A/N: Welcome back guys, to the last main chapter of this story. And yes, it's a biggie. I honestly considered splitting it in two just because of the size, but that wouldn't be fair to you, since I said that the previous update would be the last chap and it wasn't. So, here it is. It was a great pleasure to write it; it's been a while since I truly lost myself into what I was writing, and I loved it. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as well.
There'll be a relatively short epilogue after this, and then it's over. I honestly can't believe I got this far, and I have all of you to thank for that. And as always, happy reading!
Chapter 53: Light
Evelyn's hands twitch with angst as she sees the hideous creature approaching Yin. Fighting him would be useless; all three humans are past their prime, and she knows of the remarkable strength of those bodies. But she also knows her weaknesses.
Her eyes light up with hope when she remembers a small detail from her research into the franchise: the springlock suits in animatronic mode are drawn to the loudest sound in the environment, meaning that the mascots are always in the place with most children. She pulls up the display of the sound system installed by Mark and her, then plays some audio in the arcade room close to the entrance through camera seven.
A boy's giggle, high-pitched and almost mocking, echoes loudly through the building. Springtrap is just a few feet away from Yin when his old sensors detect the sound, freezing his body immediately. The man curses the machine he has become as it turns around against his will, then walks past a stunned Mike and Yin to the sound's source.
The couple shares a look of confusion and surprise for a second, before hearing Evelyn's voice through their phones. "The suit's still drawn to sound." she explains, voice still quivering slightly with nervousness. "I'll keep him away from you while you finish."
"Thank you, Evie." replies Yin, still getting over her scare as she approaches her husband. There's already a mild swelling and darkening around his wrist, but the resolve in his eyes only grew stronger.
"What's wrong with him?" he asks, eyeing the animatronic.
"I just need to replace a broken wire, that's all." Yin once again kneels behind the body's opened back.
"Can I help you out?"
"I don't think so, sorry." she replies mechanically, completely concentrated in solving the problem in front of her. But this focus falters when her nose catches a strong scent. "Mike, do you smell something burning?"
In the meantime, Evelyn has followed Springtrap's stiff walking to the arcade room. The creature, visibly struggling against his own body, stops in a corner by an arcade machine. He remains paralyzed for a few seconds, and the woman in the office takes her chance to check on the entrance. Her diminishing fear returns when she sees a few wisps of smoke coming from the light switches. "Yin, are you done yet?"
The mechanic has the phone laid out on the floor next to her, both hands deep inside the robotic body; one holding a wire cutter, the other some pliers. "No, and I will need some time. What's wrong?"
"There's smoke in the entrance." says Evelyn urgently, "I really don't like to rush you, but you need to hurry up." She turns her attention back to the camera in the arcade room, only to see it empty. Evelyn frantically searches through the cameras in the nearby hallway, and finds the creature close to the rooms where Mike and Yin are hiding. He's creeping to them as slowly as he can, silencing his heavy steps. Evie quickly selects the entrance in the camera's display, then selects the option to play audio.
"Hi?" The boy's voice once again rings loud and clear. Evie switches back to camera five, and can't hold back a small grin when she sees Springtrap freezing in his tracks, turning around and walking back to the entrance. Even from the office, she can hear the faint echo of his furious scream. "How's it going, Yin?"
The woman in question has part of her head inside the animatronic's opened back, hands covered with oil and dirt as she clips the corroded ends of the broken wire. Seeing this, Mike goes to Yin and brings her cellphone closer to her. "I was going to rewire everything…" she says as she pulls off the wire's coating, revealing the shiny copper underneath. "But since we're so tight on time, I'm just going to join up this old thing with the wire from the arcade."
"Will that work?" Mike asks, unknowingly stealing the question that Evelyn wanted to make.
"Maybe." replies Yin earnestly, "But it's a chance." She scratches off some coating from the second part of the broken wire, and pulls a hand out of the machine. "Mike, I need the new wire and some tape."
The man diligently grabs some electrical tape from the toolbox and the piece of wire off the floor, before laying them on his wife's hand and joking: "You know, I shouldn't let you boss me around so much."
Yin smirks as she struggles to get a hold of everything inside the machine. "Oh, come on! We both know you're into that…"
Mike's face flushes bright red, and Evelyn can't help but grin as she checks the cameras. But her smile disappears when she sees Springtrap moving from the entrance into the first hallway. "He's on his way to you." she warns, getting ready to activate the audio when needed.
Meanwhile, Yin tapes together both ends of the wires whilst Mike watches the doorway. "Where is he now, Evie?" he asks.
The woman sees the creature moving into the range of camera eight. As she sees some smoke following Springtrap into the hallway, she notices the faint smell of burning circuitry in the office. "He just entered the first hallway. I'm going to let him get a bit closer before activating the audio."
"Sounds good." says Yin, joining the circuits close to the battery.
Evelyn follows Springtrap out of the range of camera eight, and after a few seconds he appears at the end of the hallway with camera five. She selects the camera by the entrance once more and tries to play some audio, only to be met with silence. With growing unease she tries again, just for the display flash bright red repeatedly as an alarm assaults her ears. She turns to the monitor on her left and sees a feared word next to the audio system's command: ERROR.
"The audio's down!" she hisses into the phone, then switches over to camera five in the monitor to her right, just in time to see Springtrap reach out to the lens. Her imagine turns to static as the furious creature crumples the camera like an old newspaper. "He's getting close, and he's pretty mad at us."
Yin finishes up the connection as she hears Evelyn's worried voice, then says "We just need to change the battery." The woman pulls her head out of the body, takes a hold of the battery with her smeared hands, and after a couple of tugs, releases the heavy object from the metal clamp holding it in place. Mike takes it from her as they hear the approaching footsteps of the murderer.
Evelyn goes to the monitor on the left, reboots the audio system, and returns to the cameras. The old computer's beeping only increases her stress, when she sees the figure at the doorway of the room with camera two. "He's in the room next to you!"
Mike hands over the replacement battery, fully charged, to his wife. Yin struggles to hold the heavy object in her hands, but the adrenaline rushing through her body gives her the strength she needs to push the new battery in place. She pulls her hands out of the body and slams shut the cover of the back panel. Mike immediately grabs her by the hand and runs out of the south doorway with her, right as Springtrap enters the room through the north. The couple and the killer exchange glances for just an instant, until the pair enters the next room.
They don't stop running until they reach the office, where a frantic Evelyn is still waiting for the system to reboot. "He's right behind us." Mike pants as he leans against the wall by the window, while Yin recovers her breath next to Evie. After a few seconds, the woman behind the cameras sighs in relief when she sees that the audio is back online. She tells this to her companions, and their face lose some of their tension.
"He must be right outside the office." says Mike, approaching the monitors with Yin.
Evelyn checks camera one, but finds no one. Slightly relieved, she switches to camera two, only to find a barren hallway. She checks the other cameras hastily, each one showing an image farther away from the office. However, even the camera by the entrance, which by now is drowned in smoke, shows no signs of the creature.
"I can't find him." she says, starting another round with the cameras.
"Are you sure?" Yin asks as she leans close to the monitor with Mike.
"Maybe he's hiding somewhere." suggests the man, squinting as he inspects the image on the monitor and regretting having left his reading glasses in his car.
The three are so engrossed in the monitor, that they don't notice the massive figure rising on his feet on the other side of the office's window. Springtrap's dark silhouette towers above them; his glowing eyes inspect the trio with anger as they lift their heads to the monster. Evelyn tries to activate the audio once again, but the murderer punches through the thick glass with ease, showering the three with sharp shards of glass. They shield their faces from the tiny knives while Springtrap takes a hold of the monitors on the desk, rips them out of the office and throws them into the hallway.
Basic survival instinct takes a hold of the three companions as they rush to the doorway at the same time. But the creature beats them there with a few long strides, eyes burning with desire to kill. Before the trapped humans can rush back into the room, Springtrap grabs Evelyn by the shoulder roughly, and the woman bites down a scream of pain and disgust as she's pulled closer to the monster.
"So, you were the one playing with the audio?" he asks in a low, threatening whisper. The shocked woman is speechless, but her fearful and guilty eyes are enough to answer the question. Springtrap tightens his grip, enjoying her groans of pain as he hisses: "That was very rude of you."
He throws her between Mike and Yin, relishing in their angry yet desperate glares. "Do you know how it feels, to be trapped in a little dark room for thirty years?" growls the monster, taking a hold of the doorframe. "All because some snotty brats couldn't see the gift of life I gave them?!" His hand tightens around the wooden frame as his bulbous eyes lock unto Mike. "Where is your brother?"
"Like hell I'm telling you." mutters back the man.
The wood splinters under Springtrap's inhuman grip. "Where is he?!" he bellows, "Tell me, or the last thing he'll see will be your head rolling on the floor."
Mike's lips draw a small smile. "Do it, and you'll be erased."
The creature lets out a hollow laugh. "Along with him! I'm sure you forgot that I drew his seal on the same page as mine. Break one, and you break the other."
The man's smile grows a bit wider. "We both know that's not true."
They discovered it two nights ago. It was a simple, almost vulgar trick. A close, careful look, and anyone could've spotted it.
They were in Jack's room. Mike was sitting on the carpeted floor, an old laptop between his legs. He had been searching for anything that might explain the nature of the blood seals and the red book, with no results. Jack was a few feet from him, carefully looking through the bloody pages of the book. Frustrated but determined, Mike was considering a visit to the local library the next day, when he heard Jack call out to him.
"Mikey, c-can you look at this for a moment?" he asked, lifting his eyes of light to his brother.
The man laid down the laptop and shuffled himself to Jack's side. "What is it?"
Jack held one of the pages between his massive fingers. From its design, they knew it was his own symbol. "This is my seal, right?" Mike nodded. "It l-looks new. It's still bright red, even after all this time, because I'm s-still here."
"Makes sense." the man replied.
"And this is the seal of the man that k-killed us." He turned over the page to reveal a washed out, brick-colored version of Walther's blood seal. "Why does it l-look like this, Mikey?"
The man eagerly took the book from his brother's hand, and after inspecting the symbol closely, muttered "Because the scumbag lied to us. This isn't his true seal." He carefully turned over more pages, seeing that the symbols were all bright red, as if the blood was still part of a living body. "Brandon didn't see this because it was still new when he held it, and he didn't have the time to look through this thing carefully."
"Then where is the r-real one?" asked Jack.
Mike's fingers then brush against a thicker page. Intrigued, the man turns it around, but sees nothing more than blank paper. He then holds the page against the light, and a faint, familiar silhouette reveals itself on the paper. Lowering the book, Mike runs a fingernail across the paper's thick edge, and shakes his head when a small split appears in its middle.
The man lifts his head to see an astonished Jack, then says with a smile "There it is."
"You drew your seal away from the others" resumes Mike, enjoying how the confidence in the killer's eyes fades away. "Then you carefully glued together the edges of that page with the one above it. Your seal was now hidden between two pieces of paper. You knew it was still a risk, so after killing my brother, you drew a fake seal on the other side of his page. That way, everyone would think that the only way to erase you was to erase Jack as well."
Silence reigns over the office for a few seconds. Springtrap's wide smile grows to uncanny proportions as he snickers softly. This soon turns into a powerful fit of laughs, and the creature bends over, holding unto its stomach with one hand and to the broken doorframe with the other. The surprised trio sees how he slowly regains some composure, before giving them a slow and sarcastic applause. "Very good!" he says, still chuckling. "Very good. And I suppose you told your brother to break my seal if you don't leave this place alive."
Mike smirks. "That's right."
"But even if I let you live, you'd still break my seal by the end of the night." The man nods, but his smile begins to fade when he realizes where the creature is going.
A new sort of evil takes over Springtrap's eyes. "Then, if it doesn't make a difference if I kill you or not, why should I let you live?" His imposing figure blocks the light from the hallway as he steps into the office, and Mike, Yin and Evelyn see themselves surrounded by the creature's shadow. Springtrap smiles as his eyes dance between the three humans; he can't decide who to kill first.
It's in this moment that a flurry of heavy footsteps in the hallway steals everyone's attention. The four turn to the office window, but barely catch a glimpse of something large and heavy dashing past it. Its powerful and fast steps make the floor vibrate as it stops by the doorframe.
Springtrap turns around, just to see a familiar silhouette a few feet behind him. Baffled, he shakes his head as surprise turns into anger. "You!" he roars, fists tightened. "How are you here?! I erased you!"
Brandon raises his shoulders casually as he enters the office, and says "I'm almost as surprised as you." His remaining eye shines brightly into the gloomy room, drawing smiles from the three companions trapped with the monster. The faint, transparent silhouette of the phantoms is visible just behind him. Their white eyes, no longer wild and lost, show the relief of the souls behind them; for the first time in over thirty years, Sarah, Ferny and Sean feel happiness.
"I knew I wasn't erased." continues Brandon, "That was clear right after you tore up my page. When you broke the Toys' seals they were gone almost immediately and felt a lot of pain. That didn't happen to me; I just felt tired and sleepy. I didn't lose consciousness because I was erased, but because I ran out of power. I barely had enough to stay awake by that point, but I tried to tell my brother that I'd be okay."
"'I'll stay here.'" Sean says behind him, "To be honest Don, it wasn't very clear."
Brandon rubs the back of his head, showing off a sorry smile to his brother.
"But… how?!" mutters Springtrap, "I broke your seal in half! I saw the two pieces of paper flutter down next to your face!"
"I can answer that," Mike interrupts, "since I'm pretty sure that bunny boy himself doesn't know the answer. And Walther, I have to say we had pretty similar ideas."
A tired Mike entered his house after finishing his fifth night. Besides a shallow cut under his chin, the young man was completely unscathed; he couldn't believe how close he had been to dying at the hands of his own brother. There was still a lot to do for his crazy plan to work, but for now, all he needed was some sleep.
It was midday when he set out to buy the necessary items, and close to three when he returned home with some aged paper and a flask of fake blood. Brandon's description, given to him soon after the ordeal of the night, was still fresh in his mind as he recreated his seal. Mike calmed himself with the fact that the imitation didn't need to be perfect, just good enough.
He impatiently waited for the red tint to dry completely, before folding the page in his pocket. The anxious man burned the rest of the afternoon walking around the house and watching TV, before setting out to the pizzeria near its closing time. Little did he know that besides deciding Brandon's fate, he would soon meet his future wife.
It was a bit past 9 PM when the murderer entered the building. Mike was rejoicing with his newfound friends, enjoying the old tale of Brandon throwing pizza at the puppet, when Walther spoiled their peace. A startled Mike stared at his brother's murderer for long seconds, barely registering what he was saying, before mumbling out "That's…"
"Yes." muttered Ferny, "It's him."
"How was your last day on the stage, Fazbear gang?" asked Walther casually, "I'm sure you already miss your fans!"
"What do you want, murderer?!" demanded Sean harshly.
The man in purple shrugged. "Just saying hi to my dear friends."
"We're not your friends." said Brandon as he went closer to Jack. He was ready to defend him, should anything happen.
Faking sadness, the killer rested a hand on his chest. "That hurts, you know? After all I did to give you the gift of life…"
"Gift of life?!" interrupted Sarah, voice filled with anger. "You killed us!"
Smirking, Walther stood up and approached the group. "You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." He turned towards the young man. "And who are you?"
Mike stood up, barely keeping his growing anger under control. "The brother of Jacob Schmidt, but I'm sure that a psycho like you doesn't remember the names of the ones he killed."
Smiling sweetly, Walther approached the group until he was right in front of the stage. "Please, you offend me. Of course I remember your little brother. He was so small and defenseless, he barely moved or talked… I had a lot of fun killing him."
That was the drop that spilled the glass.
Mike launched himself at the man, and they both crashed on the floor before rolling against a nearby table. The red book lay right behind them, but Mike wasn't aiming for it. As the furious young man pushed Walther under him, he reached for the killer's right pocket, and his fingers soon brushed a folded piece of paper. Mike took Brandon's seal out of the pocket, gave the murderer a few hearty punches in his cheeks and temples, and replaced the original seal with his replica.
Walther was too stunned to notice the change, but he quickly retaliated with a jab at Mike's nose. Taking his chance, the killer kicks the young man off his body. Mike's success dulled his pain for the rest of the night, and he barely managed to hold back the constant urge to smile in front of the murderer.
"I replaced Brandon's seal with a copy I made on the night we fought." Mike says, earning surprised glances from Springtrap, Brandon and the phantoms. "You never broke his seal, you only broke my copy. The real one is stored safely at my house."
"You tricked me." hisses the creature, "Why didn't you tell your friends!"
"I was afraid that they'd reveal the secret in one way or another. Looking back, it was an awful decision. I'm sure they suffered a lot when they thought that Brandon had been wiped out." Mike turns his eyes to the phantoms. "I'm sorry, you all deserved to know the truth. There are no more secrets between us, I promise."
Sean answers with a solemn nod, followed by Ferny and Sarah. "It's all okay." she says with a smile, before looking at the hallway with worry. The smoke is nearing the office, whilst the smell of burning wires taints the air even more.
"You say there are no secrets." continues Springtrap with spite and anxiousness, glaring at Evelyn. "If that's true, then why don't you tell Bonnie who you are? I'm curious myself."
The woman takes a deep breath, looking at Brandon with pursed lips. "I'm Evelyn Hobbs, the daughter of Dave."
"There we go!" The creature cackles, pointing at Brandon. "This is perfect! He killed your father in cold blood, and he loved it!" The boy lowers his stare, lonely eye filled with guilt. "He was the one that robbed you of a happy, normal childhood. He's the one with your father's blood on his hands. Go on, Evelyn. Tell him how much you hate him."
The woman stares intently at the tall figure, who avoids her gaze. "Brandon, I was the one who found your three tapes." she says gently, "I listened to them from beginning to end, and yes, hearing how my father died broke my heart. But I know it wasn't your fault." Brandon lifts his eye in pleasant surprise. "You're a noble and strong kid, who never gave up, who tried his best to protect the ones he loves, risking everything in the process. I forgive you, because I know who the real killer of my father is."
She shoots an icy glare at Springtrap, who slowly shakes his head. "I don't understand." he mutters, "This doesn't make any sense! How can you forgive him so easily?"
"It's called compassion." says Yin, hands in her pockets. "You probably don't know what that is."
The creature shakes his head rapidly, unable to understand. "It's called foolishness." he mutters under his breath, before furiously glaring at everyone surrounding him. "You're all idiots! None of you understand! You cannot win! You will not win!" Snarling, he launches himself at Mike, who ducks out of the way as Brandon takes a hold of the creature's two shoulders. Springtrap growls and hisses, trying to free himself from the steely grip, but his withered body has lost a good amount of strength. Groaning, Brandon pulls him away from the people in the office, before slamming the murderer against the floor. The heavy creature falls on a knee, and wails in agony when the rusted joint snaps in two.
It's in this moment that a plume of black smoke erupts from the corridor, followed closely by bright flames burning their way through the drywall to the right of the office.
The room's inhabitants lose themselves in thick smoke as a growing fire surrounds them.
"How l-late is it?" asks Jack from underneath the pickup's canvas, eyes locked unto the smoking door.
A nervous Jeremy checks his watch, then says "It's almost. One-thirty." Sighing, he looks at Jack. "Your brother said that. It would only take. An hour at most."
Jack remains silent, never letting his gaze trail off the door.
"And he said that. If he doesn't return…"
"I know." interrupts the hidden figure. "But Mikey will b-be okay. He has to."
"The place. Is on fire." rebuts Jeremy, "He wouldn't let himself. Get caught in such. A bad spot."
"Then we n-need to help him." Jack takes off the canvas, sits up and pushes open the pickup's cargo door. He's ready to step out of the car, when Jeremy lays his walking cane in front of him.
"I'm sorry, but I. Can't let you go." he says gently, leaning against the car. "I promised your brother. That I'd keep you safe, no matter. What happened to him."
Jack stops for a moment, staring at the cane with curiosity before letting out a small sigh. "I'm s-sorry too." He rips the cane out of the man's hands with little hesitation, who clutches unto the pickup's sides to avoid tumbling down.
"Stop!" Jeremy pleads, barely able to hold himself on two legs. "Dammit Jack! Don't go out!" He's helpless to stop him as he does exactly that, stepping out of the pickup's back unto the cold pavement. The older man tries to take a hold of Jack's shoulder, but he's already running towards the building as fast as his heavy body allows. "Come back!"
Dashing through the darkness, the yellow figure ignores him completely. All he cares about is the smoking building in front of him.
Yin coughs gutturally as black smoke fills her lungs. Covering her mouth and nose with the neck of her shirt, she stretches a hand in front of her as she walks to the lights by the doorway. She's just a few steps away from it, when she sees two orbs of grey light glaring at her from the floor.
Unable to stand up with a broken knee, Springtrap crawls to the woman, slowly dragging his heavy body along the dirty tiles. When he tries to grab her ankle, another massive hand takes Yin by the shoulders, pulling her away from the maimed creature and into the hallway.
Brandon leads Yin to Mike and Evelyn, all three squinting through their teary eyes at the road of fire in front of them. "Ready?!" asks Mike, screaming to be heard through the constant cracking and popping of burning wood. All three nod in unison. "Keep your head down and breathe through your nose! The building isn't that big! Let's go!"
The man leads the way, followed closely by Evelyn. Brandon, immune to the smoke, holds Yin by her shoulders gently as he walks behind the pair. The elder woman hasn't stopped coughing since she left the office, barely able to hold herself on two feet despite Brandon's help.
The flames grow larger as the four traverse the building with slow, cautious steps. They pass by the twin rooms in the east without problem, before facing a genuine inferno: bright flames are covering the walls at both sides of the next hallway, already burning through the roof above them. Undeterred, they push onwards at a slightly faster pace as the flames lick their skin and clothes. A loud ripping coming from the entrance fills them with dread, but they refuse to stop until they reach the passage into the next hallway.
One by one they cross the narrow opening, crawling to avoid the flames on the low ceiling. Mike goes first, followed by Evelyn. A barely-conscious Yin follows them, and Mike helps her get on her feet as soon as she's through. The man wraps an arm around his wife's shoulder, who in turn leans heavily against him.
When Brandon tries to cross the passage, an ominous creak right next to him warns of disaster. He crawls faster and enters the next corridor right when the walls of the passage crumble into a fiery cloud of smoke and embers.
The four traverse this hallway even faster, practically jogging through it. They soon meet another narrow passage and repeat the previous process, this time without any close calls.
They are now in the hallway with the entrance, where the flames are the strongest. The 'Exit' sign above the opened door seems almost taunting. It would be mere seconds away, if it weren't for the wall of fire in front of them. Part of the ceiling has collapsed in the middle of the hallway, giving birth to flames almost as tall as a man. There was no way to go around it, only through it.
"Evie, go first!" commands Mike, "I'll go with Yin and meet you outside."
"I'll stay behind, just in case you need help with Yin." Brandon says, gesturing at the coughing woman.
"Alright." The man gives him a thankful smile, then looks at Evelyn. Taking a deep breath through her shirt, the younger woman readies herself to run before sprinting towards the exit. She leaps over the destroyed ceiling through the flames, and doesn't stop running until she's by the exit.
Mike shakes Yin's shoulders slightly, hoping to get some energy into her. "Ready?" he asks, taking her hand. She answers with a small but decided nod as she grips her husband's hand tighter. "One… two… three!"
The couple breaks out in a short sprint. Yin is barely able to keep up with Mike as they run to the fire, but they still have enough speed to jump over the wreckage, never letting go of each other's hand until they fall unceremoniously on the other side of the flames. Evelyn leads Yin to the door, where she coughs out the smoke of the building and savors the fresh air of the night.
Brandon takes a few seconds to steady himself. He pulls back his leg, just to feel something clamp unto his ankle like a hot metal vice.
Stifling down a groan of pain, he lowers his gaze to see Springtrap take a hold of his other leg. His grey eyes shine wickedly from his scorched head as he pulls Brandon down to the floor, seemingly indifferent to the flames sprouting from his own shoulder and back.
Brandon falls to his knees, and the burned creature takes a hold of his neck, pulling him back into an iron deadlock on the floor. Springtrap no longer cares about his own survival; he just wants to see Brandon burn. The boy twists and squirms in the creature's arms, grunting in despair as he tries to release himself from the inhuman grip, feeling how his murderer drags him into the flames of a nearby wall.
Baring his teeth, the boy claws at the tiles in front of him. He manages to push both himself and the killer a few inches away from the fire, only to be dragged back into it. Brandon can feel part of his back burning as the demonic creature enters the fire with his victim. Feeling the flames growing on his back, the boy stretches his arm to the hallway one last time, and feels two strong and massive hands wrap themselves around his elbow.
Jack groans as he slowly pulls Brandon out of Springtrap's grip. He pulls further, digging his feet unto the hot floor. The creature claws at Brandon's shoulder with tattered metal fingers as he feels his grip slipping off, growling in protest at the golden figure. Jack drags his friend further out of the burning killer's clutches, and with a final tug, Brandon slips away from the rough metal hands.
He stands up with Jack's help, seeing how the fire consumes what's left of the monster. The flames penetrate his gasoline-soaked body, and for a moment, it seems like hell itself was devouring him from the inside. Wailing in pain, he focuses his fading grey eyes on the figures in front of him, before finally collapsing into a fiery heap. Brandon doesn't turn away until the last speck of light dies from his killer's eyes.
"Are you okay?" asks Jack urgently, inspecting his friend's burned back. Brandon is too stunned to answer; there are so many things to say, yet his mind can't form a single coherent sentence. Deprived from the basic details of when, where and how, everything that has happened since he woke up felt surreal.
He barely notices when Jack takes his hand, and says "We n-need to go through it. It's not too hard, just don't slow down."
"O-Okay." Brandon stutters with a doubtful nod, observing the tall flames with distrust. "Alright, I think I'm ready."
The two friends hold each other's hands tightly as they run towards the exit, heavy footsteps battering the floor in an accelerating rhythm. Unable to jump from their own weight, they rush through the fire, pushing pieces of burning wood aside with their powerful legs. Yellow and cyan fur begins to smoke as they're enveloped momentarily by the hungry fire, but they soon emerge on the other side, covered in grey ash and dying embers.
Still holding his hand protectively, Jack leads Brandon out of the building. The latter gives a quick final look to the interior of his burning prison, then steps outside for the first time since that rainy Tuesday. He's dazzled by the feeling of crunching pavement under his feet, the soft gusts of wind caressing his face, and the twinkling stars above him; simple yet beautiful things that he almost forgot existed.
Familiar figures begin to take shape around him as he's led to the pickup by Jack. Sean, Ferny and Sarah accompany their friends to the hidden car, where the rest of the group is waiting for them. Brandon can't believe they're with him after all this time, and asks Jack "How long has it been?'
"Thirty y-years." he answers.
"You waited for me for so long, you all did. Why?"
"Isn't it obvious, bozo?" Sarah says, feigning irritation. "We're friends till the end."
"Thank you, Brandon." adds Ferny as he walks up to his friend. "We'd still be lost if it weren't for you."
The boy lowers his head, resting a hand behind it. "Thanks for being my friends."
Sean only lays a hand on his brother's shoulders, and despite the lack of physical contact, Brandon can still feel his affection through the gesture. Smiling, they stare at each other for a couple of seconds, eyes filled with uncountable emotions.
The five are now by the car, next to Mike, Jeremy, Evelyn and Yin. The eldest man clutches his walking cane tightly as Jack sees him, giving the golden figure a reproachful glare as he grumbles "I had to hold unto. That car like a drunkard after. You threw away my cane."
"S-Sorry." whispers Jack, eyes lowered shyly.
Jeremy's hard expression morphs into a grateful smile. "I'm glad. You did it." He then shuffles himself to his cousins as Jack goes to his brother. Together, they observe the flames rise over the ceiling, reaching for the night's stars. There's no need for words; the sacred silence that has settled over the nine allows for so much more. The crisp air feels warm with their mixed emotions, solemn yet tranquil faces bathed in the orange glow of fire.
Separated by death and bounded by tragedy, they don't want to end this sacred moment. But they know time is limited, and there is only one way for those souls to escape the darkness.
They'd have to join the light.
"It's time." whispers Sean. Despite his low voice, the words still sound like a gunshot.
"I'm ready." Brandon says, still staring at the fire.
Ferny reaches for Sarah's hand. As their fingers intertwine, they lose themselves in each other's eyes. "Let's go." she says softly.
Nodding, Ferny lifts his head to the sky. "Yes, it's been long enough."
Mike takes a deep breath as he walks to the passenger's seat. He opens the door softly, not wanting to disturb the aura of peace. The man opens the glovebox, where the red book patiently waits for him. He delicately takes the object in his hands and goes back to his friends.
Eight pairs of eyes follow him as he walks to the middle of the group. He turns his blue eyes to Jack, Brandon, and the three phantoms. "There's too much I want to tell you." says the man in feigned calm, "But above all, thank you for taking care of my little brother for all those years." His eyes focus on Brandon, and the boy smiles with satisfaction. Mike tries to look at Jack in the eyes, only to find himself incapable to do so. Clearing his throat, he resumes. "We're friends, you all know what I'd say if I had the time. Just remember that even though we're sad to see you l-leave…" His voice trembles. "We're even happier t-to know… that you…" Blue eyes glister with unshed tears. "That you'll f-finally… get to… rest…"
Mike's calm façade breaks into relentless crying, and he covers his eyes as tears streak down his face. Though she's crying herself, Yin goes over to comfort his husband, pulling him into a loose hug.
Jeremy approaches his cousins, who give him comforting smiles as bitter tears fall from his tired eyes. "Promise m-me…" he whimpers hoarsely, "That you'll say hello to your parents for me."
"We will, Jerry." says Sean calmly, "We will."
Cleaning his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, Mike searches through the back of the book for Walther's true seal. However, when he finds it, he realizes he's unable to even touch it. He smiles in disbelief as new tears sprout from his eyes. "I c-can't…" The man sighs, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I just can't."
Jack slowly reaches out for the book, and grabbing it gently, pulls it out of his brother's weakened grip. Mike doesn't object; he simply cries further as his brother takes the page in his hands.
Wiping her occasional tears, Evelyn has kept herself at a small distant from everyone else. She feels like an intruder in a funeral meant only for close friends and family. However, the woman can't help but feel like part of the group when Brandon gives her a smile of pure gratitude. "Thank you." he says as he holds unto Sean's hand. She simply smiles back, not bothering to clean her wet cheeks.
Jeremy bids a last farewell to Sarah, Ferny, his cousins and Jack, before limping his way next to Mike and Yin. For a second, despite the tears on the ground, everyone has a smile on their face. The air fills with joy and acceptance, friendship and gratitude.
It's in this sublime moment that Jack slowly breaks the seal in two.
Sarah holds unto Ferny's hand as her dark figure washes away, disintegrating softly like dust in the wind. Holding unto her thinning hand, Fer feels an unknown amount of joy when he sees her calm eyes; so much, that he doesn't notice his own disappearance. Sarah's white eyes soon dim out of sight, followed closely by Ferny's figure. He turns his overjoyed eyes to Sean, before they too fade away gently.
Brandon releases his brother's hand, initially afraid to see him disappear. But his fear is soon replaced by joy when Sean smiles placidly at him. "I'll see you soon, private." he whispers gently, wrapping his vanishing arms around him.
The boy closes his lonely eye as he returns the embrace. "See you soon, brother." He holds unto his shape for a few seconds, then opens his eye to find nothing more than an empty space in front of him. However, he can still feel his presence as well as his friends' as he sits down on the floor against the pickup, suddenly too tired to stand on his own.
Equally exhausted, Jack sits down next to him, as if the fatigue of thirty years of sleepless nights had suddenly caught up with him. He once again takes Brandon's weak hand in his own, and smiling lovingly at Mike, closes his fading eyes and allows his head to rest on his friend's shoulder. Behind his eyelids, the pinpoints of light disappear, leaving behind nothing more than a metal shell.
"Thank you, buddy." Brandon whispers weakly to Jack's body. He then gives a quick glance to the four hazy figures in front of him, as his glowing eye slowly burns out. Raising his head to the sky, looking at the stars through his half-lidded eye, Brandon surrenders himself to a peaceful rest.
The four companions stare at the empty bodies for long and silent seconds, and the last tears fall on the pavement.
Yin sighs deeply, afraid to break to sacred silence. She then says softly "The police will be here soon."
"I know." replies Jeremy in a weak voice.
Evelyn takes a long breath as she takes out her cellphone. "I'll dial 911 and tell them about the fire, or they'll think I started it."
"Did it work?" asks Yin after a few seconds, staring at the metal bodies. "Are they finally free?"
Mike picks up the red book and the ripped piece of paper, ignoring the dull ache in his back. As he lays them in the pickup's back, he says flatly "It had to work. They seemed so… relieved."
Turning towards the burning building, Jeremy admires the growing flames. A sad sigh leaves his chapped lips, but his melancholy is cut short by something rising from the broken ceiling. "Wait. What's that?"
Evelyn, Yin and Mike turn around rapidly. They need a moment to find them, but their eyes widen with surprise and joy when they see five colorful balloons rising from the fiery hell of the former pizzeria. The small orbs reflect the silvery moonlight in impossible ways, glistering like gemstones as they ascend into the air.
Mike's blue eyes fill with joy. "They're celebrating their happiest day."
A great sense of wonder overwhelms the four companions as the balloons twist and flutter happily, like birds freed from a cage. The five specks of light rise faster, and the four follow their ascension until the balloons lose themselves in the night sky, becoming one with the twinkling stars.
Smiling warmly, Mike kneels down in front of Brandon's former body. "Goodbye, bunny boy." And he tenderly closes his remaining eye.
So many years
So many dark memories
So many fears
We've now put to ease
Pain makes you do
Things you never knew you could do
Is this all real?
Or just déjà-vu...?
But now the party's over
Now the guests are gone
It's already past our bedtime
It's already almost dawn
Just like balloons
We soar on our own
Finally free
From the pain of our home
And just like balloons
That no one will hold
Free from the truth
That no one will know
Just little children
Not at all strange
Until the lights went out
And everything changed
Alone and afraid
For oh so long
Wondering what did we do wrong?
'Cause now the party's over
And everyone is red
I feel sick to my stomach
Or am I sick in the head?
Just like balloons
We soar on our own
Finally free
From the pain of our home
And just like balloons
That no one will hold
Free from the truth
That no one will know
All of the pain
Far in the past, yet
Echoes of screams
Forever will last
Just like balloons
We soar on our own
Finally free
From the pain of our home
And just like balloons
That no one will hold
Free from the truth
That no one knows
"Balloons" by Andrew Stein/MandoPony
He's awakened by a warm hand on his shoulder. "Time to get up, private." a familiar voice says gently, "Someone wants to see you."
Surrounded by light, Brandon opens his eyes to see his brother's juvenile face. He looks just like he remembers, and if it weren't for the four small holes in his shirt, he'd be able to dismiss everything as a nightmare that finally ended.
He gets on his feet, admiring his luminous surroundings. The warm light covers everything and fills his wounded soul with peace as he walks by Sean's side. He soon meets the rest of his friends. Sarah's blond hair lights up her childish face, whilst Ferny's eyes show that familiar spark. Jack was eagerly waiting for him, and his blue eyes light with joy when he sees his friend. They walk further together, and meet four other kids: a shy girl, a rowdy looking boy, and two unknown children dressed in black. Despite the unfamiliarity, they all give Brandon their most sincere smiles.
Accompanied by his friends and his brother, the boy spots two adult figures against the light. His small lips draw a smile as he recognizes the man and woman. Brandon, followed by Sean and his friends, runs up to meet his parents and throws himself into their opened arms.
Surrounded by the souls saved, the happy family shares a long embrace.