Monday was a very nervous day for Charlie. Today she was going to talk to Stolas about auditioning for the upcoming school play and she was going to meet Seviathan in the gym. Things seemed to be going so well for her lately, she thought that maybe she could afford to be a risk taker. To actually ask Stolas for something really big and important and later maybe try to pursue a relationship with a guy for once.

"Well you're in a good mood this morning." Stolas said when his goddaughter came downstairs practically skipping. "Sleep well?"

"Not really, I was too excited."

"Oh? About what?"

"Well you did say that the divorce was settled right?" She said. "That now you'll be home more often and I won't have to babysit as much?"

"That is correct."

"Then I was wondering...Well the thing is, they're holding auditions for the school play next month and I was hoping to try out. If I get a part, will I be able to stay after school for rehearsals?"

"I don't see why not. Now that all forms of alimony have been pain in full, I'll be able to work from home again and spend more time with Octavia. You should more than free to pursue school theatrics. " He smiled. "In fact I think that it would be wonderful for you."

Charlie smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you Stolas."

"You're welcome and I hope you get a good part."

"I'm going to try out for the lead. They're doing The Loneliest Heart."

"Your favorite play? Well wouldn't your mother be proud of you got the lead role. Of course she would be proud if you got any role."

"If I get a part, will you come see the play?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Stolas had planned to take the girls to school that morning but he suddenly received a phone call from his lawyer, it was an emergency. So Charlie and Octavia walked to school. It was cool and crisp that morning, dewdrops painted the grass and the colored leaves, with a ray of golden sunshine adding that extra tint of light to make the landscape really stand out.

"I gotta tell Vaggie about this." Charlie said. "It would make a beautiful painting."

"Hey Charlie can we build a leaf pile and jump in it after school?" Octavia asked.

"I don't think so. The ground is a little wet, we'd get muddy and you know how your dad feels about dirt."

"Then how come he likes it when that guy Blitzo gets dirty?"

Charlie blushed.

"Octavia where did you hear that?"

"Daddy told him over the phone."

"Was this at night?"

"Yes."

"And were you supposed to be in bed?"

"Uh...Maybe."

"First of all Octavia don't eavesdrop on phone calls and second, you're going to have to talk to your dad about that one."

"Why do you think Daddy likes Blitzo so much anyway?"

"You got me. I don't know either. Do you like him?"

"I think he's weird, but kind of funny."

"Well Angel did say that he used to be a clown."

"Ahhh!" Octavia shrieked. "Clowns are evil!"

"No they're not. Creepy and sad perhaps but not evil."

"Yes they are! Vaggie says that clowns drag kids into the sewers and eat them!"

"What? Why would she say- Wait a minute, Via were you bothering Vaggie again when she told you this?"

"No. I just wanted her to play hopscotch with me."

"And when she said no, did you keep asking her?"

Octavia made a look, the kind she usually made when she knew she did something wrong.

"Yes."

"That's bothering her Via. Clowns don't really eat kids, Vaggie just told you that to scare you so you'd leave her alone. I've told her a hundred times not to do that."

"So I didn't do anything wrong?"

"No. You were bothering her. She was wrong to scare you, but you should have left her alone when she said she didn't want to play."

"Why doesn't Vaggie like me Charlie?"

"Don't take it personally Octavia, Vaggie doesn't like all kids."

"Why?"

"She just doesn't. Some people just can't relate to kids. Take your mother for example. She loves you but hates everyone else's children."

"That doesn't make sense."

"You'll understand when you're older."

Per usual, they had to walk through town to get to their schools and that meant passing by the taxidermist shop. Charlie saw an ambulance parked outside the shop and the paramedics were hurrying out the doorway.

"Octavia don't look!" Charlie quickly picked up the six year old and hid her head in her jacket.

"Why?" She asked.

"Just don't look!"

"Charlie."

"Octavia tell me about your Summer? What did you and your mom do?"

"We went to the beach. We went swimming and collected seashells."

"Tell me about the seashells. Describe everyone."

"The first one was white with pink in the middle and a lot of lines. And the second one was black and I think a hermit crab used to live in it. Then we found one that was orange and-"

On the stretcher was Etienne Devalcourt the shop owner, he was lying motionless but bleeding heavily. Charlie walked past that horrific scene as quick as she could while making sure that Octavia didn't get so much as a glimpse of it. She was soon too far from the scene for Octavia to see anything but she didn't put her down until they reached the elementary school.

"What's wrong Charlie?" Octavia asked as she was lowered on to the sidewalk.

"Nothing Octavia."

"Then why did you cover my head like that?"

"Because there are somethings you shouldn't see. Not when you're six years old."

"I don't understand."

"We'll talk about it with your dad later. Everything's fine, just on to school and have a good day. I'll pick you up this afternoon."

"Okay."

Charlie later found out what happened on the town's website.

Breaking News: Local taxidermist Etienne Devalcourt attempts suicide by slitting his arms with a hunting knife. Reason for attempt, possibly guilt over the loss of his long missing son. Murder of child confirmed?

"Vultures." Charlie said in revulsion as she read the headlines. "Can't they at least wait a day before they crucify him?"

"Well if you ask me, it serves him right." Angel said.

"Angel!"

"What? He killed his own kid."

"That was never proven."

"But it couldn't be more obvious. Everybody knows it." Vaggie said. "He did it and the guilt's been eating him up for years. He finally couldn't take it anymore and that's why he took a knife to himself last night. What other reason could he have for trying to kill himself?"

"A missing child would push any parent off the deep end. Especially if that child was all they had left in the world." Charlie said. "God forbid, if anything ever happened to Octavia, Stolas would off himself too."

"So you believe he didn't do it?"

"Husk says that he knew the man and he swears up and down that he didn't kill his son, that he just ran away."

"And you trust the word of a drunkard?"

"All I'm saying is, nobody has any proof of what really happened to that boy and until some evidence is found, the damn reporters should just leave him alone. He's already suffered enough."

"Why are you defending him toots? You don't even know the guy." Angel asked.

"I don't take kindly to any form of bullying and that's basically what these reporters are doing to him. Look I know he's not a saint and I'm not saying that he isn't disturbed or has issues. But why add to his misery? What does anyone gain from that?"

"Alright you have a point." Angel admitted. "But I still think he did it. I didn't know them but I would see them together before the kid vanished, and he was not father of the year. He barely paid any attention to his son."

"So he was neglectful, but how many neglectful parents stab and cut up their kids?"

"It happens."

"But not often. Did you ever see him hit his son?"

"No."

"Did anyone else ever see it?"

"No."

Angel looked back at the article on the sight.

"Hey take a look of this, Husk is in the paper."

According to the article, reporters went to interview Husk about the incident since he was Etienne's only friend. As expected, he told them to screw off and even chucked empty liquor bottle at one of them. But Eventually they were able to speak his thoughts on the case regarding Etienne and his supposedly murdered son.

"I think you all are bunch of sick sons of bitches! And I'd run you all over with my truck if I could get away with it!" He had said. "As for Etienne, he wasn't the best father but he's not a murderer. When his kid ran away Etienne put everything he had into trying to find him. His time, his money, everything. Even his sanity. I don't think anybody loved his boy more than Etienne did, he just realized it too late and he'll never forgive himself for it. You all don't care about the truth, you just want to make a quick buck even it means tormenting a man even more than he already his. Hell, you all probably drove him to this suicide attempt! You and your damn lies! He lost his wife and his child in the same year for God's sake! How do you people live with yourselves? Damn you all to hell!"

Charlie could hear Husk's voice saying those exact words and even though he was far from a reliable source or an upstanding citizen, she believed him. For all his faults, Husk wasn't a liar. Not even when intoxicated. He was always blunt and straightforward. Sometimes brutally honest.

Though she wondered,

"Where in the world did that boy go?"