He didn't want to sleep, not when he knew what was to follow.

Chris lay in his bed in a dark room in a house where no one wished him good night, and the boy felt his heart pounding. He was still in the real world, but he could fall asleep any moment and awaken in the dark mirror reality. Monsters and animatronics were one thing, but seeing a twisted reflection of his mother was too much. Seeing those empty, twisted eyes and hands that she grabbed him with, a merciless creature that still resembled a loving woman who Chris latched on to. And now, even looking at her photos invoked a nauseous feeling in the child's mind…

He had this gross memory spike when he walked back to his house today, the flash that caused Chris to stand in silence and shake. He heard her voice in his mind…

"Hush now, child. You have no reason to fear."

A playful yet distorted voice, the one that was lurking in the shadows and always made Chris look around himself, always made him second-guess if he was being watched. This made others look at him and whisper behind his back; the boy wondered what it was they thought of him. They must have laughed behind his back and called him a weirdo and a coward. That's what all of them thought about him. Those careless giggles, their joyous everyday life…It made Chris's soul shrink, drowning in envy and shame. If only he didn't see this, if only dad didn't do this to Lily if only mum didn't die…His life would've been just as happy as all those people around him. He wouldn't have to shake every time he closed his eyes. Just like he did now.

He needed to sleep and needed rest before tomorrow if he wanted to avoid feeling drowsy all day. It was necessary; Chris understood that much, but every time he tried to do it…

"Have no fear, Chris; I promise not to leave."

This whisper had him open his eyes and jump, instinctively grabbing the flashlight. Chris would shine the light around him and realize that the door and window were shut tight, and he didn't hear Freebear's voice in his head…He was still awake, and yet the night had already fallen. Chris breathed heavily, realizing that he had no chance of falling asleep in peace, not after the nightmares he suffered. He didn't want to end up in their claws once again; the feeling was mortifying enough…

But he was tired; he wanted to sleep, even if he couldn't. All he had left was to shiver alone and wait for either himself to fall into the realm of nightmare naturally or for the sun to rise once again. The tears streamed down his eyes as Chris knew that what lay ahead of him was an endless stream of agonizing thoughts, long hours of inevitable suffering which would lead him into another nightmare. There was no good outcome. Unless…

…

Chris felt a burning hatred towards himself for doing this, and he gave up. This single act meant complete subordination to his nightmare, an admittance that he could no longer sleep without dread, that his mind was so scarred and broken by what he saw that there was no way back at all. The boy stood at the door for a few minutes before finally bracing himself and knocking on it. He reflexively clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, knowing that he would have to wake his sister, who, no doubt, was already amidst a peaceful sleep.

Chris pushed the handle and walked into Elizabeth's room. It was hard to see in the dark, and he didn't want to make sudden loud noises, so he decided to be careful. He walked atop the pink carpet, hoping Lizzy didn't leave any toys lying around. Chris tiptoed around, approaching the bed slowly; he gave her a gentle nudge and…

In the next moment, Chris noticed two yellow eyes staring at him from the darkness.

"Aaa!" The boy shouted reflexively and jumped from fear before realizing that this was nothing but a plastic figurine of Roxanne, the wolf. Chris closed his eyes from crushing shame as he realized that Elizabeth was slowly waking up.

"W…What…" The rising girl rubbed her eyes and opened them up as she looked at Chris with a frozen gaze full of silent confusion. She must have still been very dreamy, Chris already felt horrible for waking her up, but he would still ask for the same thing. "Chrissy? Is that you?"

"Yeah…" The boy responded quietly as he approached Elizabeth's bed. The girl's eyes would follow his steps, slowly beginning to erode some genuine curiosity, at least as much as Lizzy could muster in her half-asleep state. "Can I?"

"Yes…"

Chris sat on the bed beside his sister.

"I…I don't know how to say; it's…" He shook from fear as the boy wiped his tears, but it wasn't long before he felt Elizabeth taking his hand. This immediately gave Chris a little soothing; the boy could handle himself and not shiver even more violently. Her touch was so soft and gentle…Just like mother's.

"Chris, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Elizabeth wondered as she got closer to him, sharing her warmth.

"I just…I'm seeing things and…"

"Can I help?" Lizzy asked in a dreamy voice yet with intentions just as genuine as always.

"Can…" Chris stuttered, trying not to burst into tears again. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" He saw Elizabeth raise an eyebrow at the suggestion, which immediately made Chris look away. "I know it's your room, and if you don't want, I won't bother you…"

"Of course, you can sleep with me."

Those words…They were Chris's only light in this endless nightmare.

…

Oftentimes, the truth is buried in places that are hidden from the public eye. One has to dig deeper to uncover it. Sometimes it simply required a different outlook on the same situation, some knowledge of the context. Other times, it left no choice but to descend into the darkest dregs of society while following an ephemeral lead. This was what Lynda did.

Her visit to Circus Baby's yielded no result other than a rather suspicious state of the Afton family. It had been a long while since she talked with William's children, but all of them seemed unhappy. Mike was clearly disgruntled and didn't want to be there; Chris was lonely and even seemed like he was on the verge of a breakdown; even the usually jolly Elizabeth seemed strangely down at that time. It might have been the residue of the trauma they survived of Clara's death, but Lynda didn't believe it. There was more to it, especially when combined with William's behavior. He was acting just like Gron did before his disappearance, and this was not a good sign. But so far, there was nothing concrete, so Lynda had no choice but to turn to another source of information.

Lockjaw.

Her research was not entirely fruitless, for she discovered a place where she could've found traces of the elusive animatronic. It was away from Hurricane's center, towards the more remote streets which rarely get visited by police. The ones overtaken by drug traders, drunks, and rebellious youth seeking some thrill. And as some would say, sometimes you would find truly monstrous people mixed up in this crowd. Thieves, rapists, murderers…It was an incredibly dangerous place for any law-abiding citizen, yet Lynda had no choice but to venture it, for people said the 'followers of Lockjaw' also gathered there. And so one day, she would don her black clothing with a cape, unremarkable enough to attract no attention and fitting enough to conceal a firearm.

Nothing could have prepared Lynda for the world that would unveil before her once she stepped into those streets. The chaotic music immediately pierced her eardrums; it was a semblance of hard rock with a few young people, two men and one woman playing in the corner on a small, wooden stage. They hardly had any talent, yet their audience was still impressive; Lynda wasn't sure if they genuinely appreciated it or just came in to see a young band hilariously fail.

Many visitors maintain a continuous style of punk, be it their hair combs, spiky clothing, or piercings all around their bodies.

"Yeah, louder!"

"Is that the best you can do? Come the fuck on!"

"Hell yeah, rock on!"

Lynda passed on, signing with relief after realizing that they didn't discover her. The last thing she wanted was that kind of people asking questions about 'newcomers.' The music was far from the only entertainment; Lynda noticed a few guys gather around a man with rather pale skin and eyes with visible red stripes on them.

"Yo, that's it?" One of the younger ones asked while looking at the small bag the man put before them. "That barely has a place for a couple of pills inside it?"

"I know my worth, son." He responded sternly.

"Oh really? Why do I get the feeling you're ripping us off?!"

"You asked for LSD, and that's what you get…"

As Lynda passed by them, she could see a few older men in black coats standing near the entrance of one of the buildings; a few of them had firearms, the sight of which made Lynda gulp in fear. She took a deep breath; as long as she didn't attract attention, all would be well; she would see if there was anything to learn about Lockjaw and then quietly leave…The door to the building soon opened with a skimpily-dressed woman leaving it.

"Oh, I see there are many of you this time! "

"Finally." One of the gangsters said. "I thought we'd have to wait until the morning!"

"Come in, dears." She said with a playful smile. "My girls are all ready to have some fun with you!"

The men happily entered what seemed to be a small brothel while Lynda looked away and continued to walk. Very few people walked alone here, she realized that she might have to blend in with the crowd, but everyone here seemed dangerous in one way or another.

"Look, they still haven't removed the painting of that fucker!" One of the younger men's voices echoed in the distance, causing Lynda to turn around and stand in awe as she looked at the wall. It was a portrait of a man…No, a creature, a rotten, mechanical creature. It was a face shrouded in darkness with vaguely humanoid features and pale white eyes, as well as a fedora attached to its head. Both of its eyes gazed to the ground beneath it as if it was an omniscient being that would watch without a break.

"I heard he still has those who try to seek him out?"

"No fucking way! Still? "

"You know something about Lockjaw?" Lynda forced herself to speak up in a confident manner, causing the two men to look at her, with one of them raising an eyebrow. She felt her heartbeat increase, and her hand reflexively go to her gun. But thankfully, there was no confrontation.

"Not more than anyone knows." The man shrugged. "Some urban legend with a couple of mad people claiming they saw this freak running around at night. No proof, no photos, no nothing, complete fucking bullshit."

"And why do you care?" Another one asked with interest. They were surprisingly tame when talking to her. Was it because Lynda managed to give off a menacing enough look with her clothing and posture? She has done something very right if that was the effect.

"Simple curiosity," Lynda said and stood by their side.

"Another of those loons…" One of the men sighed with disappointment. "Dude, come on, leave her alone with that shit-ass graffiti." They left, allowing Lynda to stare into Lockjaw's pale empty eyes. The creature that held the key to all answers Lynda wanted, the feeling remained strong in her heart. He first appeared shortly after the children, and Gron went missing, and there must have been a reason he was so much like an animatronic in design. At times she dared to hope that this might be Gron himself, but if so, Lynda wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth; seeing her husband like this would break her heart…She tossed those thoughts away. As long as Gron is alive, it doesn't matter what state he's in. She failed him once as a wife already by not being there when he needed it; she won't fail him again.

As Lynda was about to move, she felt an iron-tight grip grabbing her from behind and causing her to immediately shiver in pain.

"What…Ugh, ugh!" Lynda tried to scream, but someone put their strong arm covered with a black glove over her mouth, preventing her from making any sound at all. Someone got her, someone got her…The worst that could've happened… "UUUGH!" Lynda tried to fight back and kick him in the stomach, but they proved resilient.

"Shh… Don't resist. I only want to talk." A harsh and cold yet somehow soothing male voice echoed from behind. Lynda didn't believe him for a second. However, the perpetrator still dragged her toward the nearest dark alleyway, far away from the public. He was quiet and forced her to be the same; no one would even hear a single sound, and if they will…Why would they care?

When the two were away, consumed by darkness, Lynda finally pushed back by kicking the man into his gut and jumped forward. She didn't go to self-defense classes for nothing. In a brief moment she had, Lynda grabbed her firearm and raised it, pointing at the man before her. He was dressed in black with a white mask covering his face, almost looking like a phantom or a ghost. And worst of all, he had a gun pointing at her too.

"Stand back…Or I will fucking shoot!" Lynda shouted at him, though the man maintained his composure.

"As I said, I only want to talk. For now, at least."

"And what is that supposed to mean? Why did you drag me like some bloody psycho?"

"We needed to get away from the prying eyes, and I wouldn't risk trying to convince you to go out there. Someone would've noticed an argument…They didn't notice their handiwork." That made sense, even if a very twisted, disgusting form of it.

"Then what do you want?"

"I couldn't help but overhear you taking an interest in a myth about 'Lockjaw.'" He began. "And it so happens that I have the answer to your question."

"Really? Does he exist, then?"

"Yes, not only does he exist, but I regularly see him."

"WHAT?!" Lynda shivered and dropped her firearm, causing the mysterious man to put his down, as well. "Who are you, then?"

"I am one of the few agents of Lockjaw; we spread his word, as slow and meticulous as this process might be. And we often come to this place to see if anyone takes genuine interest…And then we discern if they are an ally or enemy."

"I…" Lynda tried to recuperate from shock, this revelation was not something she expected, yet she knew she had to get as much as possible from him. "Tell me about Lockjaw, then. Who is he, where is he, what does he want to do?"

"Not so fast." The man shook his head. "I didn't decide on whether you deserve this information or not. I will give you a slight benefit of the doubt considering that you look like a certain description he gave us…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Doesn't matter; I need to know about you regardless. Tell me your name."

"So you will follow me every night?"

"What we do should be of no concern; you were the one who came here yourself." He said firmly, clinging to his gun and pulling it back up. Lynda realized that she had no choice.

"Lynda…Lynda Takaliken."

"Good. And tell me why it you seek Lockjaw?"

"It's not about Lockjaw." Lynda shook her head and sighed, trying to ease herself into the situation. "It's about answers."

"Lockjaw can provide many answers, though those are usually to questions that few people asked."

"I've come to find out what happened to my husband!" Lynda let out, making the man quiet down. "Is that what you wanted to hear, the truth? My husband, Gron Takaliken, has been missing for two years without a trace!" She closed her eyes as Lynda's voice grew louder and more emotional. It had been two years, yet still, she didn't want to let go. "All of this happened soon after he became an employee at Fazbear Inc."

"Continue…" The stranger spoke with intrigue.

"Yes, he had mental health issues, but he was getting better! I think…I know this wasn't his fault, and there is something going on at that company that I can't prove. But whatever it is…I want to find out, and I believe that Lockjaw will guide me to it. He was first noted shortly after my husband's disappearance and the missing children incident…It isn't a coincidence." She spoke sternly and made the stranger back down.

"I admit, I am intrigued…" The man raised his eyes. "You know much more than an average person would, not to mention your personal stakes in this affair."

"Are you convinced now? I know you and your leader aren't the real enemy; Fazbear Inc is."

"And what else do you know about the situation?"

"I know that children are still missing…" Lynda looked down. "And I know Alison and his goons do everything in their power so none would notice. They simply unperson them and erase all data. I know that a former friend of my husband, William Afton is on it, and I know that the animatronics factor into this somehow…And I also think Lockjaw is one, even if he's different." Lynda spoke confidently. "There is a conspiracy going on, the one that everyone just refuses to see!"

"Indeed, and this is why Lockjaw seeks to expose them…He has a personal history with Fazbear Inc, although he never revealed more. As for me…I know those who died. Someone close to me." His voice grew pained as the stranger turned around in shame. "I am more than willing to help him."

"Then let us meet."

"Oh no, that is not for me to decide. You'd understand that due to certain differences in appearances, Lockjaw has to any human. He doesn't show himself in light too often. Not to mention he's being hunted by Alison and his crew." The messenger shook his head. "But rest assured, you will meet him one day; I think I am fairly confident that you were the person Lockjaw told us to look out for. He is very observant; I've learned it over the past year. And now he will know that you are searching for him…He will find you, do not doubt about that."

"Should I be afraid?" Lynda tried to remain confident.

"I don't think so. In your case, Lockjaw will just want to talk. In other words, you're one of the lucky few. And with that, I think I learned everything I need to know." The man turned around. "I would advise you to go away from here as soon as possible if you find anything but trouble. Continue to watch over Fazbear Inc; perhaps you will have something to share with Lockjaw when you finally meet. I will be going to…It was nice to meet you, Lynda." The man nodded before going. "Something tells me we will see each other again."

"You didn't even tell me your name." The woman crossed her arms.

"Call me Henry. The rest is classified." The man responded calmly before beginning to move away. Lynda would've let him go, but there was one last question she still wanted to ask; all her knowledge, the fact that Lockjaw singled her out all pointed to a single conclusion.

"Is Lockjaw's real name…Gron Takaliken?" Lynda said after a swift stutter.

"I don't know." A calm and swift response echoed in her ears. "Perhaps it is for you to find out."

Indeed, it was.

…

Wake up.

Chris opened his eyes quicker than ever before the moment he heard that echoing voice. It was Fredbear's speech in his head once again, and this could only mean one thing. For a moment, Chris dared to doubt as his bed still radiated warmth, unlike in previous nightmares, but all of his suspicions got confirmed when he saw an opened door, window, and closet, causing the boy to shiver and grab the nearby flashlight. He was in a dream once again, waiting for yet another gruesome monster to emerge and consume him.

He heard their wails from outside, the creeps that wanted to erode his mind and sanity until there was nothing left at all, merciless creatures who toyed with his memories and thoughts, the ones for whom there could be no compromise or forgiveness. And he would have to fight them again…

"Ugh…What happened, Chrissy?" He heard a familiar voice behind him, causing the boy to turn around and shine his light on his bed. He saw a small girl rise up and rub her eyes, immediately recoiling when Chris's light befell onto her.

"L…Lizzy?" Chris recoiled in shock. "Is that…You?"

"Of course, it's me." She slowly crawled towards him. "Why are you so scared? It's just me…"

"I…" Chris remembered what happened the last time he saw a member of his family appear in a dream. "Please, don't do it!"

"Don't do what?" Elizabeth slowed down as her voice grew more emotional. "I don't understand; please tell me what happened!"

She is not your enemy.

Fredbear…The one who warned Chris that his mother's voice was a trap the last time was saying something very different today, something that allowed Chris to relax and calm down, at least for a moment. He looked at the bed and realized that she was beside him all the time; there was even a second flashlight lying on the desk this time.

"I'm sorry…" Chris took a deep breath, seeing his sister get visibly distraught. "I can explain. It's a dream…I see them sometimes. They're very scary and have monsters in them."

"Monsters?" Lizzy clung to her chest and shivered.

"Yes, they're like… They're like animatronics at Freddy's, but really scary and evil; they want to kill me all the time…And I guess you, too."

"We…We should call Daddy!"

"We can't; there's no one here!" Chris spoke up in a surprisingly commanding tone for himself and grabbed a second flashlight, giving it to the girl. "We have to scare them away…I know how."

"Chrissy, I'm scared…" As Chris listened to Elizabeth's pleas, he felt overwhelmed with emotions he couldn't easily describe. He felt horrified to see his sister going through nightmares like him, but the fact that he wasn't alone this time gave him hope. They were both just terrified children who had no choice but to fight against overwhelming odds, but together they stood a chance.

"I know, I…" Chris wanted to reassure her, but soon he heard an echo coming from the corridor. The running steps of a nightmare creature, perhaps the one that looked like Bonnie…The boy rushed to the door and listened closely, realizing that there was no breathing to be heard. With a heavy heart, Chris activated the flashlight and pointed it at the corridor, revealing a shade of a creature with pale eyes that had no choice but to retreat to the shadows.

"Oh, my god…" Lizzy whispered to herself; she must have seen the monster as well. Chris closed the door and held onto it.

"You're not alone, I…" He said with a terrified stutter, desperately trying to appear brave and composed. "I'm here for you, I promise, but I need your help! They are scary, but…They don't last too long!

"O…Okay." Lizzy took a deep breath. "I will try." She composed herself, and before Chris could begin to give out instructions, the girl turned towards the window as if she knew what to do. "I will check up on this one…"

Chris couldn't brace himself to let the door go; he could hear Bonnie rushing from one dark tunnel to another in the hall; the moment the boy would let his guard down, the merciless creature would attack without hesitation.

"Can you see anyone?" Chris spoke with hope as Lizzy shined her light at the window. "It's usually Chica that comes through there…"

"It's quiet, and I can't see anyone…What does she look like?"

"She…Is horrible." Chris couldn't look at nightmare Chica in great detail, but he remembered her having three rows of teeth and a single glowing yellow eye which perfectly depicted all of her ravenous nature.

"That doesn't help it, I'm afraid…"

"You'll know when you see her," Chris warned his sister, but before he could say anything else, he heard a horrid laugh, only vaguely reminiscing that of humans. It was ecstatic while feelings incredibly unnatural, a robotic creature that was rising up from under their bed…Chris could feel his hand shaking; he should've unleashed his light onto it; that was the only way.

"Go back from where you came!" Elizabeth shouted bravely and pressed the button on her flashlight at the malformed arm emerging from beneath the bed and immediately causing it to fall back and disappear underneath their bed. "Who…Who was that?"

"It's Freddy." Chris took a deep breath. "Usually, he sends the little bears first, but…."

He got interrupted by hearing a loud howling coming straight from the closet, and in the next moment, two crimson eyes emerged inside. Foxy was here, and if he was not stopped, he would break three and kill both of them.

"No, no, no…" Chris ran away from the door to the closet and tried to lock it, but the moment he even grabbed the pale drawers, the boy could feel that the monster began to scratch it and push it aside with ravenous fervor. He was much stronger than Chris, and the boy felt his legs shaking.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" A demonic, deep yet playful voice echoed from the darkness. "Why are you resisting your own brother, Chris? Are you so scared? Well…Perhaps you should be taught a lesson!"

Before Foxy could jump out, Elizabeth stepped in and pressed her flashlight, forcing the nightmare creature to fall back and freeze. The shining light gave Chris newfound confidence; the boy jumped up and closed the doors with as much power as he could muster.

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked with a fearful voice.

"I…I am, thank you!" Chris let out a sigh of relief, realizing how much easier it is to fight against the nightmares together. They were each other's light, brother and sister….Together, they were stronger than those creatures.

But the night was not over yet, not when Chris heard another echo near the window.

"Lizzy, the window!"

The girl needed no further explanation; she rushed towards it as quickly as possible and uncovered the curtains. Nightmare Chica was there, standing and wanting along with her unhinged cupcake. She clutched her teeth as a metal tongue shimmered behind them; she anticipated the taste of her prey. Before she could attack, Elizabeth closed the window and held it tight while looking at her brother.

"Chrissy…" Her lips quivered in fear.

"It's okay, I…She can't do anything while you're holding it shut, I know…" Chris tried to sound confident as his breaths got even heavier. This will end one way or another. He knew it. All will be alright…It must be.

Soon, Foxy went silent, but Chris heard Bonnie approaching the door so quickly that he could swear that the animatronic was running toward them. Chris charged to the door and locked it, hearing the monster bump into it. The boy closed his eyes as he realized that the creature pushed on and would not simply leave this time.

"No…I won't let you pass!" He felt braver than before; at least he could force himself to speak. He wasn't just fighting for himself this time; after all, he also fought for Elizabeth. That's what brothers were supposed to do, to protect. Elizabeth protected him, too; she held onto the window and blocked the way of Chica. Both animatronics remained at their positions and did not want to move back…Why did it have to be so horrible? It got worse with each and every night, even for the two children to resist them.

At least they were safe for now, and maybe the monsters would eventually retreat.

"Uh…Chris…" Elizabeth pointed at the bed, making the boy freeze in horror. The broken, malformed hand clawed its way out again and scratched the floor as if looking for something to grab. Eventually, it pulled itself out of the darkness, and they could see the creature itself rise up. A dark brown monster with two pale eyes in its sockets and six more spread all around its body. The small bears were a part of the beast that now freed itself from the constraints of one bed as Chris and Elizabeth watched, absolutely powerless.

"I am your nightmare…"

The broken, devilish voice pierced Chris's ears as he had nowhere to run from this creature.

"N…No!" Liz was the first one to fight back and point her flashlight at the demonic bear. Freddy slowed down and attempted to cover his face with a clawed hand, all while Chris could see his disgusting nature. The small bears were eating into his flesh mercilessly and crudely; it was a monster born of pure pain, the pain that he would gladly share with all others. "Go away!"

"I can feel your fear, child…It is invigorating!" Freddy raised his arm, but Chris interrupted him by unleashing another light. "Aargh!" The monster screamed in pain as his arm fell; the light was like flame for Freddy; it burned his rotten essence, forcing the demon to slow down. "Your resistance…Is nothing! I will tear your souls apart, I will…"

"No, you won't!" Elizabeth screamed and stared at his eyes with pride and confidence. "Stay away from my brother, monster; stay away!"

"I…Will make you suffer, I…" Freddy continued to walk, yet the moment Chris felt his heart filling with resolve and hope, the monster began to fade away as the cracks of light formed around his skin. "I…NO! "Freddy raised his twisted arm once again, but it was too late.

Chris could hear the clock chime.

…

When the boy finally opened his eyes, he found himself in a room, unlike the one from his dream. Chris breathed heavily, trying to understand if this was finally the end of his torment; he didn't want to celebrate until he was sure about it. He slowly rose up and looked around. A room with a pink carpet, bed, many decorations, and toys. Dolls, unicorns, and some animatronic plushies thrown into the mix, with Circus Baby claiming a spot at the very top of the shelf. The half-opened curtain unveiled that there were rays of sunlight passing through, finally purging the darkness from Elizabeth's room.

He did it. They did it.

A smile emerged on Chris's face as he realized what happened. Because he came to sleep over with his sister, she became a part of his dream; at least, his mind imagined it like that. Just like she was here to comfort him in real life, so would this comfort live on as her reflection in a dream. Finally, the nightmare did not end in defeat. It was worth it in the end; all of it was…

Chris felt tears falling from his eyes once again as the boy sniffed quietly, still shaking from the residue of the cold.

"Chris?" He heard Elizabeth's voice behind him as the girl slowly rose up, looking at him with worry and some lingering confusion as to what had happened. As the girl rubbed her eyes and took a deep yawn, the realization finally seemed to hit her. "You came to sleep here, and you were very scared…Is it the nightmares again?" Chris could nod at her suggestion. "I'm so sorry…" She said with a saddened voice and sat beside her brother. "Are you feeling better now, at least? Maybe it's better that you aren't alone.

"It's…It's…" Chris could hardly speak cohesively, so he chose to completely surrender to the thought that was on his mind. "I love you, Lizzy!" He exclaimed and hugged his sister, much to her surprise. It did not last long as she smiled warmly and returned his embrace.

"I love you too, Chrissy."

He might have lost the connection with Mike and Dad…But even so, he was still not alone. Not while she was here.