Stepping out of the helicopter, Deputy Rookie was consistently comforted by her colleagues. The Sheriff, Earl Whitehorse was someone she admired with great respect. His courage and patience to deal with difficult situations were comforting especially when everyone in this place seemed a little unstable. She met eyes with her coworker, Deputy Hudson and she reached forward, her hand patting her arm and quick encouragement escaping her lips. Rookie allowed a small smile to appear on her lips, but it dropped immediately as she began to hear the familiar chanting that still haunted her sleep.

Amazing Grace,

How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

Her eyes widened at the memory that filled her mind with images of blood and bodies and something in the environment seemed to shift too. The peggies swore at them and their dogs barked at them with a warning each time any of them got too close to the fences. Rookie felt a shiver creep up, but she tensed at the Marshal's cold words instead. He was confident and did not appreciate any of them showing lack of eagerness towards arresting this supposed man - Joseph Seed. She did not wish to disappoint the Marshal - it could cause problems for the Sheriff, but right now every instinct in her system was screaming at her to run away from this place.

When the Sheriff opened the church door after a short argument with the Marshal, they stepped inside and Hudson passed by her telling her she was going to be fine. Rookie knew Hudson was kind inside out, but right now she doubted anything could calm her fraying nerves. This was such a bad idea and she could tell that the Sheriff agreed with her as he jerkily walked in front of her. He allowed his body language to remain relaxed despite the hostility that the peggies shot their way.

"Something is coming. You can feel it can't you?" Rookie turned to stare at the front of the church where a man stood in the shadows. The light streaming in from their customized cross cast his shadow long on the wooden floor. She remembered Slenderman - he too had a fascination with abducting people, specifically children. These peggies who believed anything this man would say were no less than children.

He continued speaking. "That we are creeping towards the edge. That there will be a reckoning." The Marshal strutted forward, confidently sizing up a peggie twice his size while the Sheriff lingered closer to her front blocking her view from the deranged men and women. Rookie felt appreciation for this small kind gesture, but more than the peggies - it was the voice of the man who spoke. His voice was ominous and held an edge of portent as he spoke about their future. He claimed that they would not let them hurt them anymore. But the Rookie wondered who he referred to.

The Marshal had refused to listen to the Sheriff and all the peggies now stood in their way, protecting Joseph Seed. But the man showed absolutely no fear - he seemed aware of what was about to come as he ushered his followers to leave. Rookie felt all of them walk past her, some of them deliberately smashing their shoulders into hers and knocking her balance. She regained it quickly, however, and turned to see him stretch his hands out towards her.

"And Hell followed with him. God will not let you take me."

The Marshall turned to her. "Rookie, cuff this son of a bitch."

Fear and anxiety gripped her then. She turned to stare at the man who she was supposed to cuff and saw the same calamity brewing within its blue depths. She had seen it in her own eyes several times after the tragedy, but hers wasn't as volcanic as his seemed. Yet at the same time, his eyes were serene making her even more fearful of the unknown because he clearly seemed to possess the knowledge of it. The Marshal frustratedly urged her on and she momentarily escaped his hypnotic gaze.

"Put down your guns. Take your friends. And walk away." He whispered, drawing her gaze back to him. He had not moved - his eyes had not shifted. They bared into her soul as if he knew every source of fear that made her heart hollow. She wondered about what he saw in her eyes, but most importantly why her own body had frozen in fear in front of this man? Why couldn't she just do her job? The Marshal hissed at her in warning and her fingers that hung near her pocket twitched but did not move. All she had to do was remove the cuff and strap it on him. It could not be that hard, but something warned her to not move. The calamity in his eyes warned her to not arrest him.

"God is watching us. And He will judge you on what you choose in this moment . . ."

She wasn't a believer. The tragedy had not only ripped her voice off her but also her beliefs. She hadn't stepped inside a church in six years and the last time she had prayed was when she had opened her eyes to a paramedic staring down at her. She had prayed that her parents had a stroke of luck and had survived, but when she was told that she was the one who was lucky to be the only survivor, it was the end. She had thrown away the remaining fragments of her beliefs and moved to a different neighborhood to start anew. God was no longer in the picture. Yet here she was taking his baseless warnings to heart. Her hands still wouldn't move and her eyes were still locked on his.

The Marshal then chose to address the Sheriff. The Sheriff told him to wait and Joseph Seed spoke for the last time, this time solidifying her decision to not arrest him. "Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone."

The Sheriff moved his hands over Joseph's and lowered them and hence ending her view of the destruction she was about to invite upon herself. She could breathe again as she met eyes with her boss who began to lead her out. But her eyes flickered one last time to the man whose hands now wrapped deeper into the rosary. He still stood in the same place, staring at her - his eyes asking and answering questions. But this time they were tribulated. And as she turned, she wondered why he was disturbed when they were leaving him "well enough alone".

"What the fuck are you doing?" The Marshal cried, stepping in front of her and shoving her back with his hand. "I will have you both arrested!" She stepped back when the Sheriff sized up the Marshal. He reminded him that they wouldn't leave this place alive if they arrested him and the Marshal warned them again that he would arrest them. Rookie doubted she cared at this moment, begging silently that the Sheriff would leave this constricting place quicker. He seemed to have heard her silent wishes as he pushed open the church doors harshly and she sped walked behind him.

"Dear child! I have seen what you have desperately tried to hide! You have not spoken the words, but I have heard them!" The voice seemed to get closer as they walked away from the church almost as if he was following them. Rookie did not turn around to find out and instead chose to walk faster ignoring the footsteps that echoed behind her. She prayed it was the Marshal, but instead could feel his presence by her side, not behind her. Deputy Hudson turned shocked to see them, but even more horrified at what she saw behind them.

"Sheriff, Rookie! What's going on? Aren't we arresting him? And why is he following us?" Rookie walked faster at her words, capturing Hudson's firm arm in her hand and completely dragging her alone. The Sheriff seemed to agree with this approach as he was almost jogging along towards the helicopter, forcing the grumbling Marshal with him. He was being shoved into the seat and then Hudson was climbing on, her hand reaching for Rookie's.

"They come into our land and think they can take from us what we hold dear to us. But they also misguide those who wish to seek redemption. They try to keep them away from us." And a hand clamped hard on her shoulder, forcing her to lower her outstretched arm that was only a breath away from Hudson's. They were all screaming now, Hudson hurrying to get her gun from her holster and Sheriff warning her to put the gun away. The Marshal swore at him and proceeded to open fire, but not before the peggies were already shooting bullets at the chopper. Rookie felt her heart sink when Pratt ordered the pilot to take off and she rushed forward to meet Hudson's hand. The hand on her shoulder shifted down to her elbow and stayed there strong and restrictive.

"Rookie! Fuck, Pratt, you ass! Rookie's down there!" She heard Hudson yell loudly. Rookie tried again, shoving at the person behind her with the captured elbow, but he barely moved. Both Hudson and Sheriff were screaming at the pilot to descend despite the flying bullets, but the Marshall's voice froze her insides.

"She made her choice to not arrest him! This would have never happened! Now it's too late! Do not descend and if you care so much, then jump after her!"

And with that, the helicopter was flying away in the distance with Hudson's teary face and Sheriff's worried eyes the last thing she saw of them. She turned to see a peggie land in front of her and a large rock escaping his fingers. It hit her straight on the forehead and before she knew it, she was falling backward onto a soft body. Warm arms wrapped around her frighteningly and she closed her wide brown eyes to a pair of molten blue that crinkled with joy and lips that moved in a whisper.

"No one is coming to save you."

Author's Note: I kept it as canon for as long as I could, but this is a fanfiction so it has to stray off from the original at some point. I do not want the Rookie to follow the path of the game, because I genuinely believe that not arresting Joseph was the best ending of the game. If you haven't played it, then you should. Once again, thanks so much for reading! Have a great day! :D