus on that more than a fucking talent show. End of story." Josiah got into his room, and I looked down, hating the answer, but I did sort of see it.

I was then looking down at the pages that I had made. The homework I worked on. Clearly Josiah wouldn't fucking care for that anymore. I had wanted to show him that I was willing to take my studies seriously for once. But this was different.

And then there was the fact that nobody was at all interested in what I was saying about Becky. Clearly something was happening to her, and nobody gave a single shit at all. It was fucking wrong, and I hated the fact that nobody was saying anything at all.

I still thought that it was her teachers had done something to her. Especially that one art teacher. But again, as with what Todd and Gabe said earlier, I did not have the proof, and because of that, there was nothing that I could do. And I hated the fact that I knew that I was useless.

I stood up, and left the house, not too far though, just to the front of the side walk. I just wanted to think about what I could do going forward, that would actually give my family and friends some sense that I wasn't a fucking idiot or whatever.

I knew that Josiah's life was going to be completely ruined as a result of this. I knew that he was going to be putting himself before anybody else, trying to figure out what happened to Rhett. And because of my age, I was going to be useless once again.

It was strange, and it was hopeless, and I was fucking tired, and sick, of everything that had been happening, and I felt like I just needed to have a fucking better answer right now than what I was having currently.

When I was sitting down, and thinking about the fact that virtually nothing I would do would even fucking matter anymore, when Josiah decided to walk up to me, and to be honest, I was not really in the mood to be having this discussion at all.

"Hey Seth. Sorry if I was kind of being a bit of a asshole earlier. I just feel like it would not be a smart idea to be getting involved in this when you are still dealing with the talent show. Besides, I think you're probably way too young for that shit." Josiah said, and I laughed at that comment.

"You're not much better. You're still a freshmen in high school." I said, and then Josiah was laughing at that, thinking that what I was saying technically wasn't wrong, but he probably thought that maybe I still did not realize that at this stage, a difference of four years was everything.

"Well, yeah, and I honestly would have had no interest in getting into this if it were not for the fact that I was forced into this because of my fucking friend. I mean, I am glad that I did what I did. But that doesn't change the fact that I had no desire to do this at first." As Josiah said this to me, I shrugged, not really in the mood to have this discussion in the first place.

"So you're saying that you regret working with Rhett? I guess that makes sense, since you probably want to work at the talent show. I remember how much you fucking loved that." I said, and I was seeing Josiah looking kind of upset with what I was asking him.

"I regret not taking Gabe's advice when he was telling me that he wanted me to have nothing to do with it. I should have just fucking listened to him when he said that. I tried. But things kept fucking happening, and I was forced to accept the fact that things were the way that they were." Josiah said, and I sighed, feeling like there was no point in fucking fighting him about the subject.

"I wish that I could make things up with Gabe. Just apologize to him, and explain that I did not realize how much pain he was in. I mean, how the hell was I supposed to know how much he had been hurting, with his friend going missing?" I said to Josiah, and I saw Josiah looking kind of tired of this discussion.

"I mean, I doubt that he is still upset with you given everything. I think you just need to talk to him again. To be honest, he probably forgot about it already." After he was telling me this, I simply choose to just shit the fucking hell up. He clearly did not understand my fear, and I didn't care to fucking fight him on it.

"What did Gabe even get himself involved in anyways? I mean, I tried to reach out to him, but he doesn't seem to listen to me ever." I said, and then I was feeling like I was on the verge of yelling at Josiah. Which was not a smart idea, considering the fact that he was the one person who was still being nice to me.

"Well, Gabe realized more than anything else, that the stories were all fucking true, and that nothing he can say to himself will change this." Josiah said, and I was shrugging, simply not really in the mood to be having this discussion in the first place.

"Sorry. You're right. I should just go back to fucking writing for my talent show. After all, that is all that I am fucking good for." I was saying, and I was seeing Josiah looking like he was mildly upset with the fact that I was saying that. As if I was just trying to guilt trip him on this whole subject.

"Also, I want to let you know that I am sorry for what happened to Rhett's mother. I can't really understand how horrible that situation must have been if I were him." I said, shaking my head, and I felt disgusted as I had said that.

"It's okay. I think that I am just more worried about him than anything else. I tried to talk to him about it, but he just simply tells me off every single fucking time." After Josiah was telling me this, I was feeling like I was so fucking over my head this whole time.

Once I went inside the house again, and I was just thinking about what Josiah and I were talking about. In all honesty, I was feeling like I just needed to try and talk to Gabe again. But I also knew that in all honesty, he was never going to give me jack shit.

As Josiah was about to head to sleep, I felt like I just needed to try and find something to say to him, to make him feel much better. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better. To be honest, I have no idea how much of it is genuine. But I'm glad that you're willing to at least fucking try." When I finished, I felt like there was nothing else to say.

"It's okay. But I really do need to go to bed, and try to fucking sleep right now. Sorry for being a bit of a asshole, but I really have no fucking choice." As Josiah was telling me this, I felt like I needed to just take what he was saying, due to the fact that if I tried to press any further, he was going to basically tell me to fuck off.

When Josiah went to bed, for real this time, I was shaking my head, and I was walking to my kitchen, and filled up a cup of water. I was wondering what Rhett was going to tell me. I wondered if Rhett was even wanting to talk to me in the first place at all. And I wondered if Josiah was going to tell me the stories.

But for now, I needed to accept the prospect of the fact that Josiah was wanting to support me going through with the talent show. To be honest, that was already really all that I fucking cared about at all. I wanted to show everybody that I could be funny, if people just gave me a fucking chance, and stopped instantly thinking that my comedy was shit.

I started to head to my bedroom, and I was just hoping that I was over thinking this, and that I would never have to deal with something like this, and that in due time, everybody would forget that this even fucking happened in the first place.

Scene 2: December 9 2020 4:00 pm

After school that day, I was still spending time, in the school cafeteria, just working on the fucking music. I was tired, and I was wanting to just get all the material that I fucking could made. I was feeling like I just had no fucking choice but to just fucking drown out my annoyance at what was happening.

I was looking at every joke that I had made, and I was wondering if the joke was even all that funny at not. After every single time, when I was looking at what I could find funny in each joke. Only to quickly see that the joke really was not all that funny to begin with.

When I was starting to see that the jokes that I had made were just not adding up at all, and I was seeing that objectively speaking, were just not all that funny, I shook my head, and decided that I would just drop the fucking subject, and that I would maybe ask Josiah to give me a honest answer on if the jokes were even adding up.

I was standing up, and then placed all the note sin my back pack, not in the mood to discuss this any further, and I was feeling like what I was doing was just a waste of fucking time. When I was starting to head on out, I was seeing another classmate in the school parking lot, which was some that confused the hell out of me, and I was wondering what the hell was going on. I was feeling like the fact that he was also not going home on time would be something that I could be able to ask him out, and if he didn't want to talk, I could just head home.

"What are you doing, still at school?" I asked, and I knew that I was kind of sounding like I was being a bit of a hypocrite. But at the same time, I was hardly caring at all. As I was starting to walk off, I was doing so because I knew for a fact that he was not going to be in the mood to talk.

"I just like watching the sun set here. Has a better view than my own fucking house. I was going to go home afterwards." He said, and I was able to see how he would be somebody like this, considering the fact that he was looking like he was one of those gothic guys, who had been trying to look really cool and what not.

"Sorry for asking. I will be going home now. Was just working on my comedy jokes, but none of the jokes were funny at all." I said, and I was feeling like there was no need to talk about it at all anymore. As I was walking off, I was getting about ten feet away when somebody was calling out to me.

"Do you actually believe those theories about the teachers and shit?" He asked me, and I was looking ta him, shocked that he was suddenly making that the main topic. I sighed, not sure what in the world I would ask him.

"I don't know. I mean, I want to fucking believe it. But the truth is that I think that if it was real, there would have been some fucking proof for it already." I said, and then I was shaking my head, glad that at least he wasn't asking about the fucking missing girls, since Josiah and the others have permanently ruined the entire topic.

"My name is Manny by the way. I just wanted you to know that if you want to fucking look into that shit, you need to be really careful. I mean, I have no idea why in the world you even decided to stay in school for so long afterwards." Manny said, and then I was shaking my head, not sure if I even cared.

"Because my house is fucking chaotic, and I am tired of trying to fit in there, when everybody is doing their own fucking thing." I said, and then as I was saying this, Manny was closing his eyes, clearly annoyed with the fact that he would even suggest this in the first place.

"Do you want to watch with me for the time being?" He asked, and I was sighing, feeling like I might as well accept his offer, since at least I would not have to deal with bullshit anymore. I sat down, and I really had no idea what I was going to tell him.

"Why do you like watching the sun set so much anyways?" I asked, feeling kind of confused at this whole thing, but chose to not be making a really big scene, to just simply not make things any worse at all. "Especially since the sun sets so early at this time in the school year anyways."

"I guess that beyond everything, I am starting to believe in your rumors, and that is what is making me want to stay around for a bit. See what bullshit I would be able to fucking find." After Manny was telling me this, and I was not really in the mood to have this discussion at all.

"Thanks for giving me a chance to take a fucking deep breath." I said, and I really had no idea what to even fucking tell him at all. I was just feeling confused at what happened. "To be honest, I have to idea what I should be fucking expecting right now, from my family or otherwise. I think that if I try and speak to them, they might just simply get annoyed with how I am changing the subject."

"Like literally, who fucking cares what they fucking think right now? If they do not like what you are doing, then that is on them." After Manny said that, he was shrugging. "I mean, you are finding something that you want to do. The fucking comedy shows. That should be enough to push you forward."

"It is not that easy, when I have no idea if they really want to see me doing well, or if they are just pretending because if they don't, then that will just cause a giant fucking rift." After I was telling him this, I was feeling that having this debate was fucking ridiculous.

"I understand that you want to be there for your family, but I think you need to think about what is best for you. And nobody fucking else." He said, and I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to have this discussion at all.

"Well, I mean, I don't want my fucking family to hate me or some shit. Talking about how bad I am as a brother, and how shitty my jokes really are. I am not really in the mood to deal with that ridicule all the fucking time." I said, and then I considered what I said.

"Maybe that is why I want to fucking win that talent show. Make people see that I know what I am doing, and that I am not some useless washed up piece of shit, and that I am not riding my fucking families legacy on my own." I said, and then I looked at him, wondering if he would fucking see what I was saying.

"So you are basically wanting to fucking do it to say fuck you to your family? I mean, are you sure that is the best motivation to really be going off of?" He asked, and I was sighing, since in all honesty, I was not really in the mood to be hearing the holier than thou lecture. I was just pissed.

"Whatever. I don't care if it is the best motivation or not. I want to show everybody that I know what I was doing for once in my fucking life. Anyways, I just feel like with the intense air, given everything going on, if I even tried to be reaching out to them now, they would be telling me to just leave them alone, and not press the matter any harder." I said, wondering if this was the best goal at all.

"Yeah, I remember that you were mentioning one time, that it was like your brothers were running out like a bat from hell in the last several weeks. I never brought much attention to it, but it was something that I was finding interesting nonetheless." After Manny said that, I looked at him, wondering why he even fucking cared.

"Well, the worst part is that my brothers never take the time to fucking tell me what is going on, so I am left wondering, or forced to basically pick up the hints on my own. Not that I even want to. It's not my fucking business. But it is something that I would want to fucking know." I said, and I shrugged at this, feeling no need to continue down this.

"Sorry for wasting your time. I mean, it is not your business to deal with my shit. I just wish that my siblings knew how to talk better. And I wish that they would at least have the balls to admit that they do not like my comedy sketches. If they at least were able to say it to my fucking face, I would respect them more." I said, thinking about the Gabe incident, and how after the initial hurt, I was able to accept what he said.

"Well, to be honest, I think you're on your own with that. How in the world am I able to provide you anything to help with that?" Manny asked, and I looked at him, and I got the general point of what he was saying, but I still wished that he wasn't as in my fucking face about it. Hearing him be honest like that was kind of a piece of shit.

"Yeah, I figured as much. I am always on my fucking own, no matter what I fucking do. That is just how fucking life is, and I figured that there is no reason to try and fucking fight it anymore. I just wish that I knew how I was able to express to people that I just want clear fucking messages. And I just wish that I was able to help the people who are suffering. I mean, the ones who had their families and entire lives affected by this shit. The missing girls and all that." I said, and I was shrugging, feeling like the entire idea was a fucking farce.

I could see from the look on Manny's face that he himself did not really think that it was going to happen. I sighed, feeling like the fact that I was even saying it at all, despite everything, was a sign that I was thinking too deeply into this, and I fucking knew it.

"I'm sorry that I unleased like that. You probably didn't want to hear about me talking about my fucking family like that. Especially since I really don't mind them usually. I guess that I am just annoyed with the lies going on everywhere, and I feel like I deserve better for once in my life." I said, feeling like I was finally breaking the mold, and turning into my own person.

As we were looking at the sun, I was smiling for a second, and I was feeling like for once, I was able to take a fucking deep breath, and just think about the fact that the shit that Josiah was dealing with the shit that happened with Rhett. That was his job, and nobody elses.

Scene 3: December 10 2020 4:19 pm

I was heading home from school, as in all honesty, I was not really in the mood to be dealing with this. As I was leaving though, Robbie was coming up to me, so he could talk. I felt like there was no reason to argue with him, so I just decided to let him talk.

"So Seth, I was hoping that I would get your opinion on a few fucking things." He asked, and then I was looking at him, confused at what he was meaning. But at the same time, despite the fact that I shouldn't admit it, I was interested.

"Okay. I guess that I can do that, if you really want to." I sighed, and while in all honesty, I was feeling like this was a bad idea, I was not really in the mood to be arguing anymore. And besides, for all I knew, he did have something good.

"I wanted to talk to you about a journal that I found while at the train graveyard with Josiah." He said, and I already knew right then and there, that he was giving me a immensely loaded story, and I felt like I just needed to fucking stop him right there.

"And what the fucking hell were you doing there, to begin with?" I asked, and Robbie Dan was looking kind of attacked by my question. But I saw him quickly reform, and just get back to his normal presentation, and at that rate, I was feeling like I had to give him a chance now.

"Well, I just have been getting rather interested in the things that have been happening so far, and I was feeling like I could see what the fucking hell I would be able to fucking find. I mean, after all, there are so many things I could find." He was saying, and sounding mildly defensive at the way that I was talking to him. I sighed, not really in the mood to have this argument at all.

"Dude, I hope that you know that Josiah just had one of his friends mother die like three or four days ago. He has been focusing on just making sure that Rhett is fine more than anything else. I mean, I know you probably don't mean any harm by it. But I just feel like you need to understand." I said, feeling like telling him this would get him to maybe budge a little bit.

"Oh shit. Well, I mean, how the fucking hell was I supposed to know that, when nobody tells me fucking shit? I mean, that is some really important information, and people just fucking brush that off." He said, and I was sighing, since I was not really in the mood to deal with this right now. It was just feeling fucking wrong to deal with this.

"Fair enough. Anyways, what did you find in that journal anyways? Since you're assuming that I even want to be in this subject to begin with." I said, and I was seeing Robbie looking like he was just wishing that I would stop attacking him like this. And to be honest, as I was hearing him react like this, I was kind of feeling bad.

"Well, a bunch of business records. About like drug sales. One of the entries was going into super detailed report about how they lived in a motel for about a month and a half while working out sales with buyers. Stuff like cocaine." Robbie said, and I was shrugging, and thinking that the fact that he even had to know this stuff at eight years old was more concerning than the data record itself.

"Look Robbie, I appreciate your interest in the subject. I think that things would be better if other people were looking into this as well. But I'm going to be real. This whole thing seems rather fucking farfetched." I said, feeling that I just needed to be honest with him.

"I tried to show it to Josiah, but he was having no fucking interest in the subject. Why are you doing the same fucking thing?" He asked, and I looked at him, feeling like he needed to calm down, and stop attacking me, when I was just simply wanting to help him out.

"Look, I have no idea what you want to do with this. But I guess that you are not going to taking no for a fucking answer. So I'll entertain the idea of checking this journal out. Tomorrow. And when I have a idea what I feel on it, I will give you my honest input." I said, feeling like I needed to just put it that way, for his own sake. That way he would leave the subject alone, for the time being.

"Thanks. Just come straight to my house tomorrow, and I'll make a lie or something. Tell my parents that you're just helping me out with school. And who knows, maybe your theory about that teacher can be proven true." After he said that, I was shaking my head, not wanting to hear this at all.

"What do you fucking know about that?" I asked, and stared directly at him. I was going to get what he knew, and I wasn't going to fucking negotiate. If he wanted me to read his shit, then he just needed to finally fucking open up.

"I know that you want to prove to people that you're not insane, and that something really is fucking going on right now. And I believe in you. But I need you to work with me here." After Robbie Dan said this, I was closing my eyes, and I was hoping that he was not playing me right now.

"Okay. Fucking fine. I will give it a fucking chance, and see what I can find." I said, and then after I told him this, I wondered what in the world Robbie would even fucking do, even if his theories were true. Which I wasn't completely against. But I did not want him part of this, no matter fucking what.

"But if you're wrong, and I realize this is just a waste of time, I am done with this talk. I refuse to be wasting my fucking time on people who are thinking that I am fucking stupid." I said, and I was seeing Robbie looking a bit scared of what I was saying.

"Okay. Fair enough. But I promise that you are not going to be finding this to be a waste of time." He said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like the fact that he was trying to be so confident here, was a fucking sign that he was making a mistake.

"Besides, where did you even come up with the idea that the fucking train graveyard is a place where the fucking missing people could be found? I'm more interested in that." After I said that, I was seeing Robbie looking furious at my comment. Probably thinking that I was accusing him of making shit up.

"I never said that I thought the people were going to be found there. I would have never assumed that, because they would have been found by now. What I do assume however is that if we look around there, we might be able to fucking find something that proves where they could be. And since I haven't finished reading yet, I could be right." Robbie said, not holding his opinion down at all.

"And if you're not, I hope you realize that you probably really pissed off some fucking drug dealer, who is going to be doing anything he can to find his shit, and I am not going to be able to fucking find shit for you." I said, and then Robbie Dan was looking kind of attacked here. When I saw this, I was shaking my head feeling like I just needed to fucking shut up.

"Okay. Well, we can discuss this later. I'll give you my contact information, and you can check it out when you have the time." As he was saying this, that was when I was feeling like maybe I was being a bit too hard on him, and that I just needed to give him some fucking form of barrier, to make him feel much better.

"Okay. Sorry for reacting the way that I am. I just feel like this is fucking ridiculous, and I have no idea what in the world I can fucking say here. I will check the information out, and see what I can get from this. I hope you're wrong, but I will try and prepare if you're right." I said, and I was shaking my head, wishing that I would just leave this subject alone for the time being.

"Gabe believes in me. I just wish that it was as easy to get you all to fucking believe me." Robbie said, and I was looking at him, really having no idea what in the world I would tell him. That was kind of a throwing me under the bus, and I was just not in the mood to deal with this form of bossing me around, and treating me like crap.

"Well, I am not fucking Gabe. And I think the sooner you see that, the better that things are going to be for you." I said, and then I was looking right at Robbie, wondering if he would fucking listen to me. As I said this, he was slowly nodding.

"Obviously not, and I am not going to confuse myself with that later." After he was telling me this, I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to talk about this anymore. "Look, I just want you to see that I am not fucking lying, and I would never be leading you down this path unless if I felt like I had to."

"Everybody fucking says that, and almost none of them fucking mean it!" I snapped, and I was taking a deep breath, and I was feeling like I just needed to shut up, and stop making it worse. I was starting to walk off, feeling no need to continue.

"Just remember what Bebe will be feeling if she sees this. I know she will not fucking be happy with this. And you need to also remember your fucking parents too. They will fucking hate this." I said, and I was now mainly doing this for self preservation.

"What if I don't fucking care?" He asked, and I was sighing. He made his fucking point, and I was not going to fucking handle this anymore. I just felt worried for him, and his own safety if he kept this up.

Eventually, I went home, looking at Robbie in my contact information, and I was hoping that I would not regret this. I was also hoping that my other siblings would not be making stupid choices like me with their phones. After all, I was feeling like if I was registering people like Robbie Dan of all people, then I was just going to be truly desperate for answers.

I decided to text Robbie, since I was feeling like there was no reason to hide behind the subject any longer. "Hey dude, sorry for being a total fucking asshole, I should have considered your opinion more. I will see you tomorrow. Just try and have the proof you need." I said, feeling like I just needed to say that to make him feel better.

"You better not fucking flake. I need you to see that I am not fucking joking or anything." Robbie sent back, and I was just not really in the mood to be having this discussion at all. I just put my phone away, not really in the mood to be dealing with this, and I sat down, and got to work on my comedy shows again.

Scene 4: December 11 2020 10:57 pm

When I was finally able to be at Robbie Dan's house, he was handing me the journal. Not eve giving me a chance to fucking settle down, and tell him that I think it might be best to just bench the idea for tonight. But as I read this, I was kind of feeling like there was no need to bother arguing anymore.

October 29, 2019: This is my first assignment in this Wayside town. I mean, it is virtually off the fucking map, and every time I do get something from my research, it always ends up being about things that happened several years ago. The most recent thing there was from 2016, which in news time, is still quite a while.

The last thing that I got from there was reading information about the body of a woman being found when her body floated up on the pier. The report said that she had clearly been dead for some time, and that getting a DNA confirmation was going to be next to impossible.

Strangely enough, despite the few entries I get from this town, everything that I do read does refer to a woman who had been found deceased. It seems that given what I read, that is a issue that the town does have to deal with every few years.

I just hope that the hotels there are nicer than the ones that I regularly have to stay at. I can never stay at most places for more than two nights, despite the fact that every time I reserve a place, I put it down for a week just to be safe.

The shipment this time was a bunch of substances such as heroin and meth. Despite being in this job since 2011, every single time I see a police car come by, I always get a fear that this is the deal that will finally put me on bust.

One thing that my boss told me before I left though, did stick out to me. The guy warned me to not make any real social connections there, and just to do the job. He said that area was a cesspool for whores and people never returning after they go out to do something. I am not sure if I fully get it, but I don't want to take the risk either.

October 31, 2019: I am leaving today. I am listening to various stories online, and it seems like one of the most discussed things about Wayside was a event that happened in the 1990's. Something about a late teenage early twenties man named Gumball Watterson getting accused of killing numerous people.

If this is true, which I doubt it is, as it would be virtually impossible for one man to do this alone, he killed both his younger siblings, his mother, his girlfriend and her younger sister, one of his friends named Tobias, another student at the school named John, Tobia's older sister and both their parents, the president of some massive company, and a couple of his teachers. There were also some names that were covered in black.

Reports also say that there were a few other people that he was accused of either killing since he was 13, or had been involved in the deaths of, with another being a student named Yolei Inoue. Reports also state that after killing them all, and getting caught by the police, after his father snitched him, he left the town, and had never returned, and served five years in prison for heroin deals.

Honestly, I am not sure if I believe that he was the one behind it. In all honesty, my theory is that maybe he was caught doing one of those, and as a result, several other deaths that had occurred in that time frame were placed on him as a way to give the public a chance to relax, and stop being scared.

Truth be told, I think a strange thing about this place is that this would be shit that if any other town did it, would be all over the web, and would be discussed for years to come. But with stuff like Wayside, it only has one article on these incidents, and that if you really look deeply into them all, and spend nearly a hour and a half researching every single name.

The couple theories that I have are that either the stories are fake or at the very least embellished, or that this town is literally connected to a government scheme, and that as a result, any amount of this getting learned would be sending every single person involved to jail for life, and that the government does not want this shit exposed at all.

Truth be told, I think that either way, I might just have to go there, do the job, and get the fucking hell away from there, without any fucking social interaction or time screwing around. This place seems like it is a death sentence waiting to fucking happen, to put it bluntly.

I guess that would explain the also abnormally large shipment that they are giving me. Usually they have me doing a couple hundred grams. This shipment is nearly ten thousand grams worth, with a couple hundred being labeled specifically for Richard Watterson. Which is odd, since that goes well beyond personal use, and makes me wonder where these are all being shipped to anyways.

November 4, 2019: I arrived at Wayside, and I went straight to the Watterson casino, and on my way over there, I saw a older business building, for the Needlemeyers, that had been worn down, and I was wondering if it was even still I business.

Once at the Watterson casino, I was shocked to be learning that the lead Watterson there was a genuine geriatric, at minimum mid seventies, probably eighties if we were being realistic, and when I tried to probe him on the validity of the stuff going on in town, he just brushed me off and told me to not ask again, if I valued my life.

Before I was able to head out, after making the shipment and Richard gave me his payment, that was when he told me that I was needing to send some drugs over to the high school. I assumed it was for the teachers, or younger students who were getting themselves into way too much trouble way too early.

Seeing that he was probably telling the truth, I did not want to fucking risk it, and I was leaving the building without saying too much at all. As I was heading out though, I saw a portrait of this guy getting placed up on the wall, and when I was able to catch his name real quick, it was Ross Bean.

Once I left, I decided to spend a few hours at the hotel though, feeling like I needed to at least take a bit of a break, and figured that since I already part of my job, I would have the right to relax a bit, and not have a target on my back.

When I was at the hotel that day, I was asking the receptionist about what was going on here, and I found out that near the end of the month, one of the most trusted employees, had their seventeen year old daughter go missing.

Before I was able to try and get more information about this, since I felt like this was rather major information, she told me that this type of thing has happened before, and that it was one of those things that if you lived in town long enough, you would be used to.

She then proceeded to ask me what I was even doing there to begin with, and I was explaining that I was a courier from California that had been on the job since 2011, and spent most of my time in Nevada, only really going out the wester states for big orders.

She seemed to take that answer, and I was glad for that, since I was feeling like if she was trying to probe me any further onto the issue, I was going to have to start making shit up on the fly, and I would not be ready for that at all.

November 6, 2019: I went to the high school to make my payment, which I probably should have done yesterday, but to be honest, I wanted to spend my first full day here just seeing the sights. And when I check it out, it is kind of surprising to me seeing all the complicatedness that this town has to things going on here.

In fact, it seemed like ninety eight percent of the town was living a perfectly normal and happy life, or was at least willing to fucking pretend. As if not realizing that this place was filled with massive drug deals, and people going missing.

I made it to the high school though, and gave the principal the package, and he thanked me for my patronage, and after he gave me the money, he explained he would have to go for a couple of minutes while he hands some of the materials to the art instructor.

When he was gone, I decided to sit down, and check things out, since I had the perfect chance. I managed to open up some of his drawers, and saw that there was a bill of sale. It was directed for him, and had been placed by her mother, and when I saw the name, while I didn't want to say for sure, I felt it was that woman at the hotel.

I took a picture to prove it, and placed it back in, and the piece of paper also had an address on it, for where that girl was going to be sent. I felt like I needed to try and go there, and at least check it out, before I left town, to make sure that I didn't sleep on some important intel.

It also looked like this was not the first time this happened. It looked like around once a year or so, the principal did a sale like this for one of the female students in his high school. All different names of the people who gave him these children. Some being fathers, mothers, uncles, bosses, and I even seen a couple that were from the boyfriend of the girl, on the condition that the person would get a full ride to any university he wanted in the country.

He had records going all the way back to 1982. Again, always once a year, he did some form of sale. But I had to stop when I was hearing his footsteps getting closer and I sat down just in time for him to not see what I had been doing.

From the look on his face, I knew he had suspected that I was doing something, and I asked for his full name, and claimed it was for the documents, and he said his first name was Nigel, and I thanked him for his time, and left the school.

When I get back to that hotel, I will not only be extending my stay, but I am going to have a serious conversation with that employee the first time that I would see her, and I would tell her what I had been able to find out.

When I was done, I was then looking at Robbie, and I was feeling like a idiot for not buying the shit he was saying earlier. If I was able to fucking bring this over to my brothers, and maybe even the police, then they might be able to make some use out of this. "Sorry that I just treated some of the stuff you said like a fucking joke." Was all I said, before I handed it back to Robbie. "Take photo copies of every page, just in case."

Scene 5: December 12 2020 2:32 pm

The next day, while I was working on my material, I was getting a text from Robbie Dan. I was having a feeling this would happen, and I was feeling like I needed to not be too annoyed, since that was clearly the fucking direction this would be going.

"So I ended up taking your advice, and I took a picture of every page that had been written in. I was kind of thinking of going back to that area, and placing it back, and leaving before we have any chance of getting caught." Robbie said, and I was in gawk at this idea.

"No. That is a fucking suicide mission waiting to fucking happen, and I think you just need to fucking stop this idea at once." I said, and I was going to fight tooth and nail on this one. He was going too far, and he needed to fucking back off.

"Who fucking cares if this is a suicide mission or not? I mean, at least I wouldn't be having this in here. Especially since I got all that I needed." Robbie said, and I was placing my comedy notes down, feeling like I just needed to accept the fact that this was not going to be fucking getting anywhere tonight.

"Okay. Fine. You win. Just give me some fucking time." I texted back, and then I looked around the house, and I was thinking about how I was supposed to be watching the younger kids today. "Would you be willing to hold it off until tomorrow?" I texted back.

"Why?" He asked, and I sighed, knowing that he was going to be fucking asking this. And I was really not in the fucking mood to be dealing with this at the time being. I was feeling like he was just trying to antagonize me as much as possible.

"I am supposed to be watching the younger siblings. If Jack were here, I wouldn't be too worried, but he's out at basketball practice." I said, and then I was feeling glad knowing that in a way, I did have a excuse to justify not doing this for tonight.

"Oh shit. Why not just bring them along? I mean, what is the worst that can happen?" He asked, and I was wanting to punch the shit out of this guy for even suggesting such a thing. I was feeling like he was trying to piss me off.

"Are you just trying to make me fucking furious? What is wrong with you? Anyways, I feel like you're not going to take no for a answer." I texted back, and then put the phone away, feeling like at this rate, I might as well just get them ready, and head on out.

I gathered the younger siblings, aside from Jack at practice and Lydia who was hanging with her school on a field trip for the weekend. As we were leaving the house, I locked the door, and I was mentally pleading with myself that this was going to be the right choice.

As we were walking along, I was wondering how much my family was going to just be furious at me if they were seeing what I did. After about an hour of walking over, we eventually reached Robbie's house, and I was knocking on the door, while I was still holding both Calvin and Ridge, while Henry was having to stay with the twins.

When Robbie answered, he dropped his mouth, utterly shocked to see that I literally did bring all five of them here. "Oh god, I wasn't expecting you to actually take them here. Oh shit, if this really a good idea? I was expecting maybe one or two." Robbie said, and I was looking at him, wondering what the hell he was going to be doing now.

"Yeah, do you now see how fucking horrible this plan is? Maybe instead of arguing with me next time, you will listen to me when I tell you that we should not be fucking doing this." I was telling him, and Robbie was looking like he was trying to not feel horribly attacked as I was talking to him here.

"Well, since you're already here, I might as well just get this over with." After Robbie Dan was telling me this, I was shaking my head, and then the group of us were walking along. As we were talking, Dylan was getting a smile on his face, as if wanting to pester Robbie endlessly.

"My sister likes you." He said, and Robbie was getting a uncomfortable look on his face, and looked slightly scared of what Dylan said. Probably thinking that being pestered by this guy was probably the last thing that he wanted.

"Well, I think that she is looking after the wrong person if she thinks that she should be liking me." After Robbie was telling Dylan this, I was finding myself agreeing to this. If he was sensible, he wouldn't have been suggesting this idea of bringing us into this fucking insanity.

"Why?" Dylan asked, and then I was shaking my head. I looked at Robbie, and I was feeling like I just needed him to either just come clean, or just change the subject into one that was going to be more fun for us.

He did as I was wishing. "Look, you guys are going to be checking something really cool out. I think you are going to fucking love this place." After Robbie Dan said this, I was seeing Henry, Dylan, and Drake get excited while I was feeling like I would explode if I had to carry Ridge and Calvin any fucking longer.

Eventually, in due time, we did make our way over to the fucking train graveyard, where I could see that all of the younger siblings suddenly started to look so fucking excited about what they were seeing. Suddenly realizing that What Robbie said was true. In their eyes, this was something awesome.

Robbie was looking straight at me. "I am going to just be placing the journal back, and then we can just fucking leave. As if we were never fucking there. I hope that it's been long enough to where the guy will have just forgotten me." Robbie said, and I was seeing him looking like he was finally calming down a bit.

I was sitting down, and I was looking right at Henry, while we were watching the twins play for a bit, and the two youngest ones were just hanging around us. "Did something happen between you and Robbie?" Henry asked, and I looked at him, shocked that he would ask this. And I was starting to realize that maybe I should be calming my opinion down, since he was now dragged into this.

"Well, I think that I am just more upset at the things that are going on around him. He is trying to fix everything on this own, without realizing that this whole thing is fucking crazy." I decided to tell him, feeling like I would just be honest as I said this.

"Sorry for asking. Lydia just worships him." Henry said, and I was laughing at that wording. I mean, I feel like that might have been a bit of a stretch, considering the fact that he was still in second grade. Although the second grade thing was something I needed to remind myself on what he had been doing.

"Well, I think that she just doesn't see that he is trying to fix the things that are so fucking wrong about this place, and that there is only so much a fucking eight year old can do." I said, and I was seeing Henry looking at me strangely. After all, he was still a few weeks away from six, and by comparison, eight was already huge.

"Look, I just feel like this is something that you just need to be more careful about going forward. I mean, I know you are not meaning anything by it. I just think you need to be more careful here." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest as I said this.

"And besides, I think that I am probably just looking at this with a negative mindset. I mean, how can anybody actually think we have any fucking chance of making this whole thing work out? We fucked up every single chance we got." I said, feeling like telling him this was going to be the best way to kind of just change the topic for a second.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked, and then before we were able to get too deep with this talk, Robbie was running up to us, and I was seeing him looking utterly excited to finally have that burden lifted off his shoulders forever. The burden that was entirely his fault, I would add.

"Okay. I have taken care of it. If you guys want to head back now, we can." He said, and I was looking at the twins, and I was seeing them both looking like they were having the time of their lives right now, and I was shaking my head, unable to believe that I was going to be saying this.

"Well, the twins look like they are having a good time. I think that it might be best to just kind of stick around for a while, and let them have their fun." I said, feeling like as long as we were not dealing with that one guy from the journal, they could stay.

"What was in the journal?" Henry asked, we were watching the twins at the field, having the time of their lives, and I was wondering if I should be there with them more, and just simply let them be having the time of their fucking lives, beyond everything else.

"Nothing important." Robbie said, and I was glad to be seeing that he was willing to maintain the idea that we should be sparing him of all people. I was having a feeling that he was willing to spare the people younger than him. Which I guess was a fucking start.

"Okay." Henry said, and I was hearing him looking like he had wished for a better answer. I was feeling like once he was much older, and he was willing to see how fucked up this whole thing really was, he would take back every single thing he said. Or he was going to be getting much worse about it this time.

"Didn't know this place was real." He said, and I was looking at him, shocked that he was insinuating that he actually did know about this area to begin with. I wonder if it was something I mentioned once or twice, and then he remembered. Or maybe my older siblings.

"Well, people barely use it anyways. With the exception of some people who are probably completely fucking run out of town, and just need a place to fucking hide." I said, and I was wondering how long it was going to be taking for Seth to completely fucking get it.

"Run out of town." Henry said, and I was seeing him trying to fully understand the concept. I was hoping that he would never get to the point where he would have to know somebody who was like this. That would be fucking heart breaking.

But every time I would watch the sun set, and I was seeing everything turn out, in a rather haphazard way, at the end of the day, I was feeling like I was wrong for ever trying to tell people off, and that I was just needing to let people do whatever they wanted, and not be pushing them too hard.

Scene 6: December 13 2020 1:38 pm

When I was outside, not thinking about what Robbie just did, and the fact that he almost got us all in so much trouble, I was getting a text from Josiah. I was annoyed at what this could possibly be, because I knew that it was going to be related to that fucking job, and I wanted nothing to do with this.

"Hey Seth, I just wanted you to know that I am sorry that I was being so hard on you earlier. I know that you were just simply trying to help me. I know that I can be a total fucking asshole at times, and I wished that I was different." He said, and I was sighing, not sure what to tell him.

"I just want to tell you that I do not want to be doing this any longer. I mean, I respect what you guys are doing, or I guess that I do, but I just feel like this is fucking wrong." I said, and I was hardly caring if I was going to be a asshole at this.

"I get that. I wished that I was able to fucking tell you more. But I guess that I would just be wasting my fucking time. I really hope we can put this whole thing behind us." After Josiah sent this, I just took a long and deep breath, since we both knew that was a lie.

"Good luck on Rhett's issue. Hopefully his father will get exposed." I sent, and I was unsure what he would need to be exposed of. But I was feeling like that was what my brother wanted to hear. I placed my phone down, and I was not going to be down with working with Robbie ever again.

When I was walking off, which I was allowed to do, since Gabe was there this time, I was feeling like I would just leave this subject alone. I was shaking my head, unable to believe that I gotten myself involved in such insane bullshit. But I guess that maybe that was to be expected, with my fucking family.

I went to the park, where I was just kind of hoping that nobody would fucking bother me. To be honest, I was tired of this fucking place, and I was tired of my family just getting themselves killed because of shit that was way out of my power. But I guess that this was something that I just had to expect.

After a while, I reached the park, and I was shaking my head, unsure of what life was going to be like in the future. Knowing that in all honesty, all of my siblings were going to be getting themselves killed, and there was literally nothing that I could fucking do to change it, besides just sit back and watch.

When I was sitting down, I was seeing that Manny was there as well, just staring around, and I was confused what he was doing, so I started to walk in his direction, seeing if maybe he would be willing to fucking talk with me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, and I was seeing Manny looking shocked to be seeing me here. He was shaking his head, kind of tired, and I was wondering if I just needed to shut the fucking hell up, and let him be doing his own thing.

"To be honest, I am just thinking about everything lately. You know, the election last month. Four more years of Trump." He said, and I was shaking my head, not sure what to tell him there. After all, I hardly looked at that shit at all.

"I don't know the first thing about that stuff, to be honest. Never really saw the appeal of old guys sitting down on a room talking." I said, giving a of course grossly over simplified version of things. But when you're fucking eleven, that's almost to be expected.

"Well, yeah, that's fair. My parents just talk about him all the time, and I have no idea if I want to deal with that all the time." Manny said, and then he was shaking his head, feeling like that was beyond his range of interest.

"Regardless, are you planning on actually going through with looking into Becky?" He asked, as I looked at him, thinking that what he was suggesting was a fucking death sentence, and he just needed to drop that right now.

"Well, I wanted to, but that was before my brothers basically went fucking insane, and made me kind of lose all fucking patience I had." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest as I was telling him this, Manny looked down, unsure what to say.

"Well, you were the first one who wanted to check into this. I thought you of all people would have said yes right away. Regardless, you're probably right." He said, and sounded kind of out of it as he was saying this. I sighed, not sure what to even fucking tell him.

"Well, I can be realistic while I'm talking about this." I said, and I was shaking my head, not sure what in the world I was even going to be saying. "Honestly though, if I tried to approach Becky, she would probably deny everything. Tell me that I am looking too deeply into this, and that I am being unreasonable with the way that I am doing things."

"Well, you never know. Give it a fucking try. You might be fucking wrong." Manny said, and I was shaking my head, thinking this guy was just trying too fucking hard. But I was feeling like I would just let that remain to myself, since I knew he was just simply trying to help.

"Anyways, I thought that your niche was watching the sun sets at the school. Besides, it's still like three hours." I said, and then Manny was shrugging, not sure what to say to my comments. But I could tell from his comments that he was hardly really paying attention to what I was saying.

"Well, it's the weekend, and I think the school staff wouldn't want us there during the school days. Regardless, I was mainly saying that because the biggest thing is that I just simply do not want be at my house when shit is always happening there. It just not good for me to be dealing with that shit to be honest." He was telling me, and I was sighing, having no idea what to tell him.

"What is always happening there anyways? Can't be worse than dealing with ten siblings running around yelling at the top of their lungs, and just acting like they have no sense of coherent thought." I said, and I was kind of feeling like a asshole as I was telling him this.

"Wow, I never thought that you would be that savage when making your point. It seems like your family isn't nearly as together as I thought." He said, and I was seeing him starting to walk off. I was confused at what he was going to be doing. So I was feeling like I just needed to call out to him, in order to try and make him feel better.

"Well, I just am able to be real when talking about the whole issue. You know, I just have to get to a point where I have to say that people are being fucking ridiculous, and that I frankly do not want to be dealing with them being fucking idiots." I said, and I was shaking my head, hoping to just drop the subject.

"Besides, what are you doing? I can show you my place if you need me to. I mean, you might see what the issue is if you're there." I said, and then I was seeing him looking like he was kind of not really in the mood to be doing anything like that.

Then he got a uncertain look on his face, and looked like he was just trying to decide what he wanted to say. "Well, I mean, I guess that it might be any worse than going straight home. And at least it would give me something to do." He said, and then he was shaking his head, not sure what to feel here.

As we were walking on our way, I was feeling unsure why I was even bothering talking to this guy. Feeling like he was just going to waste my time. "Dude, sorry for interrupting you earlier. I didn't know if you just wanted to be alone or not." I said, feeling like I just needed to get that out of the way.

"It's okay. Not like I was even doing anything important anyways. I just get kind of tired when I deal with everything at my place. And to be honest, I sort of am fucking done with trying to deal with assholes at school as well." As he was saying this, I laughed, feeling like I did understand that a lot more than he probably thought.

Eventually, we were getting close to my place, and I was wondering what Manny was going to think when he saw this place. Well with the way he was acting like his house was fucking hell or something, that by comparison, this one would be much better.

Once inside, we were seeing Lydia in the house, and she was hanging out with Henry and the twins. I was looking around, and on a daily basis, I was always blown away at how much of a fucking mess this place can become in just a fucking day.

"These people are fucking crazy. How do mom and dad handle this at all times?" Lydia asked, and I was seeing her looking like she was just trying to stop freaking out, and I was looking at her, and I was kind of confused at what was happening.

"I don't know. But I thought that Gabe was here." I said, and I was shaking my head, and looked right at Manny, thinking that if he was going to be thinking this place would work out, then he was going to be sadly mistaken.

"Why did your parents think it was a great idea to have so many kids?" Manny asked, and I looked at him, wondering how in the world I was even supposed to be answering that. It was something that I couldn't fucking just ask them, since they were never fucking hear to begin with. So with that, I just simply shrugged, not sure what to tell him.

"I don't fucking know. If I did, then I think that nobody would be rubbing it in their face. Regardless, that's what I have to deal with at a daily basis." I said, and then I was shrugging, not sure what in the world I would even tell him.

"Well, you certainly got your time full. No wonder why you guys leave the house so often. So you guys can just take a bit of time away." He was saying, and I was looking at him, wondering how much he was going to be stroking this fire. I knew that if my siblings were aware of what he was low key insinuating, then everything would be worse.

"Anyways, I guess that since most of my other siblings constantly bring people here all the time, that it would be fair for you to check the place out at least once." I said, and then I sat down, and turned the television to a comedy channel, where The Nice Guys was playing. Some random buddy cop movie that came out a few years ago. Manny decided to just watch with me, while we casually paid attention to what was happening.

At the end of the day, I was feeling like maybe he was right, and that I did just need to step up, and do my job, and see what I could learn from Becky. It was still a horrible idea, but I was beyond the fucking point of fucking hiding.

Scene 7: December 14 2020 4:00 pm

When I was done with school that day, I was talking with Manny, and Becky was walking out of the art teachers office, and I could see from the look on her face that she was rather upset about something. I knew that I had to fucking act, no matter what the result was going to be.

"Hey Becky, I wanted to see how you were doing." I said, and then she looked at me, and I was seeing from the look on her face that she was not buying a fucking word of what I was saying. Which was not fucking shocking at all, given how things were.

"I am not in the mood to be having a fucking conversation right now. I want to just go home." Becky said, and then Manny was shaking his head, feeling like he needed to try and find a way to get her to open up here.

"Seth knows what is going on in that room. You can talk to him. And trust him." After Manny was saying this, I looked right at him, and I was shocked to be hearing him actually vouch for me, given the whole thing so far.

"You guys don't realize what you are saying. That is not the way that it looks." Becky said, and she sounded like she was trying really fucking hard to hide her anger. I was trying to pretend like I wasn't pissed off here, when in all honesty I was fucking furious.

"You don't have to fucking lie Becky. Just tell us what is happening. I will do whatever I can to fucking help you." I said, and I was seeing her looking like she was trying to believe that, but had no idea what to fucking say to this.

"Just hang out with your fucking siblings." She said, and then she was looking right at Manny, and I was seeing from the look on her face that she was genuinely fucking pissed to be having this discussion right now. "I thought that you or all people would have been keeping this together." She said, and then I was shaking my head at this.

"What happened to you?" Manny asked, and I was seeing him just sounding like he was just feeling utterly horrible for her. I was wondering why he even cared what was happening anymore. She made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with this.

"I just simply am busy." She said, and then with that, she was starting to head off, and I was wondering what in the world I was even going to be doing now. Before she left, she was looking at us one final time, and I saw her looking like she was considering what to say now.

"And besides, even if your rumors were true, then in all honesty, there is nothing you can really do about it. That teacher is the main reason anything gets done here. I think you need to see that he is doing what he wants, because that is the only way our school can thrive." She said, and then she was leaving, and Manny and I looked at each other, wondering what to fucking say.

"So she basically confirmed it? I guess that I should not be surprised. I guess that I was just holding out hope that nothing would happen." After Manny said this, he was shaking his head, and I was hearing the utter disgust in his voice. Unable to handle what he heard.

"Yeah, she fucking did. But she was basically acting that that guy can get whatever he wants, all because of his fucking reputation? How fucked up is that?" I asked, and I was disgusted with what was going on. I could not fucking believe that this was where we were now.

"Seth, I think that you might need to stop this. You aren't going to be able to fucking stop this from getting any deeper. She just fucking confirmed it." After he was telling me this, I sighed, and I was really not in the mood to listen to him talking like this.

"I don't fucking care if I should or shouldn't. She confirmed that she is suffering, and I want to make sure that she is not suffering anymore. I mean, that is what my father would want." I said, and I was seeing him looking like of upset at this.

"Alright, well, I guess that you are doing something that matters. So I will see if I can help." Manny said, and he sounded like he was unable to believe he went down this road. "I just hope that I do not regret what is fucking happening."

"Let me see if I can find something else. There is a source that might be able to help me." I said, referring to Robbie Dan, and I was seeing Manny looking relatively scared of what I was even going to fucking say now.

I started to head on towards Robbie Dan's house, and Manny was following me, even though I wished he would stay out of this, for his own sake. I did not want him to be dealing with me being a irresponsible fucking asshole, and potentially putting the life of a eight year old in danger because I just needed to check something out.

"Why are you heading there? I thought you were heading home or something." Manny said, and I was looking towards him, and I was feeling like the fact that he was still unsure of how things were going, was either a good thing, or the recipe for disaster.

"This is what I was talking about. Finding that one guy to give me all the intel that I need. If you don't want to join, I completely fucking get it. But I am doing this, no matter what." I said, and I was seeing Manny looking like he was just thinking about what I was asking him. Probably finding my comment utterly ridiculous.

"Sorry for coming along like this. I know I probably should have just remained home, and not even bothered." Manny said, and I chose to not even really deal with this. I was having a feeling that he was just going to be trying to make me the bad guy with this whole thing.

"It's okay. I mean, I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you on this, when I know what you are planning on doing anyways." I said, and I was shaking my head, feeling no real need to discuss this at all. "My brothers would do that shit all the time, and it made things worse. Just constantly added tension to this place."

"Sorry that it seems like your brothers don't really get along with you very much anymore. I thought that you guys were doing great, since the general public looks at you guys as a tightly knit group." After Manny was telling me this, I was shaking my head, feeling like he needed to just keep his mind to himself, since he didn't really know how things were.

"I'm not sure if we ever really did, and we just simply were able to fucking hide it before. Knowing them, I would not even fucking be surprised. I don't know, I think the uncertainty hurts more than the falling out itself." After I was telling him this, I was wondering if he was going to care what I said at all.

Manny seemed slightly unsure what the hell he wanted to say. So he just remained silent, and choose to just simply keep to himself. Before long, we were eventually at Robbie Dan's place, and I knocked on the door, hoping that he would just fucking answer already.

Bebe was the one that answered instead. As soon as I saw her, I instantly got a sense of dread, and that this was not going to fucking be worth it. I looked right at Manny, and I was feeling like I just needed to save his ass as soon as possible. "I was here to speak to your brother." I said, trying to just make the conversation go along at least relatively smoothly.

"Look, I think you guys should realize that it would be best if you guys just fucking stopped looking into this with him. Robbie is eight years old. And I am surprised he hasn't gotten in trouble with our parents about the way that he is acting right now." After Bebe was telling me this, I knew that she was right, but at the same time, I felt like I had to if it was for Becky.

"Look, I would simply just being able to fucking talk to him really be all that big of a deal? You know, this is something really important, and he has something really important." I said, and then Bebe was shaking her head, not wanting to negotiate with me anymore, which was probably for the best for Robbie.

"The fucking answer is no Seth. Just because I'm dating your oldest brother, and I'm willing to deal with this from him, doesn't mean I need to listen to you." She said, and I looked right at Manny, and I wondered what he was going to tell me here. I sighed, since I felt like there was no way that I would get what I wanted.

"I just want to do what is right." I said, and then Bebe was looking at me, considering what I said. Not because she agreed with me, but because she knew that the concept was a abstract concept. And something beyond the realm of discussion.

"That is not really something that can be decided by somebody. I think you need to be careful with that phrasing." She said, and I was unable to believe her attitude here. It was too much to fucking handle, and I wondered what was wrong with her.

"Well, at least I'm not just staying home, and doing nothing all fucking day. Look, I understand that you love Todd, but you know you have seen some shit here, and you are still ignoring it." I said, and I was hardly caring how much of a asshole I was coming off by saying this.

"You need to just leave me alone. I am not going to be dealing with this shit anymore. I have no idea why everybody just thinks that hey can go around, and treat me like garbage, when I am just trying to do what is best for my fucking brother." Bebe said, and I was looking down at the ground, and I was trying to keep myself calm and collected, and not be upset with her way of talking.

"Can I speak with him?" I asked, feeling like I needed to be firm. Manny was placing his hand on my shoulder, as if telling me to fucking stop, and not be making the situation much worse for everybody involved.

"Just go." She said, and then I was shaking my head, feeling like what she was telling me was a really fucking low brow. I couldn't fucking handle this, and I decided to just fucking leave her alone, not really wanting to be around her anyways.

I was then thinking about, if she admitted to this, essentially, then not only did I need to get her to start trusting me enough to work with her, but I needed to find a way to prove this. I wonder if maybe working with Robbie Dan was the best idea after all. As disgusting as it was to admit.

Scene 8: December 15 2020 5:03 pm

The next day, when I was home, to my complete and utter lack of surprise, I was already seeing Todd coming up to me. Despite the fact that I was trying to remain at least relatively calm and neutral, his reaction was actually kind of scary, and I felt like maybe I really fucked up.

"SETH!" Todd yelled, and I looked right at him, and unlike the incident with Gabe a couple of months ago, where I will admit I was in the wrong in hindsight, I was going to stand my ground, and make him see that I was not the fucking asshole here.

"Bebe was telling me that you were being a complete asshole to her earlier? Why were you doing that?" He asked, and I was shrugging, wondering why in the world, truly, he would care as much as he did. I shrugged, not sure what to fucking tell him.

"Are you upset because I decided to stand my ground, and make her see that I was doing the right thing?" I asked, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was absolutely not happy with the way that I was talking to him.

"Bebe is one of the nicest people that I ever met, and she is just trying to make sure that her brother is fine. Why do you always have to make scenes like this?" Todd asked, and then I looked at him, and at this rate, I was really losing my patience.

"I am not going to deal with you being a asshole because I stood my ground. I was trying to see Robbie Dan, and she was not having it, and at that point, I just felt like I needed to make my fucking point clear. What is so fucking wrong about that?" I asked, and then Todd looked like he was about on the edge.

"Look, I understand that most of the things that have been happening here have been rather rough to say the least,a nd that you are probably just trying to help us out. You know, see what you can provide. I guess that I do appreciate that." Todd said, and I was slowly nodding, thinking he better appreciate it.

"But I think you need to see that this is something that you really do not want to get involved in. I think that Bebe just finally realized how deep her brother had already gotten in this, and she is just simply trying to stop it." Todd said, and I was shaking my head, unable to handle this bullshit anymore.

"I never wanted to get involved with this! But you guys are going around, acting like fucking insane assholes, and bringing the entire town down, and I have no choice but to eventually say enough is enough, and see what in the world is going on here." I said, hoping that by saying this, I would be able to remove all guilt from myself here.

"What were you even wanting to talk to him about anyways?" Todd asked, and I looked at him, thinking that was fair enough, and that maybe I would have to give him something here.

"He and Josiah found something. Like a journal or whatever, at the train graveyard. And I had to escort him back several days ago. And that Becky girl esentially confirmed what I said to you guys earlier, and I want to see if that can help." I said, feeling like the more that I placed my foot down, the more he would leave things alone.

"I thought Gabe and Josiah agreed that Josiah would be keeping himself out of this? Why the fucking hell would he be doing something like this anyways?" Todd asked, and I was laughing at this, thinking that it was cute that Todd did not know how serious this was after all.

"Maybe that is your own god damn fault after all. Ever considered that? That you were too fucking focused on your own friends that you became a influence to us?" I asked, and I saw from the look on his face that he was kind of hurt by my reaction.

"Besides, Josiah was dealing with Rhett's parents divorce case. And after Rhett's mother was murdered, Josiah decided it was time for him to fucking step up, and see what he would have to do to help his friend out." I said, hoping that this would get Todd to see things differently.

"Oh yeah, I remember him mentioning that. I just sort of thought nothing of it. Maybe that was not the best way to be doing things, in hindsight." After Todd said this, he was shaking his head, suddenly seeing his error in his ways.

"Well, try to tell him to talk to me, and I will try and fucking talk to him then. Maybe he will be willing to talk to me now." After Todd was saying this, I was really super duper not in the mood to be dealing with this right now.

"That is something you need to do on your own. I mean, he is your younger brother after all. He needs the help more than you can imagine." I said, and I was seeing Todd looking like he was finally considering what I was telling him.

"Well said, for somebody your age." He said, sounding like he hated to admit that for once, I was starting to know my shit better than he was. But then he was calming down once again, thinking about what to do here.

"I guess that despite how much I fucking hate it, that you may fucking be right. Okay. I guess that I will go along with what you're saying. For now at least." After Todd said this, he shook his head.

"I will try and sort things out with Bebe. Apologize to her for everything that happened, and I hope that she would be willing to fucking listen to me." After he was telling me this, I was having a horrible feeling that this was not going to go as well as I expected.

"Hopefully we can work something out. Just tell her that I was sorry for the way that I acted as well. Realistically, I know she's fucking right. But sometimes, I just wish that I had the answers in front of me, more than I actually do." I said, hoping that this was going to be a way to get him to calm down, and not be upset with me.

"Okay. Maybe she will accept it. I just hope that we can stop being at each others throats, and accept how things are going." After Todd was saying this, I was shaking my head, since I think we both knew that he was just trying to take away his guilt on everything that was happening.

"Todd, do you have any idea what your friends are really getting out of this?" I asked, and Todd was shaking his head, as if feeling like what I was asking was just a bit out of his fucking league.

"No idea, and honestly, I just feel like they are going to do whatever they fucking want at this rate. So I just stay at their side, hoping they accept my help." After he was telling me this, I decided that I would remain silent, for both our sakes.

"So who was that guy you brought over earlier?" Todd asked, and I was glad to be hearing him finally calm down, and no longer have that fury in his voice. I was feeling like if he has still been like this, I would have been utterly fucked beyond belief.

"His name is Manny. I'm not sure if I would consider him a friend quite yet. But we have talked a couple of times. And he is going to be helping me with the fucking Becky shit. Hopefully he will take what I'm syaing seriously." I said, and I shook my head, hoping that Todd would just shut the fucking hell up, and let me do what I needed now.

"Sorry that I was having a hard time believing you earlier. But if you are right, and that shit really is happening to that girl, then I think that you need to tell the police. Or maybe even tell dad. He might actually do something." After Todd said this, I shook my head, since we both knew that would not happen.

"Todd, we both know that is a fucking lie, and that dad will be doing nothing." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Todd looking down on the ground, and I wondered what his issue was going to be.

"Well, I think that you just need to see that he is a very busy man. Come on, give him a fucking chance." After Todd was telling me this, I was shaking my head, since I felt like him saying this was going to esentially be sentencing Becky to more shit.

But I did think, maybe I am wrong, and maybe dad will do something... And if that is the case, then is it really in my right to say no?

I shook my head, unable to believe that I was agreeing to this in the first place. But I was feeling like nothing was going to change if I argued with him.

"Okay. Well, it does seem like you are making your mind on the matter rather well. And if that is the case, then let's just fucking go along with it." I said, and I was shaking my head, clearly unable to believe that I agreed with this shit at all.

"If you want to do that with the Becky case, go ahead, I will let it go. Just make sure that you don't drag everybody else into your fucking mess. Sounds fair?" He asked, and I was sighing, feeling like he was going to be making me feel bad, no matter what was happening. So with that, I just decided to let it go, for the time being.

"Fine. You fucking win. I will only keep this to the Becky thing. And you can do whatever you want beyond that. Fair enough?" I asked, and then Todd smiled as I said this, and I was feeling like he just needed to make sure that I did not regret this.

As Todd was leaving, I sighed, and I was feeling like there was virtually nothing else that I would even be able to accomplish here. I was then staring out the window of my house, and I hoped that I would not regret everything.

And in all honesty, if for nothing else, I guess that I would be able to take what I did, and say that maybe I was truly the good guy after all. So maybe this could be much worse than it was. Either way, I just needed to be happy that Todd was no longer mad at me.

I was starting to think that maybe it would be a really bad idea to keep Manny in this, and that I did just need to be keeping him away from this for his own fucking sake.

But I guess that was his own choice, and that I just needed to stop trying to press him down on the matter any further. And that soon enough, it was all going to go well.

I went to my room, not in the mood to be turned into the villain anymore, and felt like when Todd was finally willing to talk again, then we could be able to maybe sort some things out after all.

Scene 9: December 16 2020 4:11 pm

The next day, when I was heading home from school, that was when Manny was walking up to me. I was not really sure what I was going to be telling him. To be honest, I was feeling like this whole thing was a terrible fucking idea. But I just decided to stop fucking caring.

"Seth, do you want to try and talk to Becky again? I can try and see if I can get her to talk more." Manny asked, and I was honestly not really in the mood to be dealing with this. In all honesty, I knew that this was going to go down a terrible path.

"No, Todd made it very clear he wants me to stay away from this. And to be honest, I think that he might be fucking right." I said, and I was looking at him, wondering how he was going to react to this. I saw his expression be one of just indifference.

"So you are just going to let them fucking win?" After he asked me this, I sighed, and I was shaking my head, feeling like he was unable to see how much this was destroying my fucking family, and that I was not going to deal with this at all.

"I am not letting anybody fucking 'win' or anything like that." I said, shaking my head, and feeling like Manny was just never going to be seeing this. As we were walking, the art teacher and Becky were heading to his room.

"What do you guys even do in there anyways?" Manny asked, in a more forceful way than he really should have. As he asked this, that was when the teacher looked at Manny, and shook his head at the way that Manny was asking.

"I am giving her private lessons, to make sure that she is going to be able to excel in her classes. Unlike certain students that I know, she actually has a desire to fucking succeed." The teacher said, and Manny was balling his fist, trying to hold his anger back.

"It's no fucking use." Becky told Manny and I, and we both looked at her. I could see from the teachers expression that this was the last comment that he wanted to fucking hear. I knew right than and there something really was going on here.

"I told you that acting out of line is something that students do and get in trouble over. Do you want to get in trouble?" He asked, and then Becky was looking down at the ground, and I was seeing her looking ashamed of what she just said.

"Sorry. Well, talk to you guys later." After Becky said that, the two of them went into his office. This was when I was seeing Manny looking like he was about to burst a fucking blood vessel from this whole thing.

"That asshole is clearly doing something with her, and we both fucking know it. Why in the world are we just fucking letting this happen?" After Manny was saying this, he was shaking his head, and he was looking like he wanted to just scream at the top of his lungs.

"Look, we are not going to be getting anything by being here, and yelling. We both know that this man has a fucking grip on her." I said, and I wasn't even realizing the connotations of what I was saying at that moment. I was just trying to make it clear that for better or for worse, he really did have the upper hand.

"Alright, you're right. I guess that I will have to wait. I hope that guy knows that we're onto him." Manny said, and then with that, we left the area, and decided to just eat out at the down town burger shop, where the two of us just felt like we needed to calm down after all the shit that was going on here.

As we were waiting for our orders, I was feeling like I just needed to try and get to know Manny better. And I mean genuinely fucking know him, considering everything that was happening around here.

"So Manny, what even is going on at your place anyways?" I asked, and I was seeing Manny look like he was just really upset that I had to turn it to that.

But eventually, he sighed, as if feeling like there was no need to hide around the fucking bushes. "Truth be told, I have been having a really hard time getting along with my parents lately." Manny said, and I shrugged, feeling like that part made some sense.

"But why is that?" I asked, trying to hold back my annoyance at the fact that this was the way that this conversation was going right now.

"I told them one time a couple of months ago that there was a guy in our class who I thought was kind of cute." Manny said, and I slowly nodded, sort of getting it.

"But I mean, we're only in fifth grade. I would assume that they would have realized that people can change their mind on that stuff at any moment." I said, trying to make him feel betetr about that.

"But now you fucking know why." He said, suddenly getting a much harsher tone in his voice. I was feeling like he was just trying to not be a asshole, but was not going to take any shit from me.

"Well, I don't think any less of you for thinking the way that you do." After I was telling him this, I was seeing Manny looking like he was really not in the mood to be hearing me trying to tell him this at all.

"I don't really need the sentimental shit. Especially since I am more focused on just making sure that Becky is doing well. What my parents say about me by comparison is really not that fucking important at all." After he was telling me this, I choose to respect his wishes at least a bit.

"But do you think that we are even going to be able to make people see the truth? I mean, if what she says is true, then I think that we might be kind of screwed." After Manny was telling me this, I shrugged, not sure what I was even going to tell him.

"Well, in all honesty, whatever fucking happens, I think that the best thing to do is just let it fucking go. Simple as that. People are just going to make whatever fucking story they want. I think we both fucking know this." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to be one hundred percent real with him here.

"But because that is the best choice, doesn't mean that is the one that I will be doing." I said, before Manny was even able to fucking open up his mouth about how I was not caring enough or whatever fucking shit he wanted to say.

"What do you think your siblings feel about all this? Do you think they will support you and what you do?" Manny asked, and I shook my head, fully knowing that they were not going to, and I was honestly not caring.

"I honestly don't fucking know what they will be doing. To be honest, they are kind of fucking assholes, and I am not really interested in dealing with them at all." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and be honest with him here.

I was seeing Manny looking like that kind of was genuinely sad to him. "Well, I think that things would be better if you saw that they were just trying to be making you feel better here." After Manny was telling me this, I was sighing, since I knew that he was trying to guilt trip me with this bullshit.

"I tried to tell them about Becky, but they would refuse to fucking listen to me, and in all honesty, I feel like they are just scared of the fact that they know for once in their life, that they over stepped boundries, and were wrong." I said, and I was feeling disgusted while I was saying this. I thought my siblings were going to be the people who were going to be at my side, no matter what fucking happened at the end.

"I just wish that people would take what we say more seriously. It fucking pisses me off that nobody ever fucking listens to us." Manny said, and then he pounded his hand on the table, and I was looking around, feeling like he needed to fucking stop with this.

"Look, I am on your side Manny. But I think that simply put, the best thing to do right now is focus on the talent show. I mean, it's this Friday. If you want to look tomorrow, that's fine. But I'm focusing on that show on the 18th." I said, finally feeling like I had to draw the fucking line somewhere.

As I said this, I was seeing Manny looking pissed at the fact that this was something that I was putting above everything else. "And then on the 19th, if you want to, I can check again. Just give me this one fucking day, and that is all that I fucking want." I said, and I was seeing him looking like he wanted to murder me for saying this.

"Fine, you fucking win." After Manny said this, I was seeing that this was not the way he wanted things to go at all. I sighed, and I was feeling like I needed to give him some fucking patience here.

"Besides, you said your favorite thing to do was watch the sun sets, and not worry about the world? Why not fucking do that, and just enjoy life as it is?" I asked, and I was shaking my head, unable to believe that I said that to a man who was clearly pissed.

"Maybe you're right. I mean, what am I going to fucking do here? Why do I think anybody is ever going to change what is going on here?" After Manny was telling me this, I shrugged, and I was feeling like everything I said was all for not.

"I understand being upset. I am too. But there is literally nothing we can do about it." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to be fully honest with him as I said this. He shook his head, and hated the fact that he knew for a fact that I was totally right about what I was saying.

"This just makes me fucking pissed. People just do whatever they fucking want, and I have to just let it happen." As he was saying, truth be told, I was deeply sympathetic towards him.

"You can tell me what the issue is when you have the time. I will try and fucking help you out here." I said, feeling like saying that was the best way to make him feel better about what was going on. Manny just shook his head as he stared out the window, clearly beyond the point of talking.

I left the diner, not really feeling the mood to be having these discussions any longer. I was feeling like Manny probably knew that in all honesty, he was kind of treading on dangerous water, and I was feeling like he was just not caring anymore. And the worst part was that I knew he was fucking right.

Scene 10: December 17 2020 3:46 pm

The next day, I was feeling like it was time for me to try and make things right, and no longer try and pretend like what I was doing earlier wasn't at least somewhat wrong and fucked up. Eventually, I made it over to Robbie's house, so I could apologize to Bebe for the way that I had been treating her earlier. I knew she deserved better, but did not have the balls to admit it.

After I knocked and waited for a bit, Bebe was the one who answered. I decided to start with my apology before she had a chance to try and tell me off. "Look, I really messed up, and I treated you like garbage earlier. I know that what I did was wrong even at the moment. But I guess that I thought that I was just acting normally." I said, and I was shaking my head.

"It's okay. I mean, with ten siblings, I feel like you kind of just inherently grew up in a messed up situation. So I have to try and be a bit more patient here." After Bebe was telling me this, I looked at her, wondering what she was trying to accomplish here.

"Don't make this about them. I felt like you just needed to know that I regretted being a total asshole here. And I hope that maybe we can just put this all behind us." I said, hoping that soon enough, I would be able to get some closure here.

"Okay. If you say so. Regardless, thanks for coming and talking about that." Bebe said, and I was glad that it at least seemed like she was accepting my apology. I was feeling like now that I got this done, I would head on home, and not deal with her saying something that would make it worse.

"Anyways, sorry about the whole Robbie thing. To be honest, I was a terrible friend to him, and kind of a fucking asshole." I said, and then I was shaking my head, hoping to at least try and really put that lingering feeling behind us once and for all.

"I just know that he wanted to crack the case, even though he is way too young for this shit. And the fact that he insists that it is his responsibility, just makes me feel like I might have done something wrong." After she was telling me this, I shook my head, really having no idea what the hell I could even tell her.

"So do you think you are going to try and talk to him about this? I mean, he might be more willing to talk to you about it now, since you already know and what not." I said, and I was seeing that Bebe was clearly considering that point. Which I guess was a sign of progress.

"Yeah, I mean, I already have. Every time I feel like I am making progress on cracking through to him. he just brushes all I say off. He literally hates talking with me." She said, and then after that, I shook my head, since I was having no idea what the hell I could even fucking tell her.

"Well, just make sure that you tell Todd that I am also sorry for kind of getting in the way of your guys time together. He really cares about you, and I feel like I am just kind of taking that way from you guys." I said, shaking my head as I said that.

"I think that he might really just need to know that you guys still respect him. I think that he is scared that you guys are going to throw him away, and what not." After Bebe was telling me this, I was shaking my head, wondering what in the world I could have even fucking said to this.

"He has been going out at night lately, and I know that some of that is to see you. But I also noticed that a lot of the time, his clothes are a bit dirtier than normal. I can't help but wonder if he is going to the forest or something, and working on something there." I said, and I was wondering what I would say if I found out that he had been working with those people.

"There is no reason why he would even be doing that. I mean, he promised me that he would never have been getting involved in this." She told me, and I shrugged, knowing that I probably went too far with what I said. But I just felt like I needed to lay it out there, that this was something I was thinking could be true.

"Let me try and talk to him the next time that I see him. Maybe he will have something to tell me." I said, feeling like I just needed to be saying this for myself. I was seeing with every passing word, that the look on Bebe's face was starting to get more scared, and much less excited to talk here.

"Seth, that man has been working all the time. I think that maybe he is taking what his friends told him to heart, and he needs to have some time to work this out. Give your own fucking brother a god damn chance." Bebe said, and I was sighing, feeling like she was right. If I failed to let him talk, then I would be no better than that fucking art teacher.

"I know that he has been working a lot. But please for the love of fucking god, try and just think about everything that is going on. It's hard to sometimes keep a objective look on things, when you have no idea if people you love are people you can trust." I finished, and Bebe closed the door, feeling like there was no other way to change what I was saying.

"Let me take you out for dinner. Maybe that can help you calm down a bit." She said, and I was getting tired of peopel always using dinner as a way to appease me. It was like nobody was really taking what I said seriously, and were just treating me like I was a small little child.

We were in her car, and she drove me to the pizza shop, which I was surprised that she was coming back here, considering the fact that she was terminated from the job, and people always get that negative stigma around the job that they have lost and what not.

We sat down, and ordered the generic combination. "Look, I am just thinking that you need to be giving him more credit. He has been working his ass off all the time, and I think he needs to have more credit than you give him." After Bebe was telling me this, I sighed.

"I thought you got fired from here. What makes you want to still come here?" I asked, and then she was sighing, as if feeling like I had to just ruin the conversation by bringing that shit up.

"Well, just because I was fired doesn't mean that I can't come back here as a customer. And to be honest, the boss has told me that he was willing to give me a second chance, with how bad short staffing is, and that after a few months, he says I probably learned my lesson." After she said that, I sighed, unsure what to say.

"Do you think you will be taking it?" I asked, and then she was looking around, and slowly nodding. I was happy to hear that she was no longer afraid to be giving something another chance, especially when she was wronged earlier.

"I mean, especially with Todd mainly focusing on streaming as his source of revenue and whatever random hours he can get, and him saying that he would want to move in with me after I graduate, that means that I have a few months to really get my shit together." Bebe said, and I was smiling, knowing that at the end of the day, she was going to be happy, and that was enough to drive me.

"Look, I want to believe in my brother. He has been so great for us for so many years, I think that this whole missing girls thing has gotten him a bit riled up, and he has been with some less than good influences." I said, and then I was shrugging, hoping to at least get her to consider what I said.

"Than fucking believe me." Bebe said, and I was thinking about what she was saying, and I was feeling like I might be able to take what she was saying with at least some stride.

"Okay. If that is the angle you want to be playing, then I guess that I might have to give it a fucking chance." I said, and I shook my head, unable to believe that I was even fucking saying this to begin with.

"Every time I have needed help lately, I have come to him. He has always been the person that has given me hope that things are going to go well. Just don't push him. He deserves a fucking chance." After Bebe was telling me this, I shook my head, not really in the mood to hear this.

"Well, I just have a hard time really buying everything. I mean, I love my fucking brother, but I know deep down inside, my comedy is just never going to appeal to him. And after the argument that we had gotten into earlier, I think that I just really might be a complete fucking let down for him." I said, hating the fact that I was even having to say this in the first place.

"Well, do you think that maybe you should be moving away from that comedy, if it is not turning out as well as you had imagined? I mean, it might not be worth going into that all the time anymore." She said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like she was suggesting something that I never wanted to consider.

"Look, I can't part ways with my comedy. That is taking things way too fucking far. I love that shit. But I do think that if I lose that talent show, the maybe I will have to really look at what I can do to make it different." I said, not sure what the hell I would even say to that.

"Fair enough. I just felt like I needed to suggest that just in case. Don't get too upset with me." She said, and I was considering what she had said.

"Sorry. But I guess that I will try and trust your word about Todd. I mean, I want to anyways, so until I am proven wrong, I will be trying to just look at things that way." I said, and I was shaking my head, unable to believe that I was even suggesting this anyway.

"And I think you know deep down that this stuff is all true, and that I would never be leading you down this path if I did not think it was true." Bebe said, and I simply shrugged.

As I ate my burger, I just thought about what she was saying. And I decided that I was going to be just placing all my fucking cards on that for the time being, and just hope I would be proven wrong.

Eventually, when I was feeling like I was done with this, I started to head home, not really in the mood to be having this discussion at all. I wanted nothing to do with how my siblings acted, and to be honest, with the way that Becky was acting, I wanted nothing to do with her either.

Scene 12: December 19 2020

The next day, I eventually met up with Manny again, and I was seeing that he was looking like he was almost regretting how he had acted earlier, and was probably just trying to find a way to make me feel at least somewhat better.

"Seth, sorry that I was placing everything on to you earlier. I should have known that I was going way too far. I think just at the moment, I was not really caring though. It should be Becky's choice on what she fucking does, and I feel like I need to fucking understand that." Manny said, and to be honest, a part of me was feeling like he was just saying this to avoid any public fall out for the way that he had been acting.

"I mean, I want to fucking help Becky. That is not the issue. I think we just both know that if we try though, then everybody is going to be having a fucking target on our backs, and suddenly, we are the ones who have to deal with this shit." I said, hoping that I would get him to fucking leave the subject alone.

"Also, congratulations for doing well at the talent show. A a lot of people think that once you were really in the zone, you were probably the best person there." After Manny said that, I was shocked at the fact that people were actually thinking that, since my jokes were really not that funny to be honest.

"Well, I just assumed that I was going to get in a lot of trouble because of the types of jokes that I kept making. But if you claim that they liked it, then I guess that is fine." I said, and I saw that Manny was just looking like he wanted to find something else to say.

"Well, I think that the teachers probably will want to talk to you about it, but fuck them. If they don't see the fact that people were enjoying the hell out of it, then I think that is entirely on them." Manny said, and I shook my head, not really in the mood to be going down this discussion.

"So Seth, what do you think you are going to do now?" Manny asked me, and I was shaking my head, feeling like this question was going to be a loaded one. I just simply sighed, having no idea what I could even say.

"I am going to see if I can find any records with that teacher, and see if I could be able to show Becky that I do know what is happening after all. Maybe if I do that, she might actually be willing to listen to me more." I said, and I was seeing that Manny was looking shocked as all hell that I was even suggesting something like this in the first place.

"Oh shit. Take him down without Becky's help?" Manny asked, and I was slowly nodding, glad that he was able to see what I was trying to say. Manny sighed, as if feeling like there was no point in trying to fight it now.

"Yeah, that is the fucking plan. And not talking to my fucking family about it either. I know they would never fucking understand, so I have to do this between me and you." I said, and I was holding my hand out, wondering if Manny would actually fucking take it.

Manny thought for a second or two, before he did shake the hand. I smiled at this, knowing that deep down, Manny and I were going to be able to fucking find the truth, and would not even need my fucking siblings.

We started to head towards the middle school, and to be honest, I fucking knew that there was no shot in fucking hell that the school was going to be open. But I was feeling like I needed to just try and give it a fucking chance.

"So Seth, do you think that the police will actually take this seriously if we show them the fucking proof?" After Manny asked me this, I shrugged, since I had no idea what I was going to tell him.

"I will fucking force them to hear what I need to say. I might even have to fucking learn how to hack to make it work." I said, and I knew how fucking ridiculous that this whole thing was going to be.

"What would hacking have to do with finding out about what is going on?" Manny asked, and I was feeling like this was a valid enough question. And to be honest, I was feeling like I did need to try and consider it.

"Well, because then I would be able to record the fucking classroom, during the hours that I need, and I will be able to bring down the guy that way." I said, and I was seeing Manny actually looking like he was considering that.

"Oh. I fucking get it now. Oh shit, I guess that could be able to fucking work out, if you were trying hard enough." Manny said, and I was glad that he was willing to see the point that I was trying to fucking make.

"Yeah, now I think you fucking understand it." I said, and I was glad that he was seeing the point. As I said this, I saw Manny seeming to think that there might have been a twinge of hope in this fucking insanity after all.

"Well, how do you think that would actually fully work though? I mean, I am all for insane ideas and what not, but I think we both know that a crazy idea with no fucking rhyme or reason behind it is only going to make things much worse for us all." Manny said, but I was seeing that the gears were turning, and that was more than enough to satisfy me here.

Eventually, we were at the fucking school, and I was heading right towards the door, but despite everything else, I was seeing that Manny was still looking like he was not fully sure if we were going to even find anything of use here at all.

I tried to open the door, but got nothing at all. Which was not a fucking surprise to me at all, considering the fact that it was the weekend. I guess that I was just hoping some random teacher would be at the school or something, and I could get something that way.

"God damn it. Why am I not fucking surprised at all? Regardless, I think that you have a good idea, and I think that we just need to try and maybe make it work." After Manny was saying this, I saw him finally looking like he was feeling happier for once in his fucking life, and that was more enough to keep this fucking going for me.

"I am going to ask my parents for a laptop for Christmas. After all, I am almost twelve years old. Most people our age already have one." I said, feeling like everything that we had done was going to be coming together all in a neat fashion.

"I just hope that Becky will be able to forgive us if she knew what we were fucking doing." After Manny said that to me, I was shaking my head, not really feeling like something like this was going to be a issue.

"To be honest, I think with the way that things are, she would be more than willing to accept that we are being the good guys. I am more worried about my fucking family being upset with me." After I was saying this, I could already hear the reaction from Josiah, Gabe, and Todd.

"Well, if that ends up not being the case, then don't say that I didn't warn you. But if this is true, then I feel like the school will have no choice but to fire the man, and it will be all over the news. I wonder if this will have anything to do with the information on missing people." After Manny said this, I was feeling like he needed to fucking slow down, and realize that we needed to do this one step at a time.

"I will also try and see if I could be able to get my father to look into this as well. After all, he is working with that Rhett guy, so he is clearly willing to fucking talk with younger people about the subject now." I said, and I knew what I was saying was probably a load of bullshit. But at this point, I needed Manny to have hope in me.

"Seth, I think that I do have to remember what Josiah was saying about your father. He might be as willing to fucking help you out on this matter as you fucking believe." After Manny said that, I shrugged, and didn't want to respond to this.

"I don't fucking care what Josiah got into a fight with my father over. That was his fault, and something he needs to take credit for. I am doing things my way though, and I don't care anymore." I said, and I was seeing Manny looking like he was kind of being attacked by my responses.

"But if your fucking brother got into a massive fucking fight with your dad, there is no reason to believe on fucking hell that he will actually take this super well. So just try and be fucking careful here." After Manny was telling me this, I was shaking my head, feeling like he was just trying to bring my fucking guard down.

"I think that you also have to remember that Josiah was esentially accusing my father of being involved in what was going on, which I do not think my father is at all. And if he is, then he did a really fucking good job hiding it." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and make my fucking point here.

"Yeah, true. I guess that maybe I am just being over reactive. I guess that I feel like I just need to keep all the outcomes on the table, just in case." After Manny was telling me this, I wondered why in the world he was even fucking caring so much what was going on.

"And in the mean time, I guess that we will have to just try and live normal student lives. I guess there is no reason to get so worried during Winter Break." After Manny was telling me this, I was glad that he was calming down.

"If you want to hang out though, then I would have nothing against that." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to say that, because I remembered him telling me of his argument with his parents over him liking boys.

Manny nodded, feeling like we were getting somewhere here, and I was glad that the two of us were still getting along well, beyond everything else, and not wanting to strangle each other.

I was going to bed that day, feeling like whatever I wanted to do with Becky, and any way that I wanted to try and save her, was going to be a fucking lie, and that it was just simply never going to be going anywhere, for better or for worse.

Before I was asleep, I texted my dad, hoping that he would be able to read it at some point. "For Christmas, I was hoping that it would be possible to get a laptop." I sent the text, and I was already feeling like I would hear him screaming at me that this was not going to happen.

Scene 13: December 20 2020

The next day, before I was leaving, my father called out to me. I turned around, thinking that I might be in trouble, after the talent show. "Are you sure that's all you want, a laptop? You've given me nothing until literally last night.

"Yeah, and that shit is expensive anyways, so that will be more than enough to make me feel better." I said, and I was just wanting to make sure that he was not going to be trying to force this conversation to be going for too long, since I had things that I wanted to do.

I left the house, and didn't even give him a chance to respond. I knew that my plan was going to be a fucking risky one. But I felt like I needed to take the risk anyways. I was going to try and see what Rhett would be willing to fucking tell me.

Before too long, I reached the address of Rhett's new esentially mansion. I was wondering what he thought of this place, now that he had a few weeks to settle down.

When I knocked on the door, Josiah answered, and Rhett was there. And I could tell that if for nothing else, he was at least looking more healthy. He easily put on a good five pounds since his mothers death, which was actually a good thing in the context of him still being severely underweight.

"What the fucking hell are you doing here?" Josiah asked, and I was trying to not get too bothered by the fact that he was basically confirming that he wanted nothing to do with me being here right now.

"I want to see if I can be able to help you with your mother." I said, and I looked right at Rhett, and I could see from the look on his face, that this was something he had no desire to talk about whatsoever.

"My mother is dead, and there is nothing that I can fucking do about it now. Getting deeper into this isn't going to be fucking helping anymore. I appreciate your concern, but I would rather just fucking drop it." After Rhett said that, I was feeling like this response fucking sucked.

"But it would be able to give you closure? I mean, Josiah was telling me how much you were having a really fucking rough time with this, and I feel like you should have the right to talk to somebody about it." I said, and Rhett looked right over at Josiah.

"I do have somebody there to support me. I am on Winter Break right now, and mom would have wanted me to try and make the most of it. That is what you should be doing as well, considering all that is happening." He said, and I was shaking my head, upset at him.

"Well, it seems like beyond everything else, you do deeply care what your mother thinks." I said, and then he was looking at me, as if thinking that my response was being ridiculous, and that of course he would support what she wanted.

"Oh course I fucking do, why in the world would I not? I was rooting for her the entire fucking trial, because I knew at the end of the day, she was the one tahtw as perfectly justified in eveyrthing that she had been doing." Rhett said, and I was able to tell that he was really having no interest in discussing this anymore.

"And it seemed like she was on the way to fucking winning this whole fucking thing, and that was what fucking got her killed. Because she knew that she was having my fucking father on the tight rope." After he was telling me this, I was hearing the disgust in his voice.

"Are you seriously thinking your father fucking did this?" I asked, and Rhett shook his head. Josiah was looking up, and around, hoping that we were not being recorded. He was taking his phone out, and sent a text to somebody.

"No, couldn't have been him. The semen tests on her body proved that. But that doesn't change the fact that I think it was somebody who was under his pay roll." As soon as he mentioned semen, I looked at him, relatvely confused why he was suddenly bringing that up out of nowhere.

"Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't know. But her killer fucked her body after she died. They refused to tell me who the test came out to, or maybe they were still looking into it. But it's not him. Plus the security camera show that since he was nowhere near the area at the time this happened." Rhett said, and I was thinking of how gross that whole thing was, but I was choosing to not say anything else.

"Your father has actually been looking into it. The two of us worked on it for nearly two weeks before he was saying that he would just have to wait until further results, and apologized to me for not finding the truth. Which I guess is what happens when you have a big case." Rhett said, and I was unable to believe that we were having a conversation this fucking deep.

"It seems like dad is talking with you about this more than he is talking with either of us. Every time Gabe and Todd try to talk to him, nothing shows up. I want to try and talk to him as well, but I'm scared he won't fucking listen to me." I said, letting the reality kind of sink in we were never going to get the info we need.

Rhett let me inside the house, where there was a painting of Rhett, his father, and who I assumed was his mother. I could tell that it was only taken a couple of years ago, since Rhett was clearly a teenager at least. And I could also see that the mother did not look too happy.

"And besides, for better or for worse, I know that my father is the only fucking family I have left. I am not going to fucking ruin it because of the fact that I think he might at least know something about this." Rhett said, and shook his head.

"At the very least, I want to wait until I turn eighteen before I completely screw everything up." Rhett was saying, but then I felt like I needed to pressure him even further when it came to the matter.

"But if you're working with my dad, then that means that sooner or later, you are probably going to be learning the truth anyways, and when that happens, you might as well just try and see what you can make out of it." I tried to force him into giving me more. But then Rhett was shaking his head, feeling like the fact that I was trying to act like this was completely unacceptable.

"Yeah, and when that happens, I will be sure to capture or record the proof, and I will expose it to the police, who will then have no choice but to arrest the person involved. You might not realize it, but I really do know what I am fucking doing." After Rhett said that, with such confidence, I was feeling like his way of talking, and the bravado, was going to cause more trouble than it was worth.

I looked at Josiah, and I was feeling like I just needed to try and find something else to say. "Did fucking Robbie Dan put you up to this, and now you feel like you need to go out for fucking blood?" Josiah asked, and I was shaking my head, feeling like he needed to get Robbie out of this, especially since for once, he really actually did have nothing to do with this.

"No, I mean, he was wanting to know everything here, but he did not offer me. And besides, need I remind you, that you were the one that was with him when he found that fucking journal in town? That was entirely you, so I feel like you need to take some of the blame here." I said, feeling like I needed to place my fucking foot down for once in my life with my siblings.

"Yeah, I fucking know dude. You know how hard it is to deal with Robbie trying to tell me that on a borderline fucking daily basis? And the fact that no matter how hard I want to, I can't fucking argue with him. For a eight year old, that man knows how to keep me under his fingers." Josiah said, and then shook his head.

"I never thought that we would be getting to this point. I guess that I will have to do everything on my fucking own now. Which I suppose isn't too surprising." I said, and then Josiah placed his hand on my shoulder, to try and get me to shut the fucking hell up, and stop pushing this subject.

"Don't fucking touch me." I said, hoping that my sterness would be enough for him to realize that he was crossing the line right now. Before long, I was looking out the mansion window, and I wondered what in the world happened to Rhat he was willing to put his family above justice. Even when he himself admitted he felt that he was at least partly culpable.

After a bit longer, Todd's car showed up, and then Josiah was looking right at me, and I could see from the look on his face that this was his way of telling me that things were fucking done.

"You need to fucking leave, right now. You are getting way too deep into this shit, and I am not going to be tolerating this any more." After he said that to me, I shook my head, and I couldn't believe him. But I decided to not argue, as I went to Todd's car, where Bebe was with him as well.

Todd and I were sitting down with Bebe at the pizza shop. I was seeing Todd looking like he wanted to say something to try and make me feel like I was being the bad guy, but then he shook his head, and then decided against it.

"Seth, I'm going to be honest, the reason why I am being so hard on you is because you're my favorite sibling. You always have been my favorite. The one I want to succeed more than anybody else. And as a result, I have to try and fucking give you some tough love." After Todd was saying this, couldn't believe that he admitted to this.

"So you want me to try and live a normal life?" I asked, and then Todd nodded, and I was considering what he said, while the pizza was coming down.

"So fucking please, stop this fucking charade with the school, and just work on your comedy again. Maybe your new laptop will help with that." Bebe said, and I looked at her wondering how she knew. "Oh come on, Todd and I were literally with your dad when they bought it this morning. He practically stopped what he was doing when he got the text."

I tried to take what they said into consideration, and I was feeling like they might be right, and I was not really in the mood to fight it either, so I decided to let them think that this was the plan, at least for the rest of break.

Scene 13.5: December 21 2020

I was in the forest, wandering around, hoping to see if maybe I could find something if I looked around hard enough. More so trying to see if I can find my siblings doing shit, but I was also thinking that if I could find something else, then I would fucking take it as well.

Eventually, before I was in there for too long, I was hearing some form of really loud monsterous noise. I was instantly brought to shock, and I was feeling like I instantly needed to be much more careful on what I was doing.

I started to try and walk away from where I was hearing the noises, since I wanted to stay as safe as possible, but I honestly had no idea what in the world the noise was coming from, and I had no idea if I even wanted to actually fucking learn what it was either.

I wondered if maybe Gabe's theory was true. That the monster noises, and legends, were created by the people who worked in all those companies, as a way to hide the bullshit, and a way to feed into the bullshit stories that they like to give children.

To be honest, I was not putting it beyond the realm of possibility that something like that had been in play. And that thought was making me wonder how in the world people were able to get away with this shit for so long, and why nobody ever did anything to stop it.

As I had been walking around for a while, the noise was getting louder once again, and I ended up trying to get away faster, and then I was walking away, and eventually hit a tree. I then fell down to the ground, and I was just holding my hand up, as a way to try and give myself some form of cover.

Eventually, I was seeing what looked like one of those like creepypasta thumbnail monsters, which had a scaley arm, long ass claw teeth, and looked like it hadn't eaten anything in years, and would love to have me as their first target.

I will admit, when I was trying to move on from this, in the initial days or so afterward, I tried to just simply forget about what had happened. I wanted to pretend like I had over thought the whole thing, and that maybe the monsters were really not all that fucking bad after all.

The monster was getting closer and they were placing their hands over my face, and I was starting to cry a little bit, feeling like perhaps this was when I was going to die, and that maybe the stories were true this whole time, and that this was what happened to the girls who went misisng after all.

Before the monster was going to claw me, and they were just starting to get ready to have a grip on me, there was a loud cracking noise, that made them stop what they were doing, to check around, and see what was happening. I took a deep breath, feeling like this would be my chance to survive.

I felt the whole flight or fight instinct kick in, as I kicked them right in the chest, and the monster fell down to the ground. I was rubbing my eyes, wondering what the fucking hell I was going to do to change this now.

I started to run off, and when I turned around one more time to see what it was, I was seeing that there was somebody in the distance, holding what looked like a bluw glowing stick, and the monster was starting to run towards where the guy was throwing some tree branches.

As the monster was running there, I was taking a second to realize that this person was my brother Gabe. And as soon as I saw that, I knew that I was going to have no choice but to follow along, and see what was happening. I needed to see if I was going to be able to help my brother with anything at all.

So with that, I started to pursue the monster, who was then pursuing Gabe, and I grabbed the largest tree branch that I could find before I started to run after them, seeing what I would be able to find.

After a few minutes of running after them both, I eventually caught up, and I was ready to fight with whatever force I had to, in order to keep my brother safe for at least a while longer.

Gabe was holding the stick thing much tighter, and when I took a few seconds to consider what I saw, I started to realize that he was holding what was probably as close to a real life lightsaber as I was ever going to see.

Gabe was seeing that I was still there, and I was seeing him looking almost like he would have had a screaming match with me over this, if it were not for the situation that we were both in.

I threw the branch right at it, not even caring if that was going to divert their attention at me. And as I was doing this, Gabe tried to fight it off, by swinging the blade right down at the leg.

The monster turned towards Gabe, and started to crawl towards him, although much slower, and Gabe was stabbing the blade right through their chest, to make them hurt much more.

When Gabe was done fighting the monster, he looked at me, and took a deep breath. "I guess that I should just take you to dinner or something, and we can talk about things there." He said, and looked down at the monster, before taking a picture of the body, trying to just make sure nobody doubted him.

When were sitting down at a random diner that I had never been too, Gabe was looking right at me, and I saw him looking like he was actually genuinely feeling bad for everything that happened.

"So yeah, I know that you are probably going to try and not believe what you had seen. But the truth is that some of those stories that you guys hear are actually true. And I have been trying to fucking buy you all some fucking time." After Gabe was telling me this, I was shaking my head, feeling like this whole thing was absolutely insane.

"Gabe, are you seriously trying to fight those fucking things off? That thing almost fucking killed you." I said, feeling like I needed to remind him of the gravity of what was going on here.

"Yeah, well, I have no fucking choice. In all honesty, I sometimes have a hard time believing what I saw myself, and I feel like this is all one big fucking fever dream." After Gabe was telling me this, I laughed at the fact that he was trying to play innocently at what was going on here.

"Is this why you keep staying away from us for so fucking long? Because you are deciding that you want to try and fucking play hero here." I said, and I was seeing Gabe looking like he was kind of pissed at the accusation.

"Look. Sorry. I went too far. But the fact of the matter is that I want to know if you are going to be able to try and find Carly this way. After all, that was half the reason you're still doing this, right?" I asked him, and Gabe was sighing as I said that.

"Well, I have thought that I would have been able to find her now. I mean, you would assume that after everything that happens here, people would eventually grow wiser to what is happening." Gabe said, and sounded just totally upset at what he said.

"I mean, I promised her that I would find her, and I promised Michael that I was not going to waste any time at all. But I guess that maybe I should have thought about what I was fucking saying here." Gabe said, and shook his head, hoping that I would be able to forgive him here.

"And Seth, before you even fucking ask, let me just be honest with you, but I don't trust dad, or anybody fucking working with him. I feel like there is something that he knows, and I want to try and find out about it, without hearing any excused at all." He said, and I looked at him, wondering what the fucking hell was wrong with him. He was bringing dad down for no fucking good reason at all.

"And I know that you are wanting to work with your friend Manny here, and try and help him out. I can really fucking respect that a lot. I think it's great that you want to help him." Gabe said, and I was slowly nodding, glad as all hell that he was seeing that I was trying to do my best here.

"I just feel like maybe I should have thought about you guys before I did this though. After all, my friends all fucking hate me now, and I have completely failed in the promises that I made. I feel like I just should have accepted that I was in way over my fucking head." He said, and I was looking right at him, wondering where in the world he was coming from here.

"Gabe, you do realize you never had to do any of this alone. You had family with you, who was willing to fucking help you when you needed it." After I was telling him this, Gabe was shaking his head, as if feeling like he would just completely fucking brush away all the excuses he would hear in his defense.

"Please don't try and give me the sentimental bullshit. I think we both know that this is never going to fucking work. I screwed up, and I was doing it with the good will of making sure that you guys stayed safe. But I feel like maybe I should have just been looking out for myself here. After all, Carly ended up going missing as a result of my choices." Gabe said, and I sighed.

"Do you think that the people who went missing had anything to do with what we just fucking saw?" I asked, and Gabe was shaking his head, feeling like that was beyond any that he had found.

"No, there are people who are behind this whole thing. People who are setting up these events, and they are doing it all for their own personal gain. I have seen so many things that truly prove this more than ever." After Gabe told me this, I looked right at him, still way beyond understanding what he was suggesting.

"And I plan on finding every single person who is involved in this, and making sure that they all end up paying for the shit that they have done." I decided to just simply not argue with him as he said this.

Instead, I looked right down at my food, and I was feeling sick at what he was suggesting. I knew that he was basically admitting that he was having a feeling that there were people trying to set up these girls, and that he would have to fix it himself.

As I looked at him, he was eating soem food, and started to smoek a cigarette, and I was beyond tired, and I was feeling no mood to try and tell him that he should probably not smoke.

Scene 14: December 22 2020

The next day, I was meeting up with Lydia, who said she wanted to meet with Robbie Dan. To be honest, I was still feeling like this was going to be a fucking terrible idea. But I could tell from the look on her face that Lydia that there was no way that I could convince her that this even just simply could go wrong.

As we walked on over, Lydia started talking to me about Robbie, and I will admit, hearing it was kind of starting to piss me off. "I am so jealous that you have been able to hang out with him as much as you have. I thought that I would be able to get him to like me." After Lydia said this, I shrugged, thinking that she was so fucking blissfully unaware of what was happening here.

"Well, if you knew the true context behind it, I think you would probably not be feeling the same way." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and be fully real with her as I said this. Lydia looked down on the ground, as if thinking that I needed more optimism.

"I believe that you're being too hard on the guy." She said, and I sighed, feeling like there was no way in hell that I was going to be able to get her to think differently, so arguing with her would be a waste of time.

Eventually, we reached his house, and I knocked on his door as fast as possible. When Robbie answered me, he was looking over at Lydia, and I was seeing him looking like he knew full well this could go really fucking poorly.

"Hey Lydia. Haven't seen you in a while. Sorry about that. Got completely distracted with other things for a while, and forgot to check up on you guys." After Robbie said that, I sighed, feeling like I just needed to let them do their own things, without having my baggage at his side.

"I should really be heading out right now. No reason to stay here when you guys are having a good time." I said, and I was seeing both Lydia and Robbie looking like they were actually kind of shocked with hearing me to just completely brush this off.

"Wait Seth, is it true?" Robbie asked when I was taking a few steps away. I had no fucking idea what he was talking about, so I turned to him, feeling like he needed tobe perfectly crystal clear what he meant.

"That you went to Rhett's house, and tried asking Rhett and Josiah questions about everything? Bebe was telling me about that." He said, and I shook my head, not having any interest in talking about this right now.

"Yeah, I did." I sighed, finally admitting it. "But the fact of the matter is that nothing came out of it. He esentially made it clear that I was not going to be allowed to talk about it at all. And to be honest, I don't even fucking blame him. His mother was murdered, and everybody is making a fucking joke about it." I said, and then Lydia seemed shocked we talked about this.

"Is this what you are distracted by?" She asked Robbie and I, as the two of us both realized the bait that we had just walked into. I sighed in annoyance, feeling like there was no reason to hide what was going on here now.

"Yeah, a large part of it. To be honest though, it is both our faults. We both try and make something out of this, and then we end up arguing a lot. It's not good for you guys." I said, and then I was shaking my head, wondering why she even fucking cared at all.

"Sorry about that. Better than our older brothers having screaming matches every other week over stupid shit." After Lydia said that, I felt like I needed to get them to both shut up about this, for their own sake, because they were indeed making it worse for both of them.

"Guys, seriously, you need to not worry about this too much. It is not going to be healthy for either of you to be worried about this shit. Just enjoy your time, and remember that I will be there for you guys if you ever needed anything." I said, and I shrugged, hoping to get them both to relax.

"Yeah, Seth's right Lydia. I mean, he and I debate a lot of things, but you would understand why he feels this way if you truly saw the way that he was." After Robbie said that, I was hoping that if she would not listen to me, then she would listen to Robbie, who she clearly respected a lot more.

"Okay. Sorry. So do you have any plans Robbie? You know, for Winter break?" She asked, and Robbie sighed, as if feeling like her suddenly making this about him once again was the last thing that he was wanting to deal with.

"Well, to be honest, I never really had much to be honest. Every time I try to make a plan, I get completely fucking side tracked, and lose all focus on it." Robbie said, and then he was shaking his head. "My older brother is probably not going to be showing up this year. He said that he was having a really important job. I feel like I am going to have to try and fucking force him."

"You sound like you're kind of sad?" I asked, and I rubbed my eyes, feeling like this was the exact opposite of what I wanted to be doing with my time. I looked over at Lydia, and I was wondering what the hell she would be thinking here.

"Yeah, of course I'm fucking sad. I only get to see him like once or twice a year, and he was supposed to be the person who helped me through life. And now I have to fucking rely on Bebe, who is too busy going around, trying to fuck Todd every night." Robbie said, and I sighed, feeling like I just needed to remain calm and cordial.

"There is something that I want you to fucking tell me Seth." Robbie said, and I looked right at him, wondering what the fucking hell he was planning here. I closed my eyes, feeling like I just needed him to make his point.

"Do you believe that the grinding noise, kills people?" Robbie asked, and I was trying to figure out what the hell he was going on about. I looked at Lydia, feeling like I needed to tread very carefully here.

"I have no fucking idea Robbie. And we really should not talk about this to my fucking sister. She is already having to deal with enough as it is." I said, feeling like for once, I was going to have to put my fucking foot down, and not care if I was being a asshole.

"I want to fucking know what you guys are talking about." Lydia said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like this was when I was going to be beyond any form of being nice. I needed this girl to hear me out for once.

"Lydia, I am not fucking taking no for a god damn answer. I mean, I know that sooner or later you're going to have to learn, but you're fucking seven years old." I said, and I was shaking my head, scared at the way that Lydia was going to try and take things into her own hands.

"And let's be honest. I think we both know that if you try and discuss this with Todd and Gabe, they are going to be reacting the same way." I said, and then Robbie was shaking his head, pissed off at what I was saying, for some fucking reason.

"Look Seth, are we one hundred percent sure that brushing this off forever is even going to be the best bet?" After Robbie asked me this, I looked at him, wondering why he was doing this. I shook my head, and I was feeling like Robbie had not realized how risky this business was.

"How has school been going for you?" I asked Lydia, feeling like I just needed to try and de-escalate the argument, at least somewhat, in order to try and make the hang out at least somewhat less tense. I hated the fact that Robbie was aware that his defiance was a major fucking issue, and I hated the fact that Lydia was starting to think that this was something that should almost be encouraged.

"It's been okay. Trying to get to know people. I feel like I am getting people at least able to talk with me. But there are some people who just seem to be really fucking stuck up, and kind of assholes." After Lydia said this, I sighed, feeling like this was something I could discuss.

"Who are the assholes?" I asked, looking at Robbie Dan, feeling like he needed to remember that this was what he was supposed to be doing. Not this shit where he was going on, and trying to look into kidnapped people.

"Well, just some girls who think that because I have so many brothers, that I have to be more like a boy, and that I can't really just be myself." After Lydia said that, I was cofnused at this. She was literally getting picked on for *not* being a fucking tom boy.

"Well, I think that if it's over something that simple, then you just need to be letting it fucking go." I said, and I sighed, hating the fact that I was hating to say this. "Truth be told, kids are assholes who have no idea what in the world they are doing all the time. They say something because they think it's cool, without any forethought."

"I'm the same way a lot of the time. I just think that you need to find some friends who really like you, and will respect your differences in life. That is why you have people like Josiah and Rhett who get along." I said, and I was shaking my head as I said this.

"And besides, you're technically a friend. Even if we don't really hang out much, we still get to know each other a lot, and that is enough to count." Robbie told Lydia, and I was seeing her looking so fucking happy to hear him say that to her.

"Thanks." Lydia said, and I was seeing her looking like this made her happier to hear than anything else. I wondered why in the world this was going the way it did. But to be honest, it was not about the missing girls, and Rhett's mom getting murdered, and taht was enough to try and make me feel so much better. I was so fucking over talking about that shit, and I was feeling like I needed to try and find a way to get both these people to fucking calm down as soon as possible.

And besides, at the end of the day, I knew that they were starting to get happy, and that was enough to make me have a smile on my face.

Seeing Robbie and Lydia actually talking happily, and seeming like they actually wanted to get to know each other better, and what not, made me wonder if I was wrong for thinking that Robbie was just not any different from somebody who wanted to find out the truth of Wayside.

Scene 15: December 23 2020

The next day, before it was time for Christmas, that was when I was leaving the house again, to try and see Manny, but before I was able to leave, this was when Josiah was calling out to me. I looked right at him, wondering what the plan was going to be. I took a deep breath, feeling like I just needed to let him say what he needed to say.

"Hey, I was hoping that I could talk with you for a bit." He said, and I sighed, feeling no real interest in the subject. But I knew that he was certainly not going to take no for a answer, so I slowly nodded as I closed my eyes in furstration.

We left the house, and the entire walk, this was when Josiah was finally getting the courage to talk with me for a second. "What the fucking hell do you fucking want?" I asked, trying to hide my annoyance a bit. Josiah looked at me, and I saw him looking upset at the fact that I seemed to hardly fucking care about what he was saying.

"Well, I wnat to just make sure that you're doing well. I mean, it's been a while since we talked with each other one on one." Josiah said, and I instantly countered, with what I felt mattered the most.

"Josiah, I know that you're trying to fucking help your friend Rhett. But I feel like you are just pushing me out of the loop entirely, for no real fucking reason." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him as I said that.

"Well, I guess that's true. But Seth, Rhett wasn't joking when he was talking about his fucking father. I saw his casino, and I saw how that man works even from the couple of times that I seen him. That man knows how to work everything in his fucking favor." Josiah said to me, and I shrugged, not worried about that too much.

"Well, I just feel like I need to know what you guys have found." I said, and Josiah was looking around, and he was shaking his head, as if unable to believe that we were talking about this out in the open.

"Okay, well, if we're going to talk about this, then let's do it at the high school, where nobody is at this time of year." Josiah said, rubbing his eyes, and I was wondering if I was finally breaking through to him here.

Eventually, we started to head towards the high school, where I saw that discomfort on Josiah's face, and for once, I was finally starting to think that I had gone way too far with what I did, and I wondered why I was always pushing so hard.

Once at the school, Josiah was looking straight at me in the eyes. "Are you going to promise me that you will never tell anybody about what I'm going to talk about?" After he said that, I wondered what the hell he was so scared about.

"Sure. If you fucking say so." I said, and I was hoping that he was going to give me nothing worth telling other people over, and that I would never have to break my promise.

"Well, Rhett and I are planning on going down into the high school archival room when school resumes, since we heard that paper work is placed there for the first three years after it is done. Which can give us everything from 2018, 2019, and 2020." Josiah said, and I was dropping my jaw as I heard that.

"But are you sure they are talking about these things? I mean, the missing girls, and random cases like that, seem to be way out of the league of the fucking high school." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest with him here.

"Well, a lot of them either are attending high school, or recently got out, so I think that at least a large portion of them will be in there. And besides, Rhett was really thinking the idea would be worth checking out, and to be honest, I actually agree with him." After Josiah said that, I shook my head at this.

"How are you going to make that work? I mean, say you do get the information, and say you actually learn it all, then what then?" I asked, as Josiah seemed to consider that. I nodded, glad he was getting it.

"Maybe we can take a picture of it, and then send it to the google cloud. I mean, what other ideas are you fucking suggesting? Dad won't help me, and as Rhett himself said, he seems to be more interested in cases like Rhett's mother's murder." Josiah said, and I nodded, feeling like something like this would make perfect sense.

"So you are basically admitting that you really have no fucking clue what the plan is going to be, and that you're going to be going in there, trying to have something work, and then it's going to blow up in your fucking face?" I asked, as I saw Josiah looking like he wanted to counter argue that so badly, but had a hard time saying it.

"Yeah, but better that than nothing. I mean, every time I try to talk to Todd or Gabe about it, they also give me the cold shoulder. So basically nothing is going to fucking matter." After Josiah was telling me this, I shook my head, feeling like this man was just trying too hard to make this work, and it was not going to.

"Maybe you can also buy some thumb drives for it. Download the shit onto there. And then with that, you can look and see if any of the information even fucking matters at all. And then delete anything that is just fucking fluff, and then go from there." I said, feeling like I just needed to give hom a sense of feeling like what he said was getting somewhere.

"And then after that, Rhett heard that his father is going to be out from the 30th to the 3rd. So that's five days. Going on a business trip down south or something like that. When he is gone, Rhett and I were thinking of going into his fathers office, and trying to find something in there." After Josiah said that to me, I was shaking my head, wanting so hard for him to understand that this idea was fucking crazy.

"That butler is going to figure out what Rhett is doing right away, and he will fucking force Rhett to get away. There is no fucking way in hell that Rhett is going to actually get away with this at all." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and put my foot down for once in my life.

"And Rhett said that is a risk he is willing to fucking take." Josiah said, and I was sighing. "He wants to really know about his mothers case, and he said he is not going to stop until he gets answers."

"And why do you care what some fucking rich boy is dealing with? What happened to you and your fucking music?" I asked, and Josiah was shaking his head as he heard me say this.

"Because Rhett is my best friend. And I want to see him happier. And if that means putting my life on the line, then so be it." Josiah said firmly, and with such conviction, that there was no doubt or possible uncertainty in his voice. I knew right then and there that any chance of me convincing him out of this was out the window, and that either I help him with his case, along with mine, or I let him die without doing anything to change it.

"What about Todd and Gabe? They were checking into this as well. Maybe if you told them with teh same intensity that you told me, then maybe they would be more willing to fucking listen." After I said that, Josiah considered what I said.

"And I want to find something out about one of my teachers. So when you are done talking with Gabe and Todd, then go on and tell me what you found out. And I mean fucking all of it. But let's maybe wait until after Christmas for that." I said, and then Josiah nodded, knowing that if this happened on Christmas of all days, then things would go down hill.

"Yeah. I just fucking hope that nothing happens with Jack and the others. I am scared that our interest in this will get one of our younger brothers killed, and I have no idea if I can forgive myself for that." As Josiah said that to me, I was slowly nodding, thinking in the same wave length as him.

"Yeah, and Todd basically says he has no interest in telling me anything. So I am going to have to be working with you here, alone." I said, as I saw Josiah looking mildly confused about the fact that Todd was so set on that. But I decided not to tell him what Todd told me, for his own sake, in case if he would be hurt by that.

"Seth, let me try and see what I can learn from him. I mean, if he doesn't want to talk though, I think you will have to accept that for what it is. Trust me when I say that it is probably not personal." After Josiah said that, I shook my head, feeling like he needed to be more careful of how he said that.

"And there is always Gabe. To be honest, I think he will try and make it about him though. Like he was the hero of the fucking day and what not." After I said that, I shook my head, really having no idea what the point was. "Josiah, I am sorry if I always sound like a asshole and what not. But I guess that I just am getting a bit burned out over this whole thing, and no fucking answers." I said, feeling like I just needed to be honest.

"Have you ever tried to talk to Gabe again? You know, with taht whole incident a while ago?" After he asked me this, I slowly shrugged, not thinking too much about it. I had honestly gotten over that a while ago at this point.

"Yeah, I have talked to him. And it seems like things are fine now, but I think that I would still prefer to not stroke the fire. After all, he was really set on me juts leaving this whole thing alone." I said, and I was feeling like if Josiah was to try and push this, then things would get worse.

"Sorry to bring that up. Well, when I find out what Gabe and Todd know, then I will tell you. But you better make me not fucking regret that. You know, I think that I don't have to go into detail, explaining that if they learn you are looking into what they're into as well, then I think we're both fucking screwed." Josiah said, and looked right at me, not really wanting to hear me try and change the whole outlook anymore.

I looked around, and I was hoping that nobody would notice that we were talking about this. I mean, I was not really worried for my sake, but for Josiah's, since I knew he also had a issue to just talk openly about these things, when he was trying to act like he was the big man on campus.

Scene 16: December 24 2020

That next day, Josiah was telling me that he would like to talk for a bit, and I sighed, and I decided to go with it, since this showed that he was fulfilling his end of the fucking bargain.

Before long, I was out of the house, and eventually, we made it over to the convience store, where we sat down after buying a couple of bags of chips, and a soda for each of us. That way we were not accused of loitering.

"So I tried to talk to Todd and Gabe about what was going on, and believe it or not, but they were actually willing to talk for a bit with me." After Josiah said that, I was smiling, knowing that maybe we would actually have a idea what to do not.

"Well, Todd told me that he ended up watching nearly all the CCTV footage at his job, and that he downloaded some of the really strange looking parts onto his computer. Then on a couple of days, would follow his boss when he was out doing something. Just close the shop after like an hour of him being gone, to not arise too much suspision, and go until he found what his boss was doing." Josiah said, and I was lookiong up at the employee there, who I had never seen before, and in my impressionable mind, I was already making theories on what happened with Benjamin.

"As for Gabe, what he said made me roll my eyes at first, and think that he was pulling my leg, but when I think about it, I think he might be telling the truth after all." After Josiah said that to me, I slowly nodded, wondering what he meant.

"He said that he encountered things that look like monsters in this town. He fought with them, and even took photo proof of them to show that he was not lying." Josiah said, and then he showed some of the photos.

"Gabe also told me that he and Todd went into the forest a little bit a couple of times, and he said that he did the same thing with Robbie Dan, and they ended up finding one of those mile markers again. That was when Todd came up with a idea, which was to undig one of them, the next time they found one." Josiah said, and I was slowly nodding, feeling like I needed to just see where this was going.

"So about two weeks ago, they went to one of the mile markers, and they dug it up, and they found something that would basically be incrminating proof." After Josiah said that, I looked right at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

"They found the bones of a dead body, who had been down there for numerous fucking years. They took pictures of it, and tried to show it to dad, who went to the mile marker they told him earlier." Josiah explained, as I started to realize I was in way over my head.

"Seth, people are literally fucking dying here, and people are making fucking games out of this case. I think it is time to just let this go. I am not going to be the one responsible for you getting yourself killed because of this." Josiah told me, as I was slowly nodding, feeling like now more than ever, I did see his point.

"Yeah, I guess that is something really big to deal with. I'm sorry for not taking what you guys said as seriously then." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and say that, in order to make him feel at least a little bit better.

"And with the incident with Rhett's mother, clearly the town is hiding something. Monsters are real, which is already something I never thought that I would be coming to terms with, and the girls are going missing for some reason that has not been explained to anybody yet." After Josiah said that to me, I was sighing, feeling like such a thing was never going to be explained, for better or for worse.

"Gabe told me that like what Todd was doing with his boss, he had also looked into the library, and he found a shit ton of records that date way back. Even going back to when that old fuck Larry was still kicking. Appraently both he and his son do monthly business trips to Lazarus head quarters, to talk with Rob." Josiah said, and I slowly nodded, feeling like now that he had said that, I could recall some of those.

"And starting around 2005, when Lars was 19, like his father, he started keeping weekly records, that he would send to the library with boxes labelling each year. Unlike his father Larry, Lars went into extreme detail in each weekly update, even in the most recent ones. So Gabe clearly found something." After Josiah said that, I was shaking my head, feeling this would put a fucking target on my brothers back.

"Sorry if I was coming off as forcing you to talk about this whole thing. It was never my intention to be putting you in danger or anything." I said, trying to make him feel at least modicumly better. But Josiah seemed to have very little interest in hearing this.

"No, I was going to try and learn about this sooner or later anyways, with the fact that I have been working with Rhett. And to be honest, even if I am not fully sure if I agree or not, Rhett insists that learning the answer of his mothers death will help me find the truth of what is going on in town." Josiah said, and I was sighing, not really feeling like Rhett was right when he said that.

"Josiah, I think you need to tell Rhett that his ideas are fucking insane. I mean, what if his father figures out what he is doing, and then you end up losing your fucking chance to work on this anyways?" I aksed, and I saw Josiah looking like he had no real opinion on what I just said.

"I mean, I think that he might be right. Maybe not about his mother, since that was a relatively isolated case, but you know how it is." After Josiah said this, I decided that it might be best to just not try and fight with him here.

"Do you think that I should try and talk to Gabe and Todd about what they found?" I asked, and I already knew what the answer was going to be. But I was still hoping that there was a small chance that he might be willing to say yes.

"I think we both know that the answer is going to be no." After he said that to me, I sighed, and I knew for a fact that he was going to say that. "And to be honest Seth, I think that you are going to have to tell your friends that you shouldn't be bothering with these things as well. I'm sure they'll respect that." Josiah said, as I shook my head at that.

"I already told my friends that I am going to be doing this, so there is nothing that I can fucking do to change it." I said, and shook my fucking head, not in the mood to hear Josiah trying to tell me off.

"Josiah, I was wanting to ask you something else. When you talk with Rhett, do you think that most of the things that he says could possibly be completely fucking bullshit anyways?" After I asked him this, I was seeing Josiah kind of distant, as if not having a clue what he wanted to tell me.

"Look, there is no way that is true. I mean, I was at the casino as well, and I saw how his father reacted. And besides, after some of the stuff that Gabe said, I have to believe in Rhett. Especially since I am not even done with the stuff that Gabe told me." He said, and then I was having my jaw drop, kind of wondering what in the world Gabe could have said.

"Gabe was telling me that when he was trying to find Carly, he ended up seeing her brought to another truck, and he was recording the incident as she was being driven off, and he tried to follow her, but just simply couldn't find where the car was, despite the fact that he was trying to follow along for a while. He said that she was tied together by rope and that there were talks of her being sold away to a buyer." Josiah said, and I just ended up looking right at him, wondering how in the world something like that would even be allowed.

"How in the world have people been able to get away with that in the first place? I mean, if she really is being fucking sold off, anywhere, then sooner or later, people are going to eventually fess up." I said, and I was seeing Josiah looking like he was not too sure if that was exactly true, and I just needed to accept that sooner or later.

"I don't fucking know. And to be honest, I wished that I didn't believe in the shit that I was being told. But I have no reason but to believe that every word of what he says is true. After all, he has been looking into this for a while." Josiah said, and there was a silent stand still.

And I was aware that for better or for worse, that he was right. I wished that he wasn't. But I think that the sooner that I accepted what he said, the better it was for both of us.

Before long, when we were talking, that was when we were seeing Becky coming into the station, and she looked at me, and I was seeing that this was not really what she had been hoping to see.

"I would want to speak with you and Manny on the 27th. I feel at this point, you guys deserve to know the truth." She said, and then she gave me her address on a piece of paper, as she headed off to the back of the store. I looked at Josiah, shocked at what was going on here.

"Do you think you're actually going to go through with seeing her? I mean, that can be really serious." Josiah said, and I was slowly nodding, and I was not really going to listen to him trying to tell me off, considering the fact that this was by far the best choice.

"I know that you're going to try and get me to change my mind, but I am not going to fucking hear it." I said, and I was shaking my head, as I saw Josiah looking like he was considering what I had just said. Probably knowing deep down inside, that everything that I said was true.

"Look, I know that you already made your mind. Can you just promise that you will be safe now?" Josiah asked, and I was thinking about what he said. I then nodded, feeling like I just needed to give him that at least.

"Yeah, and the moment something comes up, I will drop it. But it seems like Becky is just wanting to talk with me, so I will just have to see what she might want to say." After I said that to Josiah, I saw him slightly conceding that point, and I was glad to just know that we were still talking at least.

Scene 17: December 25 2020

That night, after presents were all opened up, and everybody was finally able to go along with their own thing, I was pulling out the new laptop that dad bought me, and I was starting to set it all up. I sent a text to Manny, hoping that he would atcually get the message, and see that I wanted to try and hang out with him for a while.

I sent my text to Manny almost as soon as the updates were taking place. "Hey Manny, I got the laptop after all. Starting to work on the downloads and what not. If you want to meet tomorrow, we can try and make a fucking plan on what we are going to do here." I said, and then I sent the text, hoping Manny would be excited.

As all the updates were going, I was seeing Gabe walk by. And right then and there, I was feeling like it was time to try and reach out to him, and make him feel better for what happened. "Hey Gabe, thanks for that one time a few days ago. When you ended up saving my fucking life. That made things so much better." I said, hoping to make Gabe feel better about what was going on here.

"It's okay. But I think that it might be best to just try and not talk about that too long. After all, I am kind of shocked you were willing to talk about this at all, in the first place, given everything that happened." After Gabe said that, he looked around, and I was seeing him looking terrified on what he would have to tell people if they heard our conversation.

"Well, I am going to try and talk to Michael. I am wanting to see if the two of us could be able to bury the hatchet, per se, after everything we saw." He said, and then I could not believe that he was planning on doing this during fucking christmas season. It just ended up showing how dedicated he was to this whole thing.

When Gabe was out of the house, I was getting a text back from Manny. "Oh that's cool. Want to meet up right now, or would you want to wait until after the holidays?" He asked, and I thought about the offer. I had no idea what I wanted, or needed, to do, at this rate.

"To be honest, nobody here is really staying around too long anyways. I guess that we could meet up. Also, I need to tell you about Becky too." I sent, hoping that Manny would like the fact that Becky made this offer.

"Oh shit. Becky got ahold of you again? I guess that's good news." He said, and I was sighing, wondering what in the world I could even say now.

"Yeah, let's meet up in like an hour." I said, and then put my shoes on, and then I was starting to head out of the house, since I was not going to be able to use the laptop most of that first day anyways, due to how long the updates would take to install in the first place.

Eventually, we were back at the middle school once again, which for better or for worse, was esentially our meet up place to discuss things going forward. I told him everything that had been going on, and the entire discussion, Manny was remaining silent, and I was seeing him genuinely consider what I told him. Even with the stuff related to my siblings, since I felt he deserved to know the truth.

"Oh god, so basically Becky is admitting taht something is going on here, and we are going to finally learn what that fucking is around the twenty seventh? Alright, well I guess that it is better than nothing at all." Manny said, and then he was shaking his head.

"Can't believe your brothers are dealing with that shit right now. Especially the theory that Gabe's friend might have been sold off. And those fucking monsters. I never thought that I would have to say that sentence in my fucking life." Manny said, and shook his head as he said this.

"Well, to be honest, I would have never believed in the stories about monsters, if I had never fucking see them first hand. And now I have to fucking listen to every single word that my brother tells me, to be as careful as possible." I said, and shook my head, wishing that I was never forced to say this at all.

"And your brother was talking about how he thinks his friend was sold off or something like that. Do you think that he will try and actually find the evidence to support that? And then you have him basically admit that he does not trust his father at all, which is also another issue." After Manny told me this, I looked right at him, wondering where he was going to go here.

"I mean, let's be honest, such a idea is possible. And that is something that makes me more scared for Becky. I just have a feeling that she knows full well what is going on here, and she is refusing to do anything about it. And I am going to be forced to deal with that." I was telling him, feeling like I had no choice but to be vulnerable.

"Becky..." Manny was saying under his breath, trying to decide what he was wanting to say here. "To be honest with you, I think that Becky is probably full on aware of what she is dealing with, and she is just refusing to tell anybody. Probably think that doing so is keeping us safe or so some shit." After Manny said that to me, I was looking right at him, wondering why he was saying this with a level of anger.

"Well, do you want to try and go in that forest, and see what you might find?" After Manny asked me this, I looked right at him, and I felt like he was fucking insane for even suggesting such a idea in the first place. I shook my head, trying to end this debate as fast as possible.

"That forest is going to be getting me killed. I want nothing to fucking do with it, whatsoever." I said, shaking my head, and I hoped that Manny was going to get off this idea right now.

"Well, I mean, we can't really do anything about the teacher until we get back from break, which is on the fucking eleveth. So we have nearly three weeks to kill until then." He said, and I felt like he was just basically asking for a fucking death sentence as he said this.

"Fine. You win. And besides, I guess that I can see what else we might find." I said, and then with that, I was starting to head towards the forest, feeling like the fact that Manny genuinely believed that this idea was for the best, was making me feel so much worse.

It took us a while to get there, but once we were around the entrance to the forest, I was staring at it, trying to decide what I was going to do. "Manny, I think that the best starting point would be to try and maybe look at that tree house once again." I said, and I saw Manny looking like that was a terrible fucking idea.

"That fucking thing is going to break down upon us, and we'll both fucking die." Manny said, referring to how old that thing was. I was sighing, considering what he was saying. But also just kind of not fucking caring about the risks at all anymore.

We started to walk up the ladder, and I was choosing to just keep my feelings to this whole thing to myself, thinking that in the grand scheme of things, I was probably over thinking the whole thing.

Eventually, we were looking around the main room, and every single step was producing a really fucking loud creak, and groan, and I was even seeing Manny finally looking like he needed to take my suggestion seriously.

I looked at the right wall, and I was seeing so many fucking tally marks on the wall. The mere sight of all of those, made me feel sick. Because I remember my father saying something about how when he was younger, this was a sign of how many people in town went missing.

There were easily over three hundred, probably nearly four hundred, tallys on the wall. I looked right at Manny, and I ended up shaking my head, having no idea what in the world I was even going to say now. It was just disgusting to see how many people had gone missing, and that people had just completely stopped caring anymore.

"What the fucking hell is going on here? Are people just making a fucking game out of this now?" I asked, and I was shaking my head, hoping that I was over thinking it. Wanting to over think it, because the alternative, was beyond sick.

I knew the story that my father gave me, so I moved everything out of the way, and I was hearing soem creaks and groans, and I was aware that if I was not careful, this place was going to start falling apart, and I was not even caring anymore.

"Seth, what the fucking hell are you fucking doing?" Manny asked, and I was hearing his patience completely fucking gone. I looked right at him, wondering how he was not able to get the fucking picture by this point.

"This is the tally mark of how many people went missing. My dad mentioned it once, and I never really took mind to it. I've only ever been here like once or twice, after all." I said, and shook my head. I took my phone out, when I knew that there was all the space cleared off.

I took a picture of every single one that was tallied up there. I shook my head, wondering what in the world was wrong with people. It took nearly three fucking pictures to get them all taken. I then looked right at Mannny, and placed my hands on his shoulder when I was done.

"Manny, this is huge. We finally know how many people went missing, and this is basic evidence that I can use to get my father's interest up again. I know that he would never be involved in this. He just needed something to get his interest back up and running again. I just fucking know it." I said, and I was giddy with excitement, knowing that I was going to be getting my father back up and running again.

"Oh shit. If you think that he will actually fucking listen, that will be a great fucking Christmas present." Manny said, and put a smile on his face, and I was so glad that he was seeing things from my perspective.

I started to walk out of the tree house, feeling like the fucking idea was paying off after all. As I was leaving, that was when Manny was walking too, and every step we took was creating a loud ass creaking noise.

But before long, we were out of the tree house, and I was thinking of what else to suggest. "Maybe we should come back here before break is over, and look harder." I suggested, excited.

Scene 18: December 26 2020

The next day, I met up with Manny, and we were at Joyful Burger, which was run by Lars Needlemeyer, and was one of the only ways I would actually be able to see the guy. When Manny and I were talking, I was seeing Manny looking super excited for once.

"So it seems like we are finally making this whole thing work out for the best. I was scared that mom your siblings would try and force you away from this after all." He said, and I was shrugging, feeling like I just needed to understand that this was now my fucking choice, and not theirs.

"To be honets, I think that Josiah might have been able to get our older siblings to be giving me some time to figure this all out myself." I said, and I was shrugging, not sure if this was exactly good or not.

"Well, either way, when are you going to show your dad the stuff that you found?" He asked, and I shook my head, not sure if I was wanting to tell him that shit in the first place. Given everything that happened.

"I want to tell dad so badly. He is just always out working though. I think opening presents was the first time he was actually talking with us for an extended period of time since Ridge was born." I said, feeling like him being there for us was simply never going to happen.

"Do you think Ridge will want your dad to be more there?" He asked me, and I was shrugging, since I really did not know what Ridge was going to feel on the subject.

As we had been talking, that was when Lars Needlemeyer came up to us, and I was seeing him looking relatively excited to see that we were actually checking the place out, and not treating him like shit.

"How are you guys enjoying your winter break so far? Staying out of trouble, I hope?" He asked, and I was smiling, feeling like I would just simply play along, and not give away how I felt here.

"Yeah, the two of us were planning on meeting up with one of our friends tomorrow. She said that she had something really cool." I said, trying to lay down low, and get him to think that I wasn't taking any risks at all.

"Well, your dad has been telling me that you have been doing really well with the comedy acts lately, and that you are starting to win over your class." He said, and I was sighing, feeling like that was not exactly it, but I didn't have the heart to tell him off or anything.

"Yeah, well, I did some pretty close to winning the talent show this last time. Much closer than I ever expected." I said, feeling like there might have been a level of truth, and that my father was just giving me more credit than I really fucking deserve.

"Well, sorry to bother you." He said, and then he left us alone, and I was looking at Manny, and took a deep breath, feeling like this entire situation was rather fucked up, and I knew that I was treading on dangerous waters here.

"Why the fucking hell would dad be making those stories about me? That is not at all what is happening, and he is going to be making everybody have assumptions here? Regardless, when we see Becky tomorrow, we do need to remember that we do need to be gentle with her. We do not want to piss her off right away." I said, feeling like I needed to get Manny to not say anything we would both regret.

"Well, regardless, I think that Becky is probably going to be much more willing to talk with you than she will me. To be honest, I will probably just be there to prevent the subject from derailing." He said, and I slowly nodded, feeling like he needed to give himself more credit.

"I think you need to remember that it is going to be you that keeps me together here, and that without you, then she probably wouldn't want to be talking at all. She knows that we are a package deal." I said, and I hoped that telling him this would get Manny to be happier.

"Anyways, I think that when we get there though, we need to get a recorded confession from her. Tell her that we are not going to judge her or anything like that. But that we need her to be fully honest with us, and not be holding back any details. Maybe she will see that with a testimony, we have a chance." I said, and I shrugged, feeling like it could work if we tried.

"Recorded testimony? I guess that might be able to work out, if you are careful enough. But Seth, what if she refuses?" He asked, and I sighed, knowing that could technically happen.

"To be honest, I don't think she would be sending me all the way out here like that, if she was going to not work with me. I think that she knows that we are the best chance that she has to make this work." I said, and I was seeing Manny looking like he was just trying to buy what I was saying, and hoping that I was right.

"And when we got the information we need, we will bring this recorded testimony to the police, and maybe they will actually fucking do something this time. Depending on how detailed she goes, and how much we can get her to talk, there is no way in hell that she would say no." I smiled, and looked right at Manny, feeling utterly confident that my plan was going to fucking work.

As I was looking right at him, he slowly nodded in agreement. I knew that sooner or later, he was going to see reason, and he was going to see that I knew what I was saying, and that he was way too worried about something that would soon be a non issue.

"Manny, I do not need you to worry here. I think we both know that everything is finally working out for the best. After all, my siblings are starting to fucking support us, and the plans we have." After I said that to him, I saw that Manny was still looking like he was not fully buying it, but was beyond arguing.

"And if Gabe and Todd show the proof of taht dead body as well, then people might start finally taking down what is going on here. And then we will be fucking heroes, that everybody will start to trust. The Robinson family will start to live on in glory." I told him, and then Manny had a uncomfortable look on his face.

"Are you sure that you are doing this for the right reasons, and you are not letting the fame and glory get to you?" He asked, and I looked at him, trying to not be taken back by what he said.

After all, it was kind of feeling like a low blow, and I wondered why he would even try to say something like that in the first place.

"Manny, look, I get that I might say things that might give off that impression, but that is not what I am trying to do. I am just trying to make it clear that what I am doing is going to help my family out in the long run. I can acknowledge reality." I said, hoping to get Manny to calm down a small touch.

"I just think that you need to keep those comments away when Becky talks with us. She might get really upset if she hears those. After all, people often times take things in a very literal interpretation." Manny said, and I was sort of seeing what he was saying. But that did not change the fact that I was feeling like he needed to calm down a small touch.

"I know. I sort of get what you mean. I wasn't trying to be a asshole though." I said, feeling like I needed to try and do some damage control as we were here. Maybe he would get to see that I was not in any way wanting to make this a bad set up for anybody.

"And besides, I guess that I can't really do anything for bragging rights, when I know about my older brother Gabe, who is currently in so much pain after losing his friend, and I feel like I need to try and be there for him as well." I was wondering how much Gabe was hurting deep down, after everything he dealt with.

Eventually, I looked out the window, and I was shaking my head. I could not believe anything that I was dealing with. "You know Manny, I wonder how many people are in on this. Know everything that is happening here, and just simply do not change it." I said, and shook my head as I thought of that for once.

"I think that probably everybody over the age of thirty is." Manny said, and I was shocked that he would openly admit that he wasn't trusting literally any of them at all. I wondered if he was still thinking about his parents when he said that.

"I guess that my biggest fear is that we are going to be doing this all, and then it turns out that the authorities don't even try and change it. They just put the information to the back burner, and pretend like this never happened. If they tried to do that, I would be feeling sick to my fucking stomach." I said, not even wanting to think about it.

"Yeah, I see that you're finally starting to fucking get it, and see why I am not really fully bought into this at all yet." After Manny was telling me this, I looked right at him, and I was feeling like I just needed to ignore this.

"At least we're not talking about politics. I remember when Trump won his second term, and Josiah was so fucking upset about it, I was convinced he was going to fucking blow up or some shit like that." I said, feeling like I probably should not be playing around about that time.

"Yeah, I guess that's the one positive to Wayside. The stuff going on here is far more interesting than anything political that can be offered. I hardly even bat a eye lash when I see it on the news." Manny admitted, and I was nodding in complete agreement as he said that.

"So Manny, thanks for taking the time to finally work with me, and do something that I am sure we will both need." I said, and I hoped that telling him this, and getting to see that I appreciated his work, was going to be enough to make it better.

"I just hope that Becky feels the same way, and doesn't end up blaming us if things get worse." He said, and I looked right at him, wondering why he would even suggest things. After all, she was the one that trusted us to figure out the mystery for her.

But to be honest, I was just glad that there was a plan for once. I was hoping that when I saw Becky, she would actually fucking follow through with working with me. I wanted her to feel comfortable, but not at the trade off of lying to me or whatever.

Scene 19: December 27 2020

The next day, Manny and I followed through with the planned meet up with Becky, and I was seeing that Manny was literally looking like he was scared out of his fucking mind. Probably thinking that this was not going to go over the way he planned at all.

Becky was looking right at us, and I was seeing that she was looking like she was actually really happy to be seeing us here, and that we weren't fucking up.

"Guys, I was worried that you would never be showing up. After all, you guys literally have no reason whatsoever to believe in the shit that I want to tell you." She said, and I looked at her, wondering what the issue was.

"Well, let's get right to it. I feel like you guys do deserve the full truth when it comes to knowing about the teacher." She said, and I saw that she was looking like this was one topic she never wanted to go down.

"Well, your rumors are right. The teacher is having his way with me, but it started off with that being the price of having lessons with him one on one." She said, and I saw Manny instantly looked utterly horrified at what she had just said.

"Oh shit. Do you think that you should be going to the police though? I mean, this guy could be spending the rest of his life in prison, and you're doing nothing about it?" Manny asked, and I could hear him just pissed off at the way that this was going.

"Don't fucking make it any worse than it already is. I wanted to try and tell people, but that was before I realized that people just simply do not care. As long as he continues to help the school, then nobody cares." She said, as Manny looked down, trying his best to hide the anger he clearly had hearing this.

"And besides, everybody in Wayside does this shit anyways. I mean, it is part of the town business. There is literally shit going on here, related to people being stolen, and nobody fucking cares." She said, and I was feeling like I needed to try and press her further on this.

"If you would fucking tell us what is happening, we might be able to fucking help you." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and put my fucking foot down, and make her understand that I would not take no for an answer.

"Well, ever since Lars started to become one of the main guys here, I heard that drug distrubution has gone through the roof, which means that there is a good chance that the theories about drugs are at least partially true." She said, hoping that would get us to take what she said with some level of clarity.

"Is there anything else that you fucking know? Anything at all?" Manny asked, drilling down the issue further. She looked at him, as if wanting him to just stop, and give her some fucking space.

"Don't bother trying that. After all, you do need to remember that my brother actually fucking talked with Ross Bean, who just did not give us jack shit." I said, reminding Manny of what was happening. I saw Manny look down on the ground, aware that I was right.

"I got a new laptop for Christmas. I have been looking into how hacking works in some of my spare time, and I think that I might have a fucking clue where to go with this. I just need to look into that man's personal activities." I said, feeling like I needed to hammer in that I knew what I was doing.

I was gettinga text from Gabe, and I was pulling it out, wondering what it was saying. "Hey Seth, I just wanted to let you know that my friend Michael and I are going to be checking out some of the things later. You know, related to those missing people. If anything happens, just tell people that I am sorry." Gabe sent, and I just stared at the phone, unsure what the hell I would feel here.

Gabe was literally throwing his fucking life away for this shit, and I had no idea what I was going to be able to do change this. I decided to stand up, feeling like I needed to respond, before I continued this talk.

"Please bring a fucking camera, and record what is happening, that way you can show everybody what you fucking saw." I sent back, feeling like this would get him to remember that he had a clear fucking tool to use, and that it would be a massive fucking mistake if he choose to simply just not for whatever reason.

"I guess that I can do that. Try and see if Josiah would maybe want to fucking come along." After Gabe sent me that text, I was sighing, and then I sent my text to Josiah, while my friends were looking at me, wondering what the problem was, and I then sighed in relief, knowing it was done, for now.

"Hey Josiah, Gabe was wondering if you wanted to go with him while he and his friend Simon check around town, and see what information they can find. I won't be going, have my own plans." I sent, feeling like I needed to make it clear that I was totally out of this, and had no intention of getting in.

I looked at Manny and Becky, feeling like I needed to give them some fucking clarity on what was going on, and to just get their lecture over with, since I knew for a fucking fact that they would go down it.

"So my brother Gabe is going to be taking the time to look around with his friend Simon. They have been trying to figure out what happened with Carly. Although Gabe says that he saw her being taken away." I remembered, feeling like that was a good point of reference.

"Oh shit. Do you think that your brother would actually be ready for something like that? I mean, he seems almost too nice of a guy to actually do what needs to be done." After Manny said that, I looked down on the ground, and I was thinking of what he was saying. To be honest, I did see where he was coming from.

"Well, I'm not going to be fucking going with them, and I have to do what I can. I just hope that they do not do anything stupid." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and change the subject to being one that worked out for me better." I said, and I was feeling like saying it this way was the best way to get what I needed.

"Shit. Well, I guess that if you're set on them doing the job on their own, then I guess that I'm not going to fight you about it." After Becky said that, she was then feeling like she needed to get back to the main point at hand.

"Well, fucking reality is that no matter what I try, and want to do, they are going to be making it very clear that I am not to get involved in this. So I am simply not going to fight it either." I said, feeling like I just needed to stand my case.

"Well anyways, since they are going to be doing this anyways, and I will not have to worry about helping them, I can just focus on what we were discussing." I said, feeling like the sense of relief was starting to come together a bit more.

"Well, I think that another thing that you might have to try and do is talk to the principal. He might be willing to give you some pointers." Becky said, and I looked at her, wondering how in the world she would trust that type of person given everything that happened.

"I don't really think that I should trust him. I feel like that man is probably responsible for a lot of the shit that happens here. Besides, I never really got along with him anyways." I said, feeling like that would already ruin the entire plan.

"Maybe I can try and talk to the teacher again. Get on his good graces. Apologize to him, and just ham it up that I want to try and make things right." I said, feeling like the lie might get me some fucking points after all.

"Yeah, that's not happening. He calls people that don't get along with him "worthless students" and says that they are just getting in the way of the job. So I feel like he would probably never fucking talk with you." After she said that to me, I was hardly even caring if he had called me that, because that was not who I cared about winning the opinion of.

"Well, if he feels that way, then he can genuinely go fuck himself. And besides, that is not the type of thing that you should be saying about students. He could get fired for that anyways." I said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like we were finally getting him on ropes.

"He also told me that I was not the first student that he was going to try and have his way with. He said that part of the reason he loves teaching at Wayside is because most of the adults here have similiar tastes." She said, and I looked right at her, disgusted at what she wad admitting to me, and the fact that he was going to keep doing this, no matter what.

"And that means, if he is right, there is literally no fucking point in trying to talk to the principal. Because there is a small chance that he might feel that way as well, and we would waste time." Becky admitted, and I was wanting to throw up, and I wondered why the principal would allow this.

"Let me try and talk to my fucking father about this, and see what he has. I mean, my siblings trust him enough to show him the picture of the dead body." I said, and then Becky looked at me, and I was seeing her horrified expression on her face as she heard that.

"Dead body? What the fucking hell are you talking about?" She asked, and I was glad to have her attention here, and I knew that this was finally enough to get going further down the topic.

"So Gabe and Todd unburied a dead woman at one of the mile markers, and they showed the picture to dad, and he actually had no choice but to crack down on the subject." I said, and smiled as I told her this, and I saw her looking like she had no idea what to think.

"Oh fucking shit man. That could be fucking huge, and people are still not even talking about it? That means that they are clearly trying to hide a inside job." Becky said, and I nodded in agreement.

And this also meant that there was a good chance that they knew who killed Rhett's mother, but the police hide it.

I was feeling like now that they were aware that I was actually going to make this work, and that I was not going to be making any excuses at all, things were going to get better for us all. I loved my friends, and that was why I supported them.

Scene 20: December 28 2020

I was waking up that day, and I was seeing Gabe getting ready to leave, and I was feeling like I needed to pester him about the fucking recordings and camera. He stopped when I called his name out, and he turned towards me, wondering what I was going to try and tell him.

"Gabe, please don't fucking forget about my suggestion. You're not going to be getting people to believe in you if you don't have that proof. The reason dad was forced to work with you about that body was because of the picture." I said, and Gabe looked around, wishing that I was quieter.

"Seth, I don't want you to talk about that around here. People are going to fucking listen, and then pester both of us." Gabe was saying, and I was seeing him looking like he was trying to get me to see that this was serious business.

"But regardless, I did take your advice, and I already have the camera with me." Gabe said, and he was holding it up, and I was surprised it wasn't going to be his phone. Probably because a camera would be less horrible to lose than his phone, in case he needed to escape.

"Well, good luck Gabe. And sorry that I was having a hard time understanding your perspective earlier. I guess that I just needed to see the bigger picture." I said, and then with that, he was leaving. He went with his friend, and I wondered if something would happen to one of them soon.

Eventually, I was getting a call from Manny. I was confused about this one, especially since we hadn't talked much lately, and I had assumed that he did not really want anything to do with me either.

"Seth, I need to talk with you. Just about some things. Have been thinking a lot lately." Robbie said, and I was confused as to why he was suddenly calling me. Lydia was a better bet than me, and yet he chose to not see her.

"Okay. Give me some fucking time, and I will be over." I said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like this was going to go really badly. I looked over, and I was seeing from the look on her face that Lydia was aware of what I was doing. I shook my head, headed out, so I would not have to deal with her reaction.

Eventually, I decided that maybe it was about that fucking journal that we saw earlier, and he was just needing to try and get somebody to talk with him. I hated this whole thing, since I was basically letting him put himself on danger's line over me not putting my foot down.

Before long, I was at Robbie Dan's house, and I was feeling like this whole thing was going to be a massive fucking mess. Robbie did look genuinely glad to be seeing me if for nothing else, so at least he was not going to be a total fucking asshole when we talk to each other.

"Seth, I want you to know that I am so sorry for everything that I am doing right now. I just genuinely feel like there is no fucking choice anymore." Robbie Dan told me, and I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to hear him say stuff like this.

"Look dude, I have no idea what to tell you. I think that you were wanting away from this." I said, and Robbie Dan sat down, and he was looking right at me, and just shook his head as I said that.

"I wish that I could do that. But the truth is that I had a really bad nightmare earlier, where Bebe went missing, and I was forced to try and fucking find her. But then I failed. And then she started to blame me for everything that happened." Robbie Dan said, and I felt like she would have never done that.

"There is no way in hell she would be telling you that. And I think that we both know that." I said, and I was seeing Robbie Dan looking like he was not sure what to fucking believe, and probably just not wanting to.

"I know that she would never outright tell me that. But if she did go missing, and I was trying to find her, and I failed to do so, then she might think that I failed her while she is out suffering, or dead." Robbie said, and I looked right at him, and I wondered why in the world he was thinking this already.

"What about her older brother though? Wouldn't he be the person she should be focusing on?" I asked, and then Robbie stood up, and he looked like he was already losing interest in the small talk, and wanted to get to the point.

"Seth, I want to talk to you about the journal from earlier. Bebe managed to read those pictures that I took while she was cleaning my room last time. She basically told me to fucking stop getting deeper into this, or else she was going to be putting herself in danger here." He explained to me, and I had no idea what to tell her.

"Shit. She knows now? Oh god, she is going to fucking tell Todd and Gabe all about it for sure then. And I think that you better just accept the fact that all the stuff you are doing ends today." I said, and Robbie Dan slowly nodded as I said that.

"To be honest, I tried to convince her that it was no big deal, and that she was over reacting, but she wanted nothing to do with it. She basically told me that this was serious shit, and then she was calling Todd about it right away, and she gave all the photos to him." Robbie said, and I looked down, not sure what to tell him at all then.

"I can see if Todd has it. I mean, you said that he took it." I said, and then Robbie was shaking his head, feeling like such a thing was going to be a total waste of fucking time, which made me wonder what Todd had done.

"From what I heard, Todd has a work locker that he put it in, and is going to basically keep it in there until he gets fired or something, so that way nobody can try and read it." Manny said in utter annoyance, as if hating the fact that he was losing his chance to read that again.

"Robbie, what if his fucking boss sees it, and then forced him to hand the information over? Does Todd not see how fucking insane that idea is?" I asked, and then Robbie was shaking his head, as if not caring anymore.

"Look, fucking reality is that I have been had, and that I am not going to be able to get any deeper into this. So I am planning on just leaving it alone for the time being." He said, and I shook my head, not sure what I would even tell him at all.

"Shit. Well, I guess that I just wanted to tell you that the gig is up, and that you don't have to worry about me trying to find anything else anymore. And to be honest, I feel like maybe that might be for the best." After Robbie Dan said that, I saw him looking like he was finally accepting that things did not go his way.

"I am going to just try and fucking work on my friendship with Lydia. I think that it might be best for you to work on your friendships, so you don't have to fall down the same path that I fucking did." Robbie said, and I was finding it hilarious that a fucking eight year old was giving me advice. And worse that I was thinking about taking it.

"The worst part is that most of my friendships that I had gathered up are all because of this fucking investigation. Nobody likes really getting to know me, because there is nothing interesting about me whatsoever." I said, feeling like I just needed to be fully honest with him here.

"So you're basically admitting that in all honesty, you don't really know how you can talk with them otherwise? I guess that might be a bit of an issue. Sorry about that dude. I wasn't trying to be an asshole." He said, and I was shrugging, thinking that he needed to be nicer to himself.

"Yeah, I guess that's one way to say it. I wanted to fucking respect myself, and who I am. But now I am just trying to help my brother's Josiah and Gabe, since I feel like they need my help more than anything else." I explained, and I was suddenly letting the reality kick in, that I was out of my league.

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to be an asshole when I asked that. I just see that you always had a hard time talking with people, and I thought I could change that." Robbie said, and I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to have this discussion at all.

"Don't worry. I know that I have been an asshole myself, and I was always screaming at you to stop doing what you felt like was right for you. I guess that I just wanted you to just do things my way, per se." I said, not sure what else I was going to accomplish as I said that.

"Well, to be fair, at least your way seemed less fucking chaotic than the way that I was trying to do things. So I guess that at the end of the day, it's not all that bad." After Robbie said that, I laughed, as I genuinely felt bad for him.

"So I guess that you will have a new life at least. Got to look at it the positive way." I said, trying to give him some feeling of happiness. I saw Robbie looking like that was not the way he wanted to hear it.

"But is that new life a life I really want to fucking live?" He asked me, as I was looking right at him, and I was having no idea what in the world I would even tell him.

"Well, just remember that no matter what happens, Lydia will always support you, and she wants to see you do well." I said, feeling like I needed to remind him of his value, and the work that he had been doing. As I said that, I saw Robbie looking like he was considering what I said.

"Yeah, I guess that's important. And I think that you need to remember that most of your siblings do feel that way as well, even if you have a hard time seeing it. And I hope that when you and your siblings learn the truth, you guys can make it work." Robbie Dan said, and I was shaking my head, not sure what to tell him at all.

"I need to see Lydia again. I haven't been around her enough, and I wonder if she is starting to hate me for that." I said, feeling like seeing her expression, and seeing how much it would hurt her if she saw me just brush her off completely, was going to be really letting me down her. I didn't want that.

I was staring up at the sky, thinking of what it was going to be like, trying to talk to Robbie Dan about all these things later on, knowing that he was not going to be getting his way with his siblings anymore, and that his hunt was over.

Scene 21: December 29 2020

The next day, I was with Manny again, where I was thinking of what we were going to do now. "Well, at least Becky is willing to fucking talk with us right now. I was scared that she was going to make every excuse that she could to not have to talk." I said, and I was shaking my head here.

"Yeah, although I think we are not going to be getting anything from Robbie anymore. His sister basically got wise to what was happening, and she decided that she was going to make sure that all the stuff he gathered up was taken away." I said, shaking my head at the prospect of Robbie no longer giving us anything.

"Well, to be honest, that might be for the best. After all, he's still eight years old, and probably should have never gotten that deep into this in the first place." He said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like he needed more credit than he had been given.

"Yeah, I fucking know that. But I will admit, I did think he was going to really ham up the whole 'I made my choice, and I will do things my way' type of ordeal, and that it was going to be a waste of time to even try changing it." I said, feeling like I needed my perspective open.

"Well, have you talked with Becky yesterday? I mean, she was seeming really fucking in on talking to us now, so maybe this whole thing can work?" I asked, and then Manny sighed, sounding like he was just kind of tired.

"Yeah, I tried to talk with her, but she seemed totally out of it, and to be honest, I am just kind of over trying to talk with her, without having you at my side." After Manny was saying this, I shook my head, and figured that I was just wasting my time with this.

"So Seth, I also heard that you were working with Josiah and his friend Rhett. Has anything come up lately, or is that just totally out of the discussion now?" He asked me, and I was shaking my head, having no idea what I was going to say now.

"Well, if his father is indeed this evil mastermind, like Rhett is fearing, then I think that it might be best to just stay the fucking hell away from that." I said, and then I shook my head, wondering why I was even having this discussion to begin with.

I was starting to walk towards the middle school again, and I could tell from his reaction that Manny did not want to be going there. Not that I could fucking blame him, with everything going on here.

"Seth, there is nothing we can even do there anyways. What would be the fucking point of going there to begin with?" Manny asked, and I was hearing him just sounding utterly tired, and I was kind of feeling bad for the way that he was carrying himself through this.

"I know that realistically, we are not going to find shit there, but seriously, I think that we just need to give it a fucking try." I said, not holding back the fact that I was feeling like this was the best bet that we had.

"Okay. Let me go with you." Manny said, and he was sounding like he just wanted to pretend like this idea wasn't completely dog shit, even though I had no idea why he was so set on this turning out to be a failure in the first place.

The entire walk over to the middle school, I was just thinking of what to say. "I am just kind of scared to go in the woods, after what I saw with that monster. I mean, it would be one thing if I had Gabe with me, but I fucking don't, and I can't keep hiding behind him forever anyways." I said, feeling like I just needed to end that potential right then and there.

When we were at the school, we were seeing those men in black talking with each other, and one of them was talking on an intercom. I was looking at Manny, and I was wondering what in the world these guys were doing here, to begin with, especially since the teachers and other people weren't even here to begin with.

The guys were looking over towards us, and called us over. I was confused what this meant, but I was wondering if maybe that teacher was already going to be getting in trouble, and that I did not even need to waste my time anymore. To be honest, the idea made me excited for a second.

"Do you guys know anything about some strange monster like creatures coming here? A few days ago, a high school student was giving us a hint that something was here." After the man said that, I was aware instantly that it was either Gabe, or his friend Simon. Which meant that they had an influence on these people's jobs.

"I don't know about the school, but I saw something rather scary in the woods about a week and a half ago. I literally almost fucking died in there, and my older brother had to fucking save me." I said, feeling like I would try and be honest, and maybe they would take what I was saying seriously.

"Shit. Maybe that student was right, and something was there after all. God damn it. I guess that we should be taking this to our bosses." After the guy said this, he was looking right at us, and I saw him looking like he wanted to press for more information.

"Well, take this card, and you can tell us everything that happened, and we will try to answer your messages as soon as possible. Might take some fucking time though, since we have a lot of information we need to go through." He said, and I was sighing, more just being glad that at least he was giving me some semblance of taking interest in my word.

As we were talking further, that was when Gabe was sending me something by text. I decided to check it out, feeling like it was almost certainly going to be something along the lines of supplying me with information.

It was a few pictures of Gabe and Simon, who were in the mines of town, which kind of shocked me that they were even able to figure out a way in, given the stories of how it was totally destroyed.

What I saw were a bunch of old beds, and condoms all over the place, and random old ass clothes that looked like they had been there since before mom was even born, and then there was another picture that made my blood turn cold and bring Manny over.

It was the skeletal remains of somebody, tied down to the bed, and they had been there for a long time, because it had looked like the bones were borderline turning into dust now. I was seeing Manny having that "I'm disgusted but not at all surprised" look on his face when he saw that.

"Simon and I are planning on coming back later, and seeing if we can find more, or learn whose body that is. Seriously, this shit keeps happening all the time. Dad needs to tell me what he knows." Was all the text sent, and I closed my eyes, scared of what dad would even say here.

Despite it seeming like a suddenly random idea, I went over to my father's private detective office, needing to give him all the information I had. I needed dad to listen. When I was there, I saw that my father and Rhett were talking with each other, and he looked at Manny and me.

"What are you guys doing here? You know not to get in the way of my job when I am on the clock." My dad said, and I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to hear him say this shit. I hardly cared, and he needed to hear what I had to say.

"I found this in the tree house a while ago, and I really want you to see it." I said, and showed him the picture with the hundreds of tally marks. "You know what that fucking means dad. There are nearly four hundred people that have vanished, or more, and there is nothing to show for it besides this." I said, and then dad just looked right at me, upset that this was happening.

"I have been looking there as much as I fucking can. But my sources are stripped thin, and because Rhett is a minor, he can't check out all the things that I want to see. So I have to only look at things that he will be able to check out." He said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like dad was just hiding behind the truth.

"But this is fucking huge. People always deny that these things are happening, and I have the proof right there that something is going on. Would you be willing to at least look at it?" I asked, desperate for him to hear me. I needed my father to fucking listen to me for once in my life.

"Look, I have no idea what your fucking brothers have told you, and what shit they think is happening here, but I need to do my fucking job, and I think that this is becoming rather unhealthy for you guys to keep going down this path." He said, and I was wanting to scream at him for this.

"Gabe has seen shit. He was the one that brought you the photo of that dead woman's body in the forest, and you are claiming that he doesn't know exactly what he is fucking doing?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to get dad to hear what was going on here.

"I mean, I heard the theories that the mile markers were tombs. I mean, my old friend Sheldon said that at one point." He said, going off about that Sheldon guy again, and I was feeling like maybe he needed to give Sheldon more credit then.

"Then you need to trust what Sheldon says here. I mean, for fucks sake, that man probably knows everything about town!" I yelled, not sure if that was true, but if the stories were true, then I needed to go with it.

"Don't tell me how I should be handling the shit that my friend was telling me years ago. He never understood what he was doing when he was making those mistakes." He said, and then I was seeing from the look on his face, that he was absolutely horrified at what he said.

"Dad, this whole thing is fucking ridiculous. I mean, people are giving you all the work you need to go off of for the case, and you are just throwing it away constantly? I feel like at this rate, if something happens, it's on you." I said, and I was hardly caring if he would react badly. Rhett and Manny looked utterly blown away.

I left the room, and I was looking at Manny while we were gone. "My dad knows what he is doing, and he is fucking lying to us about what he knows. I feel like Gabe's theory is becoming more true the longer that I am here." I said, and I was so fucking pissed that I was having to say that at all.

Scene 23: December 31 2020

I was sitting down with my family, with Bebe and Robbie Dan as there, while we were waiting for the new year to start, and we could finally move on to 2021.

The entire time we were there, Gabe was holding Ridge, although it looked like Gabe was about to fall asleep, and I was finding myself for once not really in the mood to be a dick to him, and I decided that I would just let them have the moment. I looked at the television, wondering what to say.

"How do you feel about turning six?" Bebe asked Henry, feeling like she would just try and see how he was doing. Henry looked over at them, and I could see from the smile on his face, that he was estatic to have another birthday.

"Not excited about going to school this year." Henry said, and then Bebe laughed, feeling like she would let that one suffice, since nobody enjoyed going to school for first grade.

"You have no idea." Lydia said, and then Robbie Dan was looking at me, and I was wondering what in the world the guy was wanting to discuss. He was starting to head to the kicthen, where I decided to follow him, and see what was going on with him.

"Was there something you fucking needed?" I asked, and Henry shook his head, and he seemed to have no real interest in arguing at all or anything. Probably scared of what Bebe was going to say.

"Well, I was thinking about the stuff we were talking about earlier. I think that I am going to try and get that stuff back, and I was wondering if you were wanting to come along." Robbie said, and I was looking over the room, to see Bebe talking with the other siblings.

"Dude, this is a terrible fucking idea. If your sister knew what you were doing, then it would be fucking game over for both of us, and you fucking know it." I said, hoping that I would get him to stop this idea.

"I don't fucking care what you guys say. I have to take the leap of fucking faith, and hope that my fucking plan works." Robbie said, and I was closing my eyes, feeling like this was going to go south so fucking fast.

"Robbie, how are you even going to be getting down to the store without anybody noticing? In case you forget, you're still fucking eight years old, and people are still going to be babying you the whole fucking way through." I said, feeling like I just needed to get him to see it.

"I don't fucking know. I will fucking find something though. You need to give me more fucking credit. I have always listened to what you guys tell me anyways." After Robbie said this, I was shaking my head, not really in the mood to hear him make us the bad guy.

"Your sister blames me for everything that happened, and in a way, I don't even fucking blame her. She probably genuinely believes that I am indoctrinating you into thinking that you need to do this." I said, and I hoped that telling him this would get him to listen to me, and see that he was dragging me down along with him by doing all this.

"My sister probably does that to avert blame away from her. She knows that if she had paid more attention, and listened to me better the first time, then none of this would have ever happened." After Robbie was telling me this, I was looking down on the ground, and I was feeling like he was treading on dangerous, and he must have fucking known that.

"I don't know. I feel like this whole thing is a mess. To put it simply. But the other thing that I want to talk about is you and Lydia. You were telling me that you were going to watch after her more, and this is what you're doing." I said, and I was shaking my head as I told him this, and Robbie had a look that resembled a minor amount of guilt.

"I am doing just that. And we're still in break, so I can't really help her with any school work. She's on her fucking own for now. When school gets back, I will try to help again." Robbie said, and I was shaking my head, and I felt like he was not going to be listening to a word of what I said, and I was feeling like I was just wasting my time talking to him here.

"Robbie, I think that you know that Lydia likes you, a lot. She thinks you're one of the best people she has ever met in her entire life. I wished that I would have been somebody she respected as much. But I failed, because I focused too much on my fucking comedy, and I did not see that she was needing some fucking help." I said, hoping to at least somewhat appeal to him more.

"I don't fucking know what to think of Lydia and her crush on me. I want to tell her that she's wrong, and that she should be focusing on a different person, but I don't think that will fucking work. She seems to think that I have this level of determination or some shit, and don't really hold back on anything ever." Robbie said, and I was shaking my head.

"Well, you do." I said, feeling like I needed to confirm him what Lydia felt, since I had seen the way he handles things, and regardless if I agree or not, I knew she was right.

"I mean, if you didn't then you wouldn't be doing all the things that you have lately. I don't have to agree with everying you are doing to still acknowledge that you really do know how to stick to your guns." I said, and I was shaking my head, hoping to get him to hear me.

"Well, I do it because I feel like it is right." After Robbie said that, I sighed, feeling like he needed stop with these types of comments, since they were so fucking broad that I could not really say anything at all to make it different.

"You know that journal didn't even have a whole lot anyways. I tried to fucking read it as well, and I was wanting to see your perspective. But it is all a load of crap anyways. Nothing comes together, and the guy sounded like he was fucking insane." I said, and I saw Robbie looking like he was considering what I said.

"I know that it didn't have a whole lot. But that is the key. You said a whole lot, which means that there was more than nothing in there, and I am trying to fucking find that." He said, and I was shaking my head, feeling like this man was fucking insane for what he was trying.

"Have you considered just trying to talk to Todd about it? Maybe ask him what he sees in there. That man is obsessed with looking through camera footage, and he works with that Benjamin guy. Plus he goes into the forest often enough. Maybe Todd has something." I said, and Robbie shook his head, feeling like that would not work.

As I was trying to talk to him, I was getting a text from Becky. "Hey Seth, thanks for that conversation a few days ago. It makes me feel a lot better. I can already tell that 2021 will be much better for both of us." She sent in the text, and I looked at Robbie, and I was seeing him looking like he was well aware of what happened.

"She's the person that Manny and I are trying to talk to, and help." I said, and I was seeing Robbie smiling at that, as if he knew that I could never get away from this, no matter how hard I fucking tried.

"Has she even told you anything?" He asked, and I was wanting to punch him for asking me so many questions like this. He was annoying beyond belief at times, because he knew that he had me gripped into his ways.

"Yeah, but I am not going to tell you what she said. I know you are going to try and get the information for yourself, and I do not want you involved in this one." I said, feeling like I would put my foot down. As we were talking, Todd came in the room, and looked at the two of us talking, and I think he knew instantly what was going on.

"Hey guys, what are you planning?" Todd asked, and I looked down on the ground, aware that nothing we were going to do would change this conversation. I looked right at Robbie, and I was wondering what the fucking hell I would even tell him at all.

"We were just talking about Lydia, and how things are going to be for the rest of the school year once break is over. We were just expressing how much progress she made already." I said, and I was looking at Robbie, mentally begging him to not say anything this time, and just to play along with what I was saying. Robbie nodded, choosing to go along with what I said.

"Oh, okay. I wasn't expecting that. I thought that you guys were going to be making some evil plan or something." After he said that, I was smiling, feeling like I would just pretend like that is not the case, just so he would leave me alone, and then Todd went to the fridge to grab something.

"Robbie, I am sorry for everything that happened. I was just mainly doing it because I thought that it was for the best. Bebe wanted to keep you safe, and I felt like I would agree with her. I hope that you understand that there was nothing personal there." After he said that, Robbie was putting on the biggest fake smile that I had ever seen in my entire life.

"Well, I do know that you guys always have the best intentions in mind when looking out for us. I would never assume that you guys went out of your way to do anything wrong." Robbie said, and I was clearly seeing that he was just trying so hard to give off the sale. But even Todd was seeing through it.

"Look, when you're older, I think you will understand. But sometimes reality fucking sucks, and there isn't much we can fucking do to change that." Todd said, and Robbie was looking like he was having absolutely no desire to hear Todd say all this stuff, and I was feeling like nothing Todd would say would change the situation at all.

"Well, I think that I already get the picture." Robbie said, and I was surprised at how much this guy was able to really make his point in a argument, and the fact that never once have I actually seen him budge down when people were going after him. It was like he was dead set on all the things that he felt, and was not taking no for an answer.

I looked at the clock, and saw it was only five minutes until it hit. Five minutes until 2021. Five minutes until Henry's sixth birthday. I looked at Robbie and shook my head, not wanting to ruin the last minutes of 2020.

Scene 24: January 1 2021

As I was heading out to meet with Manny later that day, I decided to write Henry a short note. "Hey Henry. Happy birthday and happy new years. Six years old already? That's awesome. Have a wonderful day and a great year. From Seth." I placed the note on the counter, and then I left the house after that.

Before long, I met up with Manny, ready to see how he was doing, and if he was even willing to do anything today. I knocked on his door, and he answered, and saw me there. "What are your plans today?" He asked, and I sighed, feeling like this might go down hill if I was not careful enough.

"I was thinking about what I wanted from 2021. After all, with Trump's second election, and everything since Ridge was born, it just was a crazy year." I said, shrugging, not sure what else to say.

"Oh, so nothing related to Becky at least?" Manny asked, and he sounded like he was actually feeling slightly better about that, and not having to get too deep into these small details.

"Do you think your brothers are going to be causing any issues lately?" Manny asked, and I looked right at him, wondering what in the world he was even trying to accomplish in the first place.

"I hardly fucking care what my brothers do with their time anymore. As long as they try and stay safe, and not be doing anything too fucking ridiculous, then I will be fine." I said, and I was shaking my head, not sure what to tell her.

"My brother Josiah was with his friend Rhett, and Rhett was trying to get his father to tell him what is going on with the mothers death case, but his father didn't give much away from the fact that his mother was a whore." I said, feeling like I would just use the mans wording of it.

"And now Rhett is thinking that maybe his mothers death was not related to the fucking divorce case after all." I said, and then I sat down, and felt like I needed to bring up the option at least, for better or for worse.

"To be honest, I think that maybe if we go too deep into the investigation with Becky, then we might be learning that this whole thing was a fucking scare that wasn't true, and that she was not a target at all." I said, feeling like the idea needed to at least be mentioned.

"That literally couldn't work though, considering the fact that she admitted that this was something that happened. So I think that the best thing to do is just fucking listen to her, and see what she knows." After Manny was telling me this, I shook my head, feeling like this could all go down hill real fucking fast if we were not careful.

"I don't know. I just feel like this is going to be a strange year. I have no idea how to put it though, for better or for worse." After I admitted this, I was shaking my head, feeling like there was nothing else to say. It was all a fucking joke, and I fucking knew it.

"Do you want to maybe just go to the arcade, and put this whole thing behind us for the time being? You know, I think pretending like nothing is happening is for the best." After Manny said that, I was shaking my head, feeling like there was no point in even doing anything like that.

"Well, since Becky has not reached out to us in a few days, there isn't much that I can fucking do to change it." I said, and then with that, I sighed, and agreed with the idea of going to the arcade, and just seeing what the hell I would even do there.

We eventually started to head to the arcade, and to be honest, I was fucking scared out of my mind of the fact that maybe Becky hadn't been reaching out to us, because she literally fucking couldn't. That something happened to her or what not. But I was telling myself to not think too much about it at all.

As we were eventually at the arcade, we went inside, where we were seeing a group of three or four boys, probably close to our age, hanging out, and a girl playing intently, trying to get the high school on something.

"What do you think we should be doing now?" Manny asked, and I was looking around the options, and I was feeling that my interest in making random and unfunny jokes about the situation around me was not there anymore. I was already feeling like a old man, despite the fact that I was in sixth grade.

"I guess just fucking play something. I have no idea. I never been to this arcade without some siblings or anything." I said, feeling like I was out in the hen, and I felt like I just needed to go with whatever Manny suggested.

"I guess that we can try and play that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game over there." Manny said, pointing to one several feet away. I was shrugging, not really in the mood to argue with the suggestion, since it was something at least.

But to be honest, I was feeling like whatever Becky would say would blow eveyrthing else out of the water, and I was wondering why she had not contacted us again. I was feeling like this was taking forever, and at this rate, I was not going to be the friend she fucking needed, to be safe. I wondered if maybe Manny was going to be a better bet for it at all.

We played for a bit, before the girl who we saw trying to get the high score saw us. She looked at our scroe, and shrugged, seeming to have a indifferent opinion.

"Not bad, for a first timer. But to be honest, I think that you need to work at your composure, and just learn to relax." She said, and we were both looking at her, wondering what in the world she was even trying to accomplish here.

"To be honest, I was just trying to kill time with my friend. Nothing else." After Manny said that, he was shaking his head, sounding like he was kind of beyond being scared.

"Well, sorry to interuppt. I feel like I have seen you guys at school before." She said, and then she looked at me, trying to decide if that was true. "Weren't you the guy that won the talent show?" She asked, and I sighed, not sure what to tell her.

"To be honest, winning might be a bit of a stretch. I was just doing what I wanted. I think people were just more excited to be seeing me just not give a shit what those asshole teachers were fucking thinking." I said, and I smiled as I said that. She laughed, thinking that I was definitely cool here.

"Well, as long as you have a good time." She said, and then she looked right over at Manny, and was then thinking of what to say to him.

"Aren't you the faggot?" She asked, and Manny looked down on the ground, and I was seeing that ground, and was trying to simply hide the fact that he was more hurt by that than he wanted to admit.

But to be fair, he was wearing a rainbow shirt, which was kind of a dead give away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just don't have any gay friends." She said, and Manny was sighing, and simply decided to keep it to himself.

"Does he know I like him?" Manny asked, and I was sort of guessing that at this point, since even our classmates clearly knew, there was no point in hiding it, which was probably not smart, but whatever.

"I don't think anybody knows about your crushes. But with your mannerisms, your clothing, and to be honest, your voice a bit, it's very obvious that you're gay." She said, and then she looked right at me, trying to decide what to say.

"Anyways, my name is Sierra. If you want to hang out, and get better, than go ahead and give me a message." She said, and then she wrote her contact number down. I looked at her, fucking annoyed, and felt like she was insane. And then she started to walk off, and we played more games for a bit.

After Manny and I were done hanging around the place, and seeing everybody else, for a while, I was getting some texts from my phone, and saw that it was from Josiah. I looked at Manny, who did not realize what I was doing yet, so I went away, to see what Josiah needed to say.

"So Rhett and I went back to the RV today, to see if anything has happened in the last week weeks, and Rhett started to empty his mothers shit, and we were finding some really serious stuff in there." Josiah texted me, and I was wondering what I needed to fucking say now.

"Well, the receipt of one of those times she had sex with a customer was there, so we know that at least to a degree, his father was indeed not lying. But beyond that, there was a few checks in there as well, most of which had already been cashed in, but a couple of loose pay stubs." Josiah continued in his text, as my hands were turning cold at what he was saying, and I wondered what Josiah was going to be taking with this going forward.

"There was some stuff regarding her talking with Lars Needlemeyer. The papers were suggesting that she had been meeting up with him every few days discussing some fucking sales with other women and what not." Josiah continued, and sent me a picture of the stuff he was talking about.

"It seems like she knew what was going on with the November missing case, and she was even able to crack down a name. As I was talking to Rhett about this, I was seeing Rhett suggesting that maybe his mother was indeed having some clue what was happening here." Josiah sent, and I could tell that there was a twinge of regret in his text.

"Are you saying that maybe his mother wasn't as innocent as she was making it out to be? Is Rhett doing well then?" I asked, feeling like I just needed to try and show a level of humanity in what was going on.

"Well, Rhett told me that he was planning on talking to his father in a more objective matter, and give him a chance to about what he knows, since Rhett is starting to realize that for better or for worse, he did not have a idea what his mother was really up to." Josiah texted back, and then showed us the various pictures confirming discussions related to the missing girl from November.

"I will keep you posted if anything else shows up." Josiah texted, and then that was when Manny showed up, and asked me what was happening, and I decided to tell him everything, and showed him all the texts we had, and I was seeing Manny looking like he was truly at a loss of words at this.

Scene 25: January 2 2021

The next day, I got a text from Sierra, and I was confused as hell why she was texting me, when I barely knew jack shit about her. "Hey, just so you know, I apologized to Manny for the stuff that I was calling him back at the arcade."

"To be honest, I was kind of curious what was making you text so much earlier. Would you be willing to tell me?" She finished the text, and I was feeling like this was where I was having to draw the line. I felt like that was beyond my position to do.

"To be honest, I think that is something that I should stay away from. After all, I have no idea how the person affected by this would feel about us talking." I sent, feeling like I just needed to be honest with her.

"If you tell me what happened, I would be willing to give you more advice on how to play those games?" Sierra sent, and I was feeling like this was her way of mainly saying that she would force this information from me, with or without my desire.

"Look, I know this is not a good idea. But I know how women are. That you're going to force this information from me, one way or another." I sent, and then I was feeling like there was nothing else to say.

"See you at the arcade in a fucking hour. And you better not tell anybody what I am about to tell you." I said, feeling like I just needed to try and put my foot down for once. I was shaking my head, knowing full well this was a terrible fucking plan.

I left the house, after looking at Josiah, and slowly nodding towards him, feeling like I needed to let him know that no matter what happened, I would support him and his cause on helping Rhett out.

I got on the bike, and started to heads towards the arcade, wondering what in the world we were even going to do, and if Sierra was actually going to be respectful of the shit that was going on.

When I was at the arcade, I got right off my bike, and ran right in, where I was seeing Sierra still playing her game, and when she was seeing me get inside, in a really over the top fucking fashion, she smiled, and was happy to see that I was actually going through with the plan.

As I was looking at her, I was taking note of the fact that I think she was the only person in my graduating class who had red hair, and when I saw that, I was thinking of some of the theories that I had heard earlier.

We sat down, and I was sighing. "I will tell you the whole thing. All of it. And you can decide if you want anything to do with me after." I said, and she nodded, feeling like my reaction, while strange, might have been fair.

"So the truth of the matter is that my older brothers are all trying to do their own way of figuring out what is going on in Wayside. A giant fucking murder mystery." I said, and I was shrugging, feeling like Sierra would probably find that not so interesting.

"And to be honest, I got caught up in everybodys bullshit, and now I am the one who has to deal with it. One of the, especially, Josiah, is now involved in his friend Rhett's personal life. Trying to figure out the truth behind Rhett's mothers murder." I said, feeling like I would just leave it there, feeling like the point was made.

"You guys do realize that the girls go missing because they are probably being sold off to old guys and what not?" She was asking me, and I looked down at the table, and I was wondering why she was already saying this.

"Well, my oldest brother Todd has started to believe that. But going back to Rhett. So basically we started to realize that his mother was involved in these issues when she was alive, and I am starting to think that in all honesty, Rhett was already cuaght in a conspiracy from the start." I said, feeling like I just needed to be fully real here.

"Shit. How many of your friends know about this?" She asked me, and I shrugged, wondering why in the world I was even opening up to her about any of this. I felt like maybe this was going to just make things much worse for the two of us.

"Well Manny and I know. And we started to talk to Becky. Since she was telling us about things the art teacher has been doing with her, and she wants to help." I said, and then I was seeing Sierra starting to realize this was not a fucking fun little case then.

"I never thought those theories were true. But if she is saying so, then I guess that is not my fucking place to say anything then." After Sierra was telling me this, I was glad to see her looking like she was going to be serious here.

"Yeah, well, they fucking are, and she is in a lot of pain over it as well. I guess that this is something that I just have to fucking accept. Manny and I are planning on looking into this with her as soon as school starts up on the 11th." I said, hoping that I would get her to be satisfied.

"Seth, you do realize that there are people who could be watching you this whole time, and the second you step out of line, you are going to fucking blow this whole thing up?" She asked me, and I was sighing, not sure what I was going to even tell her.

"I fucking know that, and my brothers keep telling me this shit over and over again. Keep telling me that I need to be really fucking careful and shit. I know that. But at the same time, I feel like there is nothing that I can fucking do to change it." I said, and shook my head, not sure what to even fucking tell her, and I wondered why she even cared.

"Sorry. I just felt like I needed to remind you, just in case if you were feeling like this was something that wouldn't really be all that big of a deal." She said, and I looked right at her, wondering what she was even going to accomplish by telling me this.

"I know what everybody else is going to be thinking, and I feel like that is the main reason I have to take the fucking risk. It is indeed a big fucking risk, but who knows what will happen to my brothers if I do not fucking do it?" I asked, hoping that I would get her to fucking see my point of view.

"Anyways, to continue my story, since that is the main reason you are here to begin with, the truth of the matter is that Manny and I are planning on looking into the whole Becky thing when school gets back up, and that is basically where the main risks are coming from." I said, and shook my head, hoping that she would see that this was all going to be my fucking idea.

"And my older brothers found one of the mile markers in the forest, which was where the decomposing remains of a person were found there. The fact of the matter is that people are fucking dying here, and it is all being fucking covered up by the general media." I said, feeling like if I gave her a slam dunk, she would fucking get it.

"So the point is, they are really close to finding out everything they need. And with my father being a private detective, my older brother Josiah is trying to get him to tell him what is happening. And even fucking Rhett is working with my dad, which is a way to get him a resume for his life after high school." I said, feeling like I was getting close to catching her up to speed.

"Wow, I never thought that somebody like you, who is working so hard on the comedy all the time, actually is dealing with the most shit out of everybody here. That seems to be kind of out of fucking nowhere." She admitted, and I was slowly nodding, feeling like that did make some sense.

"Well, I stopped really caring as much on the comedy once the whole Becky thing came up, and then with Josiah and his friend Rhett, almost any sign of being able to be happier was completely thrown away, and nothing else matters." I said, and I was feeling like I just needed to make my point that it was all over.

"Do you think that you're going to try and explain to Becky what your brothers are doing, and that can help her trust you?" She asked me, and I looked at her, and I was feeling like such a idea would inherently just not fucking work.

"I wish that I fucking knew what I was going to be able to do. I want to tell Becky everything, but I mean, that would be a massive esculation from the shit about helping her with the art teacher, and it would really feel like total fucking bullshit to be honest." I said, and I looked at her, hoping that she would see that I was still trying to just keep her safe for now.

"Well, Seth, if you need somebody to talk to, I will be here. And I will keep your secret. I don't really want to investigate, or get involved that way, but I'm a ear avalible." She said, and I was staring at her, glad that she was willing to be a confidant for me, and that was all that I wanted.

"I will keep that in mind. But if I give you some serious information, don't try and back track, and act like you never fucking said that." I said, feeling like I needed her to see that this was not something I would be down with her deflecting.

"Okay. Sure." She said, and I was smiling, and I felt like if for nothing else, at least she was going to be a friend, and I needed those more than I needed anything else in the entire world. I closed my eyes, feeling like I just needed to be utterly careful here.

"And I hope that you just stay out of trouble. Well, as much as you can, given the whole thing. Even though that sounds incredibly hard." She said, and I was slowly nodding, glad that she was seeing my perspective for once, and that was all I needed to just feel a bit more at ease.

"Well, I think that when you have nine brothers, and a younger sister, danger was going to find its way into my life, regardless if I liked it or not. The best course of action is to accept it." I said, and held my hand out for Sierra to take. She took it, and I was using that as a way to make our word our bond, and I now had a third friend to work with.

I was eating the really shitty nachos that Sierra ordered for me, and I was feeling happier for once, and I was feeling like I would try and take full advantage of this, and not hold back when I saw her again. And if she would be able to help with Becky, then that was a fucking double win.