2016

Dear Aunty Nica,

It's been about a month since I last wrote to you. I hope you can write back, but I'll understand if you are unable. I don't blame you for anything, I know that you didn't kill Mommy and Daddy. I know that it was Chucky, and he's the entire reason you are in a wheelchair to begin with. I shouldn't have trusted him, then maybe I could have warned you and Mommy. It's been three years since I met Andy Barclay, and he's become like an uncle to me, maybe even another father figure. He's taught me how to fire a gun, how to fight. He's even taught me how to drive, and I'm not even old enough to get a permit! Andy and I are still fighting for you, Aunty Nica, we know that you are not insane. Someday, we will see each other again. I promise you that.

Love always,

Alice Pierce

"What do you think?" Alice asked, showing Andy the letter for proof reading.

"It looks fine." Andy skimmed through the paper. "What is this one, your twelfth?"

"Yes, but she's never responded." Alice replied, looking at the floor sadly.

"Maybe the guards at Lochmoor don't allow them to write back." Andy suggested, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder to comfort her. "Don't worry, I'm sure she loves it when you write to her."

"Thanks, Uncle Andy." Alice smiled, hugging Barclay. "Any plans for today?"

"Aside from driving you to the post office for the letter?" Andy said sarcastically. "Well, I think it's time we upped the sparring from just our fists and legs."

"What do you have in mind?" Alice wondered.

"Well, back in 2011, my old friend, Ronald Tyler, and I took a trip to Japan." Andy told her, stroking his small beard. "Can't remember what he got, but I took two katanas as a souvenir."

"Whatever happened to Tyler?" Alice asked. "I don't think you've introduced me to him."

"That's because he died the year after." Andy informed. "A sniper in Iraq popped him and three others in his squad."

"I'm sorry." Alice murmured.

"It's fine. You didn't know." Andy waved the memory away. "Now, we were going to the post office?" Ten minutes later, the two found themselves at the post office in Chicago, dropping off the letter.

"Do you think she'll write back?" Alice asked, a look of hope in her eyes.

"Cross your fingers." Andy muttered, and knocked on the wooden desk three times. Soon after, they began driving home, when Alice just realized something.

"Wait, you don't have swords in the apartment!" Alice exclaimed. "I checked everywhere!"

"Clever, but I never suggested we were going to the apartment." Andy replied mysteriously. "We're also taking Chucky with us, for practice." Alice gave him a weird look, before they arrived at home, taking Chucky, and got back in the truck and began driving North.

"Ooh, a road trip!" Chucky snickered. "Are you going to take Alice in the middle of nowhere to kill her, Andy?"

"Shut your fucking mouth." Andy grumbled, throwing his coat onto the back seat and covering the doll.

Hours later, at night, Andy and Alice arrived at a remote cabin in the middle of the woods. Alice carried Chucky inside, while Andy went to a gun cabinet at the back of the living area, pulling out a set of Japanese katanas.

"Imagine what I could do with those…" Chucky murmured, while Alice set him on a table, and Andy tossed her a sword.

"First rule: two hands." Andy instructed. "That is how you handle a Japanese sword."

"Who taught you that?" Alice asked, intrigued.

"Looked it up." Andy replied, and got into a fighting stance. "Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be." Alice called out, and they parried blades, trading only minimal cuts and bruises. All the while, Chucky kept hurling insults at both, hoping they'd end up killing each other. Finally, Alice rolled to the side, and struck Andy's back leg with the flat side of her sword, causing him to kneel. Pierce then kicked him in the back, sending him to the ground.

"Yield." Alice said calmly, pointing her sword at Andy's throat.

"Well done." Andy congratulated. "But, that was me holding back." With that, Andy kicked Alice's leg out from under her and grabbed both swords, pointing them in an X.

"Okay, I surrender." Alice showed her open palms. Andy smirked, and held out the hilt of her sword, offering her his help. Alice gratefully took it, but then looked at Chucky. "What did you mean by practice?"

"Easy." Andy grinned, taking out a switchblade and throwing it at Chucky, hitting him in the forehead, causing a howl of pain. "Your turn." Alice pulled out the knife and walked back to Andy, before throwing it at the doll, but hitting the stuffed deer mounted on the wall.

"Shit." Alice muttered, walking over and taking out the knife again.

"Just relax, and aim for Chucky." Andy advised. Alice did what was suggested, but missed again, hitting the table.

"Holy shit!" Chucky cackled. "You probably couldn't land your piss in the toilet! Then again, you're a girl, so you can't even aim!"

"Fuck you!" Alice yelled, about to punch Chucky, but Andy grabbed her arm.

"Wait." Andy mumbled, and took out the knife and placing it in her hand. "Just try again."

"But what if I can't do it?" Alice asked.

"You can." Andy assured her. "It just takes practice, right?"

"Right." Alice smiled, preparing to throw the knife again.

"Oh, one more thing." Andy added. "I bet you five bucks you can't hit him between the eyes."

"He only has one eye." Alice pointed out.

"The place that it would be if he had two eyes, then."

"Oh. In that case, you're so fucking on." Alice shook Andy's hand, and closed her eyes, concentrating. When she finally opened them, she threw the knife, and it stuck right in the middle of Chucky's head, where the between the eyes area would be. "Pay up."

"Worth every penny." Andy chuckled, giving her a five dollar bill. "Damn, we'll have to stay the night here."

"Say, what is the date?" Alice asked.

"It's the thirteenth of August. Why?" Andy asked.

"You don't remember?" Alice asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Tomorrow's my birthday!"

"Shit." Andy murmured. "I'm really sorry, Alice, I've forgotten about it… I guess you could have this." Andy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pocket knife and presented it to the girl.

"Andy, you can't give me this." Alice said, shocked at the gift.

"Yes, I can." Andy insisted. "It's the least I could do. I once gave this to Tyler, to protect himself from Chucky."

"Didn't think the little prick would actually turn on me." Chucky added, but was quickly silenced by Andy punching him in the face.

"But why would you give me this?" Alice asked.

"Because I see a bit of myself in you." Andy told her. "We were both deceived by Chucky, but when we realized the monster he truly is, we didn't run away from him. We rose up to the challenge, and are ready to take the fight to him, and anyone who's helping him." Alice smiled and hugged her surrogate uncle, and took the knife.

"Aw, that is so sweet." Chucky mocked.

"I've had enough of you for one night." Andy announced, putting the gag back on the doll's head and locking him in a safe in the wall, and put a framed Kent Academy sweater over it.

"That's it?" Alice frowned. "You're just gonna lock him up?"

"For now." Andy mused. "I'll take him out periodically, just to have some fun. In the meantime, we need to catch some sleep. I'll have to open the store early tomorrow, but I promise, we can do shit once I'm done." Alice nodded, and Andy crashed onto the couch, while Alice went to the bedroom and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.