Sins in Twisters

by Blonkess

When Lincoln is destined to never have success like his family, after surviving the Royal Woods' Tornado, his future takes him on the path of becoming a renowned storm chaser. But as years pass since that day, his family tries to hold together after freak disasters put a halt to the sisters' lives when Lisa discovers a past family secret that tells Lincoln's time is running out.

8. The Calm Before the Storm

Sins in Twisters

Chapter 8: The Calm Before the Storm

---

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S IN SURGERY?!"

"I-I-I DON'T KNOW!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW?!"

"I- I JUST DON'T! OKAY! Rex called me not even ten minutes ago, saying Lincoln got brought into the emergency room after they brought him back to the city. He hasn't said anything about what's happening now except that he's in surgery again."

"*sigh* Okay… start from the beginning. And explain what the hell happened."

"From what Rex told me, back on Thursday, Lincoln said he was feeling a little funny after going to bed. He called Shay and asked if she could bring him some supplies because he was feeling a bit out of it that he couldn't even get out of the house. He said that when she was changing his bandages, she found a bunch of ugly spots that didn't look right at all."

"Like what?"

"She said they looked as if his skin was almost rotting. Like when you get an infection on a big bump or something. She called Rex over to keep an eye on him because he was getting worse. They tried easing the pain with meds, but he was running a fever of 102 and woke up puking all over his room at four in the morning. They drove him to the medical center over by Stone Mill, and then they got rushed over to St. Anothony's in downtown. They had to try and stabilize him first before they could airlift him. Shay and Rex went over in the truck. When they got there, he was already in surgery."

"Bloody fantastic… first they come over, then Lincoln's bleeding out on the table again, what next…."

"They? Who came over?"

"Clyde, his sisters were here."

"..."

"... I'll take your silence for answering an earlier question I had on how they even knew how they found out I was here."

"Ronnie, I'm sorry about telling them. I just ran into Lynn when-"

"Forget it, McBride; Lynn already explained your little meet-up. Lori called Bobby Wednesday, and he said it was fine for them to come over and talk to me."

"And what did you say to them?"

"I explained why I went down there with you guys—some of our moments and times. About Kingman…"

"... How did they react?"

"They… they were worried. I could see it. But I was able to say it enough that even though I looked like shit and he looked worse, he's still up and about powering through. Guess that was a double lie in of itself…."

"Do they-"

"No. Though right now, I'm pretty sure Lisa is on the verge of finding out. If that damn show shows even the town we were in without saying its name, then there's nothing stopping her from going through every house there."

"Think they might race down there after him when they do?"

"I don't know…. They looked a helluva lot better than what Bobby said they did a month ago. Their van half broke down, so I doubt they'll be coming down till after the end of the year. Speaking of, when are you going back down?"

"I'm already packing up right now. Going to head down tomorrow or maybe even tonight once I get more info from either of them. I could swing by real fast and pick you up to-"

"No, Clyde."

"But Ronnie-"

"Clyde, there is a reason why I'm here now and not down there with him. He knows it, you know it; my family even knows it. If I go back there now…"

"... I… I understand. I'll admit I was getting a little bit ahead of myself there. But right now, Lincoln needs all the help he can get. Just being down there for a day or two would be a big boost for him to keep fighting."

"..."

"... Ronnie?"

"... I…. I'll have to think about it. My mind is so out of it right now I just… I just don't know what to focus on anymore…"

"I get it. Its something that we all have been kinda been going through this past week."

"I'll… try to give you my answer. But for now, please call or message any updates on his condition. I worry about him too much to think he just died right after we left him."

"I know Ronnie, I know. I'll call as soon as I can once I get something back from Rex or Shay."

"Clyde… when you get down there, do me a favor."

"And that is…?"

"Make sure he doesn't try and kill himself again."

---

Log Entry Date: October 5th, 2025

The following entry will be filed under the shared filename 'Second Storm' as part of my larger research into the situation regarding my brother Lincoln Loud. Since my last entry into this topic, several things have surfaced regarding a widespread of items of interest. I shall start with the oldest and work my way to current events.

Following Lynn's explanation of Clyde's reaction upon meeting her and our failure at locating him, I elected to show my sisters some of what Lincoln's life has been about involving storms and gauge their reactions. Some were all as expected, if not a little obsessive for Luna, though this was bound to be expected as part of their instincts in protecting the young. With the information that Ronnie Anne was also present, I had Lori contact her old partner Bobby to set up a potential meeting at the earliest time.

Side note: upon the discovery of Bobby having revealed he was now a father to a young daughter, who is now approaching the five-month period of existence, I was able to document another look into the oddity of relationships, especially that of ones mutually terminated, and its effects on both parties. Bobby had clearly shown to have found a new partner that had progressed further than his time with Lori and had borne the fruit of such a bond.

On the other hand, Lori displayed a rather opposite reaction than expected when confronted with the reality that what she had hoped for the future to be a decade ago was done without her part. Though because of recent events, I suspect something has caused a shift in her emotional state. More of this later on, but back to the main topic.

Upon awaiting the four days till our meeting, one that was noted to have been planned without the person of interest's knowledge, I was able to collect some data from Ronne Anne's accounts of our brother, namely of his fate following the Kingman Tornado, and his condition afterward…

From what we had seen and Ronnie witnessed, I took into her comment about 'sandblasting' and applied it to the situation as in the literal fact given her own injuries and their nature. The results are not the prettiest of outcomes; the closest I could find that had comparable results to what happened during Kingman was the 1997 Jarrell, Texas Tornado, which had an estimated 260 to 300 mile per hour wind speed (data not recorded at the time) would match the level of winds that the Storm Shrieker would have experienced on that day.

During the tornado, the storm had practically stalled above the Double Creek Estates subdivision west of town. Between its mere 5-mile forward speed and strong winds, the tornado pulverized the area to the point foundations themselves had chunks ripped off and underground plumbing pulled out through concrete. The buildings and people experienced these tornadic winds for up to 3 minutes, a shorter timeframe than what Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were exposed to on June 19th, with the damage to Kingman almost matching Double Creek. Because of the sheer extent of the debris becoming granularity, any people or animals exposed were shredded to the point that for most of the 27 fatalities, dental records were the only way to identify the bodies…

The fact that either Ronnie or Lincoln survived the same kind of force for far longer than anyone else on earth is a scientific anomaly that, while I would step up to challenge, I feel that day wasn't to involve him walking away from that event.

If the curse was in full effect, then I have little doubt that on that day, we were the closest to ever truly losing our brother from this world forever. The fact he did it protecting a loved one would only make his sacrifice all the more… emotional, I shall say. Though if it was because of some unknown force protecting him or that he had a stroke of luck that we never knew about, I am thankful that he is still with us. But I fear this would only make the same force more focused on ending his life before we can save him.

When questioned, Ronnie walked around the topic of where Lincoln was. Being vague with just Oklahoma City and her mention of Richard 'Rex' Dylan's residence in Del City east of the main metroplex had given me an idea. Cross-referencing every piece of information I could gather from his team, most of the entire team lived within an hour's drive away from downtown. This significantly narrowed my results to any town within this time frame of travel with the choices, but I suspect that the areas between El Reno and Moore are the most likely areas. (Further research is currently ongoing)

I can feel we are getting close. Just one more piece is missing, and I can pinpoint where Lincoln is. But the egging question that I and now my sisters have in our minds is still present as ever; why is Lincoln essentially hiding from us?

Clyde, Ronnie, and I suspect Bobby despite showing no signs directly, is purposefully keeping Lincoln's whereabouts under secret. For all the attention he has gotten in the public eye since June, his radio silence has remained the most consistent despite the other's social media accounts being actively updated.

If this is related to the show, which is set to release ten days from the time of this recording, it is possible as Lincoln's public account has been posting weekly advertising for the premiere for the past two months. The moment the first trailer dropped online, my family raced home and essentially had a miniature movie night for something only just over a minute long. But no direct activity has been seen…

That hasn't been recorded.

While searching the area around Del City, I discovered numerous photos of Storm Shrieker on the road in motion. A dozen pictures captured at a gas station, but a pedestrian gave me the clearest insight into what Lincoln has possibly been up to.

In a simple matter, it appears he is actively rebuilding Storm Shrieker if the numerous areas showing exposed, unpainted metal is anything to go by. Extensive work has been done to the cab area, with the rear portion windows now having become doors themselves; the windows are apparently thicker to the point the frames now go out of the door itself, and a large roll cage now goes from the front bullbar to the back bumper with parts of the frame overlapping the wheels and edging such as the windshield. Another notable 'upgrade' is the addition of several more spikes now mounted inside the body and on the flaps themselves. Smaller in size but now equipping the vehicle with 12 points of anchoring.

It is clear to me Lincoln is strengthening the vehicle. While logistics would say it would be far easier to build new to an updated design, the fact that the upgrades he is currently adding shows that Lincoln is focused on getting back on the road faster.

But I fear that instead of general changes and repairs, he is preparing the vehicle for something it wasn't built for. The increase in armor and spikes alone dictates he is refitting the truck to handle stronger conditions. Given Ronnie's description and documented photos, had they been just a city block closer to the funnel, it's possible they would have been hit by winds reaching the 300 threshold. The vehicle's anchoring system nearly failed at just above 200, though debris impacts had compromised the system before redeployment.

I do not know if it's part of persistence or craziness that runs through our family genetics, and as a family saying goes, you can't keep a Loud down; I believe Lincoln is preparing himself for another event like Kingman. To what could that outcome result? I cannot remotely say...

…

… where was I? Oh, yes, his location. With his movements around eastern Oklahoma City and the presence of his team only being present when the photos were taken, I suspect it does give some credit to Ronnie's words, but given that oftentimes photos involved the tank heading west has solidified my search area. I hold some hope that the show will present us with some clues, but that is something I must wait for.

Circling back to the topic of Lori's emotional state, I must add that such changes apply not only to her but to all my sisters on a scale I have not seen since I started my investigation into Lincoln eight years prior. Each of my siblings seems to have an increased emotional attachment to anything that regards our brother ranging from protective to-

Lisa paused in her recording. The silence of the dark room had been broken by a quiet but growing sound that had immediately caught her attention. Almost like whimpering coming from behind her.

"Lily?" She pushed her keyboard away and spun around in her chair. The opposite half of the bedroom was just barely illuminated by her computer, which was set in a soft light that wouldn't cause any sleeping person distress but more like a soothing atmosphere. Similar to the purpose of a nightlight. She received no answer from her slumbering sister. But she could clearly see the look of distress on the 10-year-old's face as she tossed and turned below her covers. Streaks of tears glistened in the light as she tightly clenched an old toy rabbit close to her chest.

"L-Lincoln..." She stuttered out. Her voice breaking

Lisa quickly lifted herself from her chair and crossed to the bed's side. Pulling the cover back just enough for her to wrap an arm around her sister to pull her close. Feeling the sudden contact and warmth, though not knowing who was present, Lily choked back a sob before she felt the tears run much harder.

"Shhh... It's okay, Lily," Lisa brought a leg up to the edge and pushed herself up halfway onto the bed. Leaning back towards the headboard, her left arm rested on the top of the pillow, "It's okay. You're safe. Lincoln is safe..." She slowly brushed her hand through her hair. Trying to give some comfort to calm the child's fear. She knew the cause of her distress. The force was present all around them, but the scientist had no way of ridding them of their problem.

There was a thunderstorm outside. Rain pattered against the window as a steady wind whistled through whatever space it flowed through. A distant flash followed by a quick but slow rumble echoed across the area as the night continued. Which thunderclap, either a slow roll that was possibly too far away to be felt by most or right on top of them, almost shaking the house with each boom. The latter really got to her, flinching as if an object physically struck her as she tried to curl up and protect herself.

Seeing her so distressed and terrified made the scientist's often emotionless heart utterly ache at how she couldn't do much to stop the terror pledging her sister except to be there and comfort her to the end. Part of her knew that she could somehow mitigate its effects by poking around in her mind and removing the trigger. But after everything the family has gone through with her having to wipe memories occasionally, she saw it as inhumane to do so and would rather have her own wiped than subject such treatment to her little sister.

Yet she knew what the possible cause and possible solution were.

Personally, she felt she was the cause of the problem. Bringing Lily along with them to visit Ronnie, she didn't exactly expect her to go into detail that would, at best, be borderline deemed fit to be labeled as gore for a novel. It gave her a lot of info on Lincoln's post-intercept conditions, rather bleak conditions, that made Ronnie's near death all the harder to picture without seeing even a photo of the injury. And that's where she suspects that many things going on with the family now came from. Hearing about the harm that Lincoln suffered and his act of protecting Ronnie from a worse outcome, even she had to admit; she wanted to tear her hair out and demand the woman tell her where their brother was so that they could see him.

No matter what may divide them, they had vowed to make sure to protect their brother. Being unable even to comfort him made her feel... powerless.

And it was that pain that now pledged her sister's dreams. Unable to comprehend just what he had gone through until you saw what but a fraction of what the storm did to Ronnie, her description made it sound like Lincoln really was torn to pieces and lost to them. Lily had only been on this earth for a decade, and she had seen what love her only brother would give to her that, at times, shined brighter than his love for anything beyond his family. She panicked when he would get even a tiny papercut and care for him as if he had just broken his legs.

When Charles and Cliff passed away, each at varying times of her age, Lily hadn't fully grasped the idea of death being permanent. When Pop-Pop passed before Christmas of 2022, it had finally struck her just how serious such a thing was, and when she realized what tornadoes do to people, she understandably started to fear for her brother's life. And she felt that the solution to fix this was by knowing (at least the idea of it) that Lincoln was alive and okay. But in another personal matter, Lisa felt they wouldn't be satisfied with any answer until they actually got to see and hold onto him again. That alone, she felt, would do wonders the family had needed for years.

Yet what Lisa couldn't figure out were Lily's nightmares themselves.

To date, this would mark the seventh occurrence. Only starting whenever a particularly strong storm would pass over with the combination of strong wind and thunder. If it was just a downpour, there was nothing. Given they were now in the reverse of Spring with the weather starting to get colder, it was basically acting like a second storm season. Storms forming off the great lakes and coming across the state weren't that uncommon.

But her nightmares, despite what she might say about dreams, didn't make sense but, at the same time, made Lisa and even Lucy begin to feel their fears grow.

At first, they started out as just dark black fog like you couldn't see. But as the dream continued, Lily described the fog suddenly moving with the sounds of monstrous growling growing louder. Eventually, she would describe herself as almost trapped. She was stuck inside some kind of room with bars blocking her way out to where Lincoln stood outside with the blob. She would cry out to Lincoln, trying to save him from the darkness before he would be swept away. By this point, she would often wake up the whole house screaming his name.

The first time this happened was just four days after their visit. At first, she had believed it was Lily's young mind possibly trying to cope with the idea of what Lincoln had gone through and was her mind dramatizing it until the second event happened. And the third, and the sixth… The last event was three weeks ago. Said to have ended the same way, but with the beginning gradually changing, like telling a story in reverse while it's playing forward. Last time Lily described seeing other people, with no details of what they looked like or who, but as just 'people' hiding in a tunnel where she was, a bright light, and then Lincoln's demise.

After the second event, she consulted Lucy for ideas. She may understand how the human brain works, but when it came to the deeper meaning of dreams, that fell under Lucy's department. She agreed that the dreams didn't feel like normal nightmares, yet they were too similar; the same nightmare back to back now eight different times meant that either she was unable to move past her thoughts or, as Lucy believed, something else was at play-

"Lisa?" The teen snapped her mind back to reality at the call of her name. Glancing down, she saw her sister looking up with tear streaks sparkling in the light and puffy red eyes filled with concern and unknown.

"It's alright, Lily," Lisa spoke in the softest voice she could. Going into full big sister mode and forgetting the unfinished recording, "You're safe. Everything is okay." She continued stroking her hair. Using the sleeves of her coat to wipe away the tears despite more still coming.

Lily pulled Bun-Bun up under her chin. Feeling it in her heart that despite it being full of stuffing, she felt it was the closest she could be to her brother's heart with her own. "But Lincoln… he's…"

"He's okay. I know you're worried, but he's always been tougher than he looks. It'll take much more than just some wind to keep him down."

"Ronnie…"

"I know… but what he did was by his own choice. He did it to protect her. Just like he would protect us if we were there instead."

"I don't want him to go…" Lily buried her face into Lisa's shirt, "I want him home…." She quieted.

Sighing, Lisa glanced over to her alarm clock across the room on her nightstand. It was just past 1 am. Being a school night in the middle of Wednesday, the scientist knew that tomorrow they would both be hurting for a good night's rest, whether it was voluntary or not. And it only added to what stress she was getting as the next ten days slowly counted down to the big reveal. A look at her computer felt it was in the best interest to put the lodge on pause until later. With her current position and sleep now making their demands present, attempting to move from the bed was futile.

Holding up her watch, she aimed it at the console, and like magic, the files saved, closed, and the screen darkened as it entered sleep mode. Pulling her glasses off and placing them on Lily's nightstand, she carefully shifted her free up and out of her coat. Normally she would still change into her night attire instead of her day clothes, but she thought more in line with 'screw it, I'm already here.'

Feeling her sister shifting, Lily removed herself from her position, having felt her slow descent back into slumber be interrupted, watching through a hazed vision of Lisa leaning up and pulling her other arm free. With her lab coat free, Lisa twisted around and draped it across the top of the pillow. Making a mental note to avoid letting it fall behind the mattress by morning, she pulled the blanket back more so that her dangling leg could be brought under it. Seeing what she was doing, Lily shifted herself back some to give her some more room so she wasn't exactly hanging off the edge of the bed.

With enough adequate space available, Lisa shifted herself down to let her head rest on the pillow. Pulling the blanket back over them both as she felt her body relax into the warmth the bed had within and the feeling of Lily coming back up to her side. Stretching an arm out so that the 10-year-old could curl up by her side with Bun-Bun pressed between them. Adjusting to hold her back and a little wiggling to get wholly settled, both sisters let out a shallow but deep sigh as they felt the warmth between them give the other its own comforting embrace.

"Me too, Lily. Me too…" She whispered as soon as she felt Lily slip away. Feeling herself moments away from following the same outcome, Lisa closed her eyes as one last thought of the night made it feel like she still wouldn't be getting any sleep.

Time was running out...

---

Monday morning. Day one of the first full week of the month of October, and the world outside was devoid of the pounding thunder and rain from the night before. Sunlight just barely broke through an overcast sky that hung over the city like a shadow of dread for many. For some, it meant the start of another long week of the mentally taxing program known as school. For others, another week of the daily grind at work in the grand system of surviving in the present-day economy.

For the Loud House, it had become a bit of an 'uphill, right off cliff' situation for the past few years, with the girls bouncing back and forth between living in the house. The past summer felt almost like some kind of replay of things that they only had memories of from their childhood. For their parents, while it was a bit odd for even their oldest to be here still sharing her room with her sister while living with their parents, Lynn Sr. and Rita had come to see it as no matter what happened, the family would somehow always stay close together. If that meant living across town, across the street, or under the same roof, they felt somewhat more at ease knowing that they didn't have to look after them any longer.

Sure, the checks kept coming, and this time everyone was being clever with what money they had between cutting back on things that weren't needed anymore or actually focusing on being productive.

Rita still tended to her outside garden when the weather was still decent enough to allow the vegetables to grow (even if she was reluctant to let Lisa add some kind of chemical in the soil to allow them to grow in colder weather) with a little greenhouse in the back corner of the yard. Even being helped by Lana and Leni at times when the three of them would enjoy some time together. Lynn took it upon himself to focus on cutting back expenses at his restaurant without cheapening out and cutting things like staff or food quality. At times on the way home, stopped by stores to buy a load of newspapers and tear them apart for coupons, rapidly saving the family hundreds on food. It wasn't to say that his restaurant wasn't making bank. This summer had turned out to be the biggest one to date, and he had high hopes for next year doing just as big.

With everything the two did, the family was finally back in the black. Stable and steadily growing. And while this morning didn't look the greatest, as Rita tended to her morning coffee as Lynn prepared breakfast for the family. While the weather wasn't as positive as their moods, their hopes for the coming days were modest but still had the stench of uncertainty.

For the crowd upstairs, the familiar sight of the line at the bathroom was slowly building. Lisa, Lily, and Lana all stood in line waiting for what sounded like Lola doing her routine behind the door, with the sound of running water filling the background noise.

For the youngest two, the scientist was doing her best to remain freestanding as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes for the fifth time. Having forgone to put on her glasses that were still sitting on the table from the night before. This wasn't anything new to her; once she had her coffee and a bagel, she'd be right as rain for the rest of the day. Lily, on her part, had succumbed to her battle against the call of lost sleep and rested her full body onto her older sister's own. Head half buried into her arm with a raccoon nest of blonde hair acting like a blanket to give her more darkness to slumber. Even as Lisa adjusted on her feet, the slight shaking did little to awaken her sister, who only moved to lean on her even more.

With a sigh and shake of her head, Lisa felt her words echo in her mind that this was going to be a long week.

And like a wireless radio broadcasting that very thought through the walls, the oldest all slowly began to awaken to its voice. For one half, it was the slow realization of reality that they had to enter the real world once more and say goodbye to dreamland.

When it came down to it, with what money had had between their parents still being generous and the checks, if they were intelligent spenders, then none of them would have to work. But it was the fact they still lived under their roof for so long that Lori felt it fully in her heart and mind that she couldn't live like this. Slowly rising from her pillow with some of her hair sticking out, licking her dry lips as she felt her internal machine slowly come up to speed like an old engine being cold-started.

Often she was one to be among the line outside. Usually, the very first into the bathroom to have the first chance at fresh hot water. But with her work schedule making her come into work later in the mornings it meant she was able to both get a little more rest and start her routine a little after everyone was done. Enough time to catch breakfast first and let the hot water regenerate enough that once everyone left, she had a moment of peace before she too hit the road.

Pulling the covers off and draping her legs off the side, she waited for her vision to clear and focus before attempting to stand up. Once she did, she was greeted with the sight of Leni peacefully sleeping with the covers up to her chin, arms tucked beneath, and a white and green ocean-themed mask covering half her face. How peaceful, one wondered. Only enough for Lori to tell; the soft smile on her lips was a sign whatever she was dreaming about somehow let her have such a smile almost every day for weeks now. What her secret was, she didn't tell—only giving the vague hints that she dreamed of her perfect future one day coming true.

For Lori, it was maybe the fact that aside from Luna attempting to start over her music career as a more solo gig, Leni worked when she wanted and had the cash to show it. Taking commissions did make her have deadlines, but if you asked her to design and produce a unique dress for a bride and a dozen bridesmaids within a month, she'd only need two weeks. All that spare time was hers to use, and she worked for it.

She knew by the time she left, Leni would just be starting her day. Maybe even later than that. Sometimes just sleeping to let ideas flow into her mind and see what inspiration she gets when she does awaken.

'Must be nice to sleep like that…'

Rising from her bed and stretching to feel her bones pop, Lori slowly made her way toward the door. Stepping into her slippers and pulled on an old shirt left hanging on the chair as she stepped out to see Lucy standing by the bathroom door. The goth, dressed in a dark purple nightgown that went to her ankles, slowly looked in her direction and gave one small nod before turning back.

Giving one in return headed down the stairs to the lingering smell of breakfast; Luan and Lynn were already present, digging into their plates. Their mother was standing up from her seat with her empty plate heading for the kitchen. A glance out the window showed Vanzilla was already gone if the lack of younger voices told her it hadn't already. Their father takes the rust bucket to take the four youngest to their schools on his way to work.

Lori knew she had over an hour to get to work herself. Not that her father minded being a few minutes; she felt it would just make her lazy constantly doing so. It didn't take her long to get a plate loaded, eat and head back up to the unoccupied room to wash up. Stripping off her sleep clothes and pulling the valve, she smiled when she felt the ice water quickly begin to warm up to start steaming up the room. Stepping over the edge of the tube, the moment those warm waters touched her skin, she felt her body quickly begin to ease into its embrace.

Stepping a bit closer and tilting her head back under the stream, letting the water splash down her face and soak her hair, she felt herself feel like she was standing beneath the waters of heaven for that brief moment. Letting her mind linger into nirvana as she reached out, grabbing shampoo bottles to begin cleansing herself. Taking a large blob and combing it through her blonde hair as the shower started to wash parts of it away. Streaming down the valley of her back and over her checks and legs as she turned around to let it completely be engulfed in the water. Reaching out for another bottle and squirting another handful, rubbing both hands together to spread the soap evenly between both, and began to scrub away at her skin. Working around her neck, across her shoulders, one arm after the other, across her back, and under her breast to make sure she could get every inch she could.

But when her hand moved further down to spread the soap, for the faintest moment, she felt her fingers glance a brief touch over her nub. Sending a jolt of surprise up her spine that, despite the hot water, made her shiver. For a second, her imaginary paradise faded away, and reality started to take its place. Ending her dream a little early to where she was looking at the tiling on the wall opposite to her, with the only sound being of the running shower.

It took her a moment to register exactly what had just happened. Like a curious child discovering something new, she had rediscovered something that she had forgotten about. She really couldn't remember the last time she ever did anything with herself down there, minus keeping it clean and shaved. The past few years had taken her focus away from the simple pleasures of her own that she tried thinking back to when was even the last time she really laid back and just let herself go.

Maybe back in high school? No, more like college, first year. When life was on track for the future, after that so many ups and downs, she found her pleasure in just getting to come home and lie down, thinking that it was another day done making sure those around her were safe and sound. Being home so much without anyone to really be that opposite outlet had either let her be backed up to the point that the slightest touch could set her off, or she just didn't feel it anymore.

Sure, there were 'those' kinds of dreams with Bobby fantasizing about that future moment they would share. But with what she knew now, she had no right to think such things anymore. It made her feel almost dirty, and not in a good way. And she didn't know if that was part of the reason why she was in this kind of dry spell or not. There needed to be a drive to reach a goal, and right now, there was none.

Well… 'Almost none…'

Slowly slipping her hands down to her thighs, moving them to the sides just above her hips as she tried to lean back with like her hands were that of someone else possibly holding her. Tilted her head to the side like someone was going to rest their chin on her shoulder so that they could feel so close to her. Her hands began to descend further, moving along her wet skin to the point her left pointer and middle finger made a brief touch to make sure she was going in the right direction.

She pictured the figure behind her was just teasing her at this point. With her trapped in between a strong pair of arms against a rigid body pressing up against her back like they were trying to merge. She could feel her fingers flicking back and forth for a moment, like a person knew what she was thinking. And that at any moment, she would look over to see the beautiful face of the one holding her like an angel, ready to-

'No, Lori. Those are not what you should be thinking of…'

With some hesitation, she retracted her hands. Standing back up straight and looking over, not surprised yet disappointed there really wasn't some search lover with her, she sighed as she bent forward to let the water wash the soap and sinful thoughts away. Cutting off the tap and pulling the curtain back, she stepped out onto the wet mat to grab her towel.

Just as she grabbed it, Lori glanced at the mirror to get a different view of herself. One that she had seen countless times whenever she was in this situation, but something today made her really just stare into her reflection. Focusing on her eyes, she briefly would look over the opposite form to see if she really saw what she did.

She really was talking in the form of their mother in her youth. If anything, she was practically an upgrade from how Rita was compared to older photos before she was even born. Her hair, eyes, hips, it all was there. A form that came naturally to her when many in the world would give up a fortune to be in her position. She had the power to make boys back in high school stop what they were doing to watch her walk by, and that still ran true today.

Brushing her teeth and applying some makeup to look more refreshed. She was working at a family restaurant as a manager; she had to look 'professional' at what she did when out on the floor when she wasn't in the back dealing with whatever invoices and orders came through. She knew not to go extreme like she was the face of a billion-dollar corporation, but something a bit above the basics helped her feel that bit more proud of herself.

Stepping out and dashing across the small gap between the bathroom and her room to get dressed. Finding Leni still out like a light with barely any change in position, she hastily dawned on a pair of day clothes, grabbed her car keys and purse, and headed downstairs. Snatching a cup of coffee off the kitchen counter, narrowly bumping into Lisa coming out with her boiling brew in hand coming out of the basement as she went out the back door to her car.

The trip through town was a short one, a blur to her mind that for some, it was a day to start anew, while to the Loud, it felt more like the grind of how long she was awake and how much sleep she got in between it. Coming to a stop light and glancing over to the car beside her, she didn't know if she was too worried that the driver beside her was almost asleep on the steering wheel or too tired to think of anything to worry about.

When the light turned green the car slowly eased forward down the street like the driver wasn't at all oblivious to the situation. Lori mentally sent a message their way, feeling the same as she followed with a bit of a gap between her car in case anything did happen. Coming up into the cultural area of Royal Woods, traffic was practically nonexistent, with the odd delivery trucks going about to different stores.

Pulling around to the backside of Lynn's Table with the lots all labeled Staff Parking, she slowly rolled up to her spot beside Vanzilla. Stepping out, she looked over at the rusted van at how the summer had treated it, yet looking through the windows, she honestly could hear the sounds of laughter, cries of agony, some cheesy pun or someone begging to be let out of the portable gas chamber.

So many memories…

She doubted this van would survive for whoever did start the next generation of the family, but the memories it had were something that made her sigh with a fond smile as she headed toward the backdoor. A small hallway loaded with shelves of extra kitchen equipment, fridges, and boxes of unknown contents stood pressed against one side with just enough space left for two people to get past. A short walk past a rack supporting someone's coats, to the first intersection, was her 'office' to the left and to the right the employee lounge and breakroom.

The lounge could really only be called a 'lounge' when looking at it made you think, where did they get a set of lockers that belonged to a fire station and the old family couch fit in a space meant to fit an office desk and two chairs. Yet somehow, have space for more chairs and a coffee table without making you walk into everything or anyone.

Coming up to her 'locker,' the only things that presented themselves to her were a green dress shirt and black work shoes tucked at the bottom. She placed her purse down to the side and grabbed the shirt and shoes; she looped around the table and plopped onto the end of the couch. Wincing when she felt the old familiar dig into her rump in a few spots that had yet to readjust to the feeling. Dropping the goes to the side, all she really had to do was to slip the shirt over her current clothes, button up, put on the nametag, and she would officially start her work day. She stayed in the office most of the time unless some big rush happened and they needed extra hands on the floor or help or talk to someone.

She stayed in the back and away from the public, behind a computer screen and a stack of paperwork from the time prior that she had yet to finish or get started. In her mind's eye, she had to admit, this was kinda, in a way, 'training' to one day get to the big leagues. Sure, she was a little late to the game, but every day something new comes, and her experience growth means she was that little bit closer to being ready to take on bigger responsibilities.

Though, in reality, was this anything? Did she need this job in particular? No, she had the opportunity to branch out to other avenues around the region that, in the grand scheme, would mean she would no longer need the kind of support her family was providing her. Sure, her dad intended to have Luan inherit the restaurant, and she refused on account of several reasons; with her working in this position for years now, everyone says that she would be the next one to own the place. Then what? She didn't know food as the same passion as her father; business was her language, and a place like this wasn't something she could keep going for the decades to come.

But looking down at the shirt before her, the word 'Manager' stared back at her on the bronze name tag. Faded with the edges worn down and a corner chunk missing from the past few years of her fiddling, dropping, or just scratching away at the tag at times of accidents, neglect, or trying to cure pure boredom at times, she felt herself somehow being relatable to the piece of metal and plastic. Started out with so much brightness and ready to shine. Only to slowly start to realize that things weren't always sunny after a storm.

"You alright, dear?" She snapped her head towards the door to see her father leaning out from the hallway dressed in his full chef attire without his apron.

"I'm just tired… as usual… " She sighed, placing the tag on her lap as she looked down at her shoes.

He chuckled as he walked in, "I know the feeling. You'd think online shopping for a new TV would have been much simpler for how long they've been doing it. But it should be here in time."

Right… they were preparing this weekend like it was the most epic of movie nights they've ever had since Dreamboat ended. Given it was a weekend, they were all just waiting for the countdown to finish, and with each day that got closer, the more the feelings began to become agitated, like stirring up dirty water just after it finally settled for you to be able to see to the bottom of the dirt cloud.

"Well, if you need any, there's some fresh coffee being brewed. I might be a bit late in the day but since when has that stopped anyone?" He shrugged his shoulders as she turned around to head back to work.

"Dad?"

He stopped mid-step and spun back around, "Hmm?"

"Before you meet Mom… was there ever anyone else?" She slowly looked up at him for an answer.

His smile faltered; uncertainty was clear as day as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"It's just…." She waved her hand back and forth, trying to come up with the words. "Ever since Bobby and I went… our separate ways, he's been able to find someone to start a family with. Me? I've just felt like I've… done nothing. Like I'm stuck…." She turned away. Shame and embarrassment filled her as she felt that the floor held a more reasonable look than whatever her father had.

Slowly stepping over, placing his hands on her shoulders and ending down so that he looked up at her downcast look, "Lori, you are a very beautiful, smart, and caring woman. Bobby was a great guy with a good heart that I know had made you smile so many times. It made me smile knowing you were in good hands. I know that love can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but I know from the bottom of my heart that there is someone out there waiting for the moment to meet you finally. Who, where, and when? I have no clue."

He raised his wrinkled hand up to cup her cheek. She lifted her head slightly to look at him with watery eyes. "Things happen at different times for people. But I do know that it's only a matter of time before that light shines upon you and him." He smiled softly. Moving his thumb slowly over to wipe the wetness away. "I will admit… there were others I felt my heart beat towards. In all my time during high school, college, and even over in England, I thought I met the one that I would be with forever. But sometimes, that wasn't meant to be, and I kept pushing on. And when I met your mother, hehe… the rest is history."

Lori let out a little smile, having seen all the photos from Lynn Sr.'s side of life long before he had met their mother or even had the very idea of her and any siblings. Maybe as an afterthought that was in his mind for the future, but possibly in so many different ways, it could have happened. And just like now, there were so many different ways she and Bobby could have ended up. Endless possibilities, but this was the one that she was part of.

Slowly moving to look up into his eyes, seeing that old but welcoming feeling of comfort radiate from him just like all the times he was there when she was down. Between her being nearly 30 and him 60, she felt it was a blessing that she could have moments like these with her father when even at an age she should have everything in life already locked; it helped so much for him to be there to help.

With his words ringing in her mind, Lori leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her father. Burying her face on his shoulder, she said, "Thanks, Dad."

Wrapping his arms around her, Lynn Sr. gave his firstborn a tight squeeze. Letting her know he was ready to help whenever she needed. But right now, his back and knees were beginning to protest that those positions were detrimental to their functional future, and with some reluctance slowly moved away from the hug and stood back up.

Wishing it did last a moment longer but knowing that they both needed to get to work, Lori pulled away and stood up with him. Taking a deep breath and making sure that she wasn't running eyeliner down her cheek.

"Take all the time you need. It's probably going to be a bit slow till later, so relax for a bit and clear your mind. I'll be in the freezer making sure we're stocked and ready." He said, patting her arm.

She nodded, taking in a moment to clear her senses to let her dad know she understood, and thanked him. With one last smile, Lynn turned away and headed out to the hall to continue his day. But just as he disappeared around the corner, Lori collapsed back into her seat. Her hands were back to their original position on her head as she felt his words battling with her thoughts like a proxy war.

She understood what he meant by. The past ten years were the definition of it. Bobby was a light in her world that shined brightly but now had faded away to its own place. There were some she would consider at best if life before was different, but deep down, the light she saw was one that hadn't gone away and stopped burning brightly. Dimmed, yes. But compared to them all, it has stood out more than any other for over 20 years now.

And in a few days, she was about to see what fortune and torture that light in her life had been through for them. For her.

---

When you think of anything October and Lucy in the same sentence, you would expect to imagine the goth smiling more often than usual, like a child waiting for Christmas to be right around the corner. This was her month. Everyone in the family had a month they liked the most, the best example being Luan and April for obvious reasons, and it was a no-brainer that the month that embraced the darkness was the time Lucy could truly unleash her mind and power as the Royal Woods' Queen of Darkness.

Each year since she could start really 'expressing,' she would decorate the house to be the ultimate horror icon of the town. The haunted house with the corn maze and terrifying monsters would be remembered in the minds of the masses for some time until next year when something bigger would come along. Last year, she had wanted to base it more on the hidden horror that that world could spring out upon you at any moment.

But this year, she did nothing.

The decorations still sat in the crawl space below the porch collecting dust. Untouched from their last use 350 days ago. It wasn't that she wasn't in the spirit of the season. She could feel it call to her like it had since she began to realize the world around her. It was that this time, she acknowledged the call but did not answer. She had plenty of her fill this year for dark times that would make anyone told the story die from shock. Too much, she would tell someone. Life is nothing without some fear and surprise to keep it something worth living but load too much into that cannon, and when it finally fires, it doesn't shoot forward.

This time last year, she was just working her way through the first half of her time as a senior in high school and her final year as leader of the Morticians Club. The club itself had changed over the years since she was part of it in elementary. When she left, their numbers had climbed from 7 in elementary to an impressive 22 for a time. As some members, like Boris and Dante, eventually had to break away to travel new roads, others eventually came to join their ranks. Even as the years went on, their group actually became one of the popular ones. Planning the Halloween events at the school made Lucy feel like the world was truly more accepting of them than ever known whenever people congratulated them on their work.

Then her accident happened, and she felt that the drop of that rusted metal was the sign for her to stop and look around. It was a moment in her life when she felt something that was a part of her had once again broken away. She handed (no pun intended) full leadership to her best friend, Haiku, for the rest of the year as she focused on her recovery. When the summer came and went, she didn't contact her friend that often, too busy in her whole shadows to communicate outside her family.

But today was going to be a different day. It was Tuesday, and the weather, while starting to get a bit colder, was still nice enough that people felt it early spring-like to wear some lighter clothes still to get the last bits of summer in the books. Right now, Lucy could feel that cool breeze blow into her face from the open window of the car she rode in. A refreshing feeling against her skin as she glanced into a rearview mirror to see Royal Woods having long faded from view.

"It has been some time since we have had a day like this." A voice said to her as the outskirts of Fern Valley approached.

Looking at her driver, Lucy agreed, "I do apologize for keeping you in the unknown for some time, Haiku. It's just… things with my family have not been the best."

Haiku nodded, understanding that sometimes people get caught up in things, which often resulted in these situations. She couldn't blame Lucy for the chaos that this year was filled with, though she did blame herself for not reaching out more often like in the past.

She had changed in the past years; she was roughly as tall as Lucy now but had her hair tied back in a bun. Exposing her eyes more, unlike Lucy's present curtain, with the paleness of her skin have gotten some of its more natural colors back in. She wasn't dressed like she was back in the club; more like a carefree style with a black shirt with an artistic skull on the chest made to look like it was burning with a white flame with a light brown jacket left open.

Since leaving high school, Haiku had gone to different avenues in life to test the waters of what her nature best fit in. Though the darkness still flowed in her veins, the greater world of literature had sprouted into something that she hadn't fully grasped until Lucy gave her leadership of the club. When her best friend was lying there screaming in pain with nothing to grab onto, it did make her stop and take a look at her life. Some people would devote their whole lives to the Gothic, some to the point of making changes that would make others like you stop and say it's too much.

When Lucy came back with her hands again, Haiku felt that feeling beginning to fade into a different kind of darkness. Not one of losing forever to hold onto desperately, but to let go and accept. Since those days, she's looked for other ways to fill that space. She wasn't a master poet like Lucy; yen years ago, one could argue who outmatched who, but it was a close race. But that gap only grew, and she accepted that place. She still enjoyed writing and had taken to see where that could lead her.

And now, she was in the midst of writing her first book. A story that was still in the very early stages of becoming physical words on paper from ideas in her mind. The idea was of a woman traveling beyond the realm of this world in search of something missing from her heart. Once whole and now fragmented, she would go beyond her home to reclaim it. She hoped to build it more as a mystery than something like an adventure tale, but she was still early in the work to see how to build it.

"It's okay," Haiku said, sending her friend a reassuring glance. "Fate recently has kept us all… a bit busy."

Though she hadn't said it directly, more like hinted at, Lucy's situation was giving her plenty of inspiration for how to build the story. She didn't want to come off as using a tragedy for creative inspiration, but the Loud was smart enough to know that at least something could be built from the rubble.

Today was a bit different. It pretty much was a get-together that they had been thinking about for some time actually to touch base with each other. She knew of the best spot for them as she traveled through town and pulled into a rather sparse parking lot next to the establishment.

The Burnt Bean, the coffee shop everyone in Royal Woods wished was in Royal Woods instead of driving the next town over. Even in high school, once either got a license, they would enjoy a nice relaxing night and drink despite the distance. It was close enough for convenience but far away from everything else not to interfere.

Without a word, the two exited the car and headed inside. Given the time of day, the shop wasn't busy for a Tuesday, even if it was when all the high school and college teens popped in. A time of day when it was past breakfast but way too early to worry about the lunch rush. Leaving the place nice and quiet with a TV playing in the back corner and some machines being tended by the staff is the main source of the disturbance.

As the two moved to the counter, Haiku stretched an arm out, stopping her friend, "Find us a spot, please? I'll be back with our order." She said. Already knowing what Lucy would have ordered and that it'll give her time to collect her thoughts.

A slight nod was Lucy's answer as she broke away to find a seat. Coming along the back wall that didn't have the sun shining straight at the tables, she chose one of the higher seats to stake her claim—moving around to lean forward just enough to lay her arms across the table as she waited for her friend. It wasn't much of a wait either; just as she was prepared to let out a 'sigh' Haiku reappeared placing a coffee cup just in front of her.

"So, shall you finally speak of what ills you?" Haiku asked, sipping her drink as she took her seat.

Though Lucy didn't respond right away, slowly unfolding her arms as she grabbed her cup and brought it up for a rather long drink that most would recoil from the level of heat suddenly introduced. This wasn't what sure usually got; she preferred something a bit more 'dark and cold' and not something you'd use to try to jumpstart a frozen engine. It was hot and tender, more befitting for someone in a more positive mood to wake up to on a weekend when they didn't have to worry about anything in the day.

The irony for her was that she really didn't have much to worry about in what was in front of her. Most of the year was spent recovering, helping the other recover, and a whole summer of trying to drown herself in her writing while not waking up in cold sweats from scenarios her mind would generate. Some were enough to make her try 'fighting' only to roll out of bed that would pull her away. Other times… she made sure to keep supplies at ready.

Unable to keep her little delay up for long as her tongue started to scream bloody mary, Lucy placed her cup down but didn't look back up. "What makes you say that I am illed? More so than usual?"

"Your body is tensed. Your words speak as if you are struggling against a binding preventing you from saying what you truly wish, and I can feel your spirit radiating an aura of uncertainty." Haiku stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Leaning back in her seat and she saw the tiniest of tension suddenly pop up and be hidden.

"I've been in a rather… aimless situation as of late…"

"It's Lincoln again, is it?" Lucy only nodded, "Given this is a known issue, one we've dealt with before, this is the result of something new, isn't it?"

"…I still recall hearing the sounds of that recording sometime go and… I still remember just how much his voice was filled with fear and…" She didn't finish her explanation. Trying mostly to let Haiku know the direction she was taking the idea.

"... you fear watching his fate?"

"The curse has inflicted much on our family this past year. We've defied fate ten times in one, but the words of the past speak that an eleventh shouldn't have been. Yet my brother lives."

"You feel that something is coming to change this? To rectify the error? Or perhaps that despite it all, he has managed to defy the odds on his own and break away from its grasp without knowing?"

Lucy had hoped for this outcome, but she shook her head, "Lisa says we're in uncharted territory now. Even by now, our ancestor had fallen long before this time in his age to battle. She referred to it as fitting the phrase "the calm before the storm" when fate fixes the problem."

"Or more befitting of Lincoln; he survived entering the eye but not coming out," Haiku said, going for another drink as Lucy mused about how this was more like they just survived hell but were now in a false heaven. Often someone would be frustrated that their friend was speaking so casually about the situation when they were trying to keep calm. But she knew Haiku well and told her plenty for her to understand.

It was one thing to keep the curse a secret in the family to prevent either panic or division among themselves from being told of such superstition; it was hard but easy at the same time when only two of them directly knew its history. There was nothing against speaking of it to others. Lucy knew full well that Lisa was asking some of her colleagues to uncover their family's history better. And Lisa knew full well that she had told others from her former club following the contact of her late relative. Haiku was one of the few people outside the family that knew what they were doing, what they were finding, and where they were looking.

"But the question is, what is he fighting for?" Lucy asked more to herself than as part of the conversation. Glancing down at her cup as he slowly moved it around in her hand, she glanced up to see Haiku with an all-knowing smile on her lips. "What?"

"Your heart still beats for him. We both know it. It yearns for the return of the thing that gave its reason and knows that it is in danger."

Lucy sighed and nodded again. Feeling some memories of the topic being dredged up that did absolutely nothing to help steady her thoughts.

If it's one thing about living in a huge family that they all knew, the bond between family and siblings was a powerful force. Some are stronger than others, some there but not as tightly held. No matter how big of a family, all it takes is one joyful moment or disaster to solidify those bonds forever or shatter them to dust. Her family had been through it plenty of times to know that if someone were to try to harm any of them, then they'd bring down the force of nature known as the Loud Family worse than fire and brimstone falling from the sky. Either now when most were adults or back when even Lori had yet to turn 18.

For her, Lincoln stood out as the one that still held a different kind of light. Of them all, he was more tolerant and willing to participate in her activities when all others turned away. He was her sword and shield, a white knight to the black princess, the voice and mind she could come to for inspiration and comfort.

Maybe it was the many years he was there for her, being the first of the siblings to do things for her as they grew together. Even if she was the one that caused Lincoln to eventually have his own room when she became roommates with Lynn, it gave him a space that, at times, she was welcomed in. And each time they were alone, it gave her a feeling that never went away—each time only built more and more of the fortress around her heart that only made her more conflicted but assured. She always spoke of who her heart belonged to. For years she corrected those that it was Edwin who was her true love for this life and eternity after.

She'd be lying to herself if that was actually true.

And it scared her in the beginning. She was one for taboo things, it's part of her nature, but by the time she turned 13, she knew full well what was happening to herself. Before all this, with the curse and Lincoln leaving, she had no one to vent to try and get another perspective directly. Haiku was the one she felt the most comfortable with such information, and since the time she confessed, Haiku wasn't disgusted or disturbed by her words, and it made her feel that bit more confident as time passed. But now that confidence was waning at this point; she saw very little in trying to bolster it.

Taking a deep breath, Haiku mentally prepared herself to conjure the best response could give her friend to give her that final push. She knew one day this would come, and if today was the day she helped her friend achieve this ultimate goal, then now was the time.

"Lucy, how do you know that this isn't fate possibly repaying you for the sorrow? Your family was hurt and is now more peaceful than before and rising from the ash." She brought her hands to Lucy's as a show of comfort, "Your brother may have suffered, but he lives on stronger than ever. You have yet to begin stepping out into the world since high school and now have the chance to be your own decider of fate. If-when you find him, your heart will tell you."

"It's telling me to fear finding him," Lucy said grimly, with more weight behind it than she had ever said before.

Haiku felt herself be a bit taken aback by Lucy's statement. Half expecting her to say possibly, she agreed that fate had pretty much been a complete bitch to her family for the last few years and that this was the time that it was put in the past. To look to the future that can now be. But what she said wasn't at all on the list of the expected or even unexpected for what she was thinking. Her love was one thing long ago, but she had come to accept that; this however had something within that made her more confused.

"What do you mean?"

"... From all I have seen, the two of them connected to such a level I wished to have reached with Lincoln. If the world had allowed me not to be tied to society and my parent's wishes, then I would have given everything to go with him that day long ago." Lucy explained with a tone that spoke like she had said this plenty of times over. "Yet when Ronnie reentered his life, I thought my chance was done and lost. They were building a future together, but then I saw her back in July. And after seeing every video and photo, even others first-hand accounts of their interactions, that connection no longer existed… or what was left, was shattered to the point she is suppressing it."

Glancing up, she saw that Haiku had completely lost her smile; the positivity, hint of mischief, and curiosity had eroded away to reveal an unsettled mind that didn't expect to go down this route.

"Something had caused her to fear being by his side?" She half-whispered like she didn't know if it was meant just to be said in her mind or out loud.

It was something she didn't know if it was true or not. She had plenty of dreams and visions of what the future could have been, even without the curse. Some of it was straight to the point where her plans would get the outcome she wanted the most. Some were the same but with some speed bumps, either slowing down or diverting the path that just took a long way around or went somewhere else.

Lucy nodded, "From what and why I do not know. Why she and others are so determined to keep Lincoln's whereabouts a secret is something I feel plays into it."

Before she knew about the curse, she believed that it was still possible to follow through. Ronnie coming back was just one of those sets of points that were leading to a different branch of life that's now a dead end. She wouldn't lie, part of her was happy the opportunity had reopened, but the circumstances that made it crumble so fast made her not jump for joy and put a plan in motion. She knew Lisa had a plan. The very moment Lincoln stepped foot out of their house for the last time, she hadn't stopped, and now more than ever, she was going through every plan and every backup plan to that plan.

It really was a countdown to the 'big event.' The moment that they would all have questions answered and more raised. Old and new fears would be put to rest and ignited. To see how four years away from his family had shaped his mind and nature. To see if he really was the same brother she had come to love.

---

Wednesday the Eighth. The middle of the week, the halfway point through the forms of hell work and school has done to people, signals the tipping point of the mountain where the weekend is within sight. Though the calendar and dates said that summer had ended last month, it got the late memo and was now officially beginning to change around the land.

Windows were being left open, ACs stored away, the light coats and umbrellas being pulled out from the closest as the weather was about to give another annual round of mind-boggling conditions that made people wonder if it was even worth the wait for the weekend only for it to dump rain nonstop the whole time and be sunny and perfect for when they were stuck at work.

For Leni, that wasn't much of a problem at all. Rain or shine, she went about her business regardless of what it was like outside. She was so focused on her work that, at times, she thought it was suddenly the next day when clouds would block the sun for so long she would start getting ready to go to bed only to be reminded it was six in the afternoon. She was filled with so much energy that made her more envious of herself other than her looks and positivity. It was nearly impossible to stop her. The only times that something did manage even to slow her down was when it involved food, sleep, running to the bathroom, or running to the mall to get more supplies. She had been working at full throttle for so long that her sewing machine finally broke its last needle and exploded. Lana said she could fix it up, something Leni was oh so thankful for, but knew she needed an upgrade.

It was a little after noon now, and at best, she was one of only four in the house. Her mother was in the living room drumming up ideas for her writing, Lucy was in her room probably doing the same, and Luna was down in the garage practicing some small pieces of music she was trying out. A lot of her family liked writing things, a thought that went through her mind a few moments before being cast away to come back around another time. Just a blip on the radar that made a little noise that got swallowed into the sea.

But right now, she is more focused on the work at hand. With a large halo light suspended over her little workstation bathed over her new sewing machine earning its keep with a laptop to her side and a stack of drawing over the keyboard. Around her feet and a small trash can overflowing sat crumpled up papers, some with radically strange designs more befitting of sci-fi to medieval to several looking more like normal day clothing.

They all shared something in common; orange top, blue bottom. At times streaks of red or white mixed in or where one color was more dominant than the other. Some looked like clothes found in your closet, others like she was attempting to create a stealth suit for special military forces. But the truth was a bit complicated. Even with the pile of discarded 'prototypes' and samples sitting in a junk pile nearly as tall as her nightstand, no matter how many times she had to ask to drive to the store to pick up more materials, deal with tangled thread, or however many times she felt the needle pinch at her fingers and draw blood, she stayed focused.

Quite frankly, for most of the summer, it made all of the family panics and think she had lost her mind. Leni knew full well what the family and world around thought her as; a dimwit but knew her way with a needle. But she always knew it was just a matter of perspective; she was thinking on a different level than what she spoke and what she heard, like a foundry with raw ore still needing a little work to perfect its refinement. It just needed that one good kick to get the gears working at full throttle.

And she found that kick.

One that she felt for years suddenly gets a reality check. Since that day, Lincoln sent them that letter, and while she didn't say much to Ronnie when they went there, she was reminded of a couple of important facts; she was a big sister who loved her brother, and her brother was out there hurt. The image of what happened to just a piece of headwear that caused Ronnie to gain a life of difficulty made her dig a little deeper into Lincoln's hobby.

It was like the universe really was broken. Leni Loud, on a laptop not accidentally going to any of the 200 saves sites for shopping or downloading viruses, was researching. When Lori figured out what she was doing, she called a sibling meeting, thinking she had finally lost it. Lisa spent the better part of two days conducting tests, monitoring her sleep, and seeing what could have possibly changed. At best, she saw more brain activity just slightly higher than her normal average. While she didn't understand the science, she understood that her little sister was saying that she was thinking more than she usually did.

A few checkups here and there at times to see what changed, but Lisa had summarized that Leni was experiencing a kind of mental leap. She was basically becoming more adult, a more mature version of her bubbly self breaking out from within to show the world what she could really do.

And she was making good on that assumption.

After slowly and carefully feeding a piece of black fabric through her machine with hands as delicate as a surgeon, Leni pulled the cloth away and, with a quick pair of scissors, cut any loose threads from where she started and ended. Making sure the stitch was correct so as not to be easily undone, she pushed away from the table and stood up, holding her creation out.

To most, it would look like a combat vest with long sleeves, with a normal shirt and a construction vest put together. Orange takes up most of the color, with black around the neck and chest and various empty pouches sewn about. A line of reflective red and wheel came down from the base of the neck down the arms to the wrists, with a larger pair going straight down the shoulders towards the bottom opening.

Was it pretty? No, not really, especially for her tastes. The colors clashed too much; the stitch work she had done was only temporary till she made a more refined version that accomplished everything she was looking for and made it less complicated and more like something that would be second-guessed. But like anything complicated, it's usually a mess before it can be a beauty.

Giving it a quick flick to send any pieces of fuzz, she went over to a mannequin standing in the corner. A male version, one that, when she first bought, had Lori become more scared than she had ever seen her if the patched hole in the wall from where she back went through the drywall had anything to say. Even at night, she would tell her to put that thing somewhere else so that she didn't wake up at night thinking it was some six-foot man standing in their room.

But that gradually changed as she started dressing it. Removing the head with a little force and pulling the arms free, she slipped the shirt over the torso. Making a mental note to see what version of a lengthened, tucked-in version would be compared to a more of a shorter dress style, she slid the arms back into place and took a step back to admire her work.

The get-up was something that one could imagine a person using in rather extreme work conditions that normal clothes just wouldn't cut it. The shirt itself was meant to be stylish in form, comfortable in function, and practical in versatility. Below it covering the legs, was modified pair of blue jeans that had several patches added around the thighs and shins with white tape circling the kneecaps; parts of the project she had yet to fully flesh out, coming down to go over a pair of white and red hiking shoes. Though thinking now, she could see the colors working better as orange and black and orange, black and blue. She dotted down another mental note as she stepped up and straightened the shirt out to make sure everything was in place.

Everything was held in place, she was still waiting for the main pieces that this shirt was meant to work with, but she could change it later. Adjusting the collar, she looked up to where the base of the neck was that connected the head. Feeling her eyes linger there for a moment before she felt her hand brush against something on the shoulder. Pinching it to the side, she saw it was a patch, one of a tornado on top of a shield and sword. One of the simpler things that she was able to buy from her brother's online store was that no one really noticed coming in the mail except for her getting an envelope.

But for a moment, Leni felt her smile slowly dip south. Looking back up to where the missing head was, she felt like either her mind was playing a trick on her or she had been dreaming the last few years.

Because Lincoln was looking right back at her.

She felt her breath leave her body and soul, acting as if it had just fallen down the stairs from being told the greatest revelation in its existence to make it scream hallelujah. But she couldn't scream, couldn't speak, or even blink. All she heard was her heart beating a hundred miles a minute in her chest as she stared into the beautiful blue sea that those eyes contained she never thought she would see again.

She knew he had grown, possibly the tallest out of them all if from what photos she remembered seeing him beside Ronnie. Seeing how she physically matched up to the Louds told her she was having to look up while he looked down. The pictures didn't do him justice either; his face was practically glowing like a soft sun that gave out such a comforting warmth it was impossible to turn away or ignore. Not a single scar, cut or deformity populated his face. Even his little goatee he had growing was trimmed down so far the light made it hard to see the tiny hairs of stubble. His hair reached down low to his shoulders but was neat and combed despite that ever-loveable turkey tail still standing proudly. And he looked so handsome. So strong. So gentle.

And the moment her mind clicked back into gear did, he give her a big smile at seeing her realizing it.

"L-Lincoln?" She whispered. Raising a hand to rest it against his check. But before she even made contact, something else caught her attention; his clothes were different.

Gone was the orange shirt and black vest; now in its place, was a two-piece gray tuxedo that almost shined as silvery as his hair. His vest was like a fiery orange, like a God had crafted it from a forge and let the heat radiate and create a deep golden orange. But one thing stuck out from the colors that made her mind freeze for a second. A neat little bow tie in seafoam green with a little golden flower placed right in the center. He was dashing; he was vibrant, he was what she imagined him to look like the moment she walked down that-

"LINCOLN!" She exclaimed as she launched forward, unable to contain herself. As she wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her face into his chest. Feeling the retaining walls collapse as she felt hot tears fall and soak his shirt.

Though a little sad, she didn't immediately feel his go around her to pull her closer; her unholy strength was usually enough to make someone cry uncle for air. Just the feeling of being up against him, hearing his heartbeat and feeling his chest slowly rise and fall like a gentle wave she never thought she'd feel again, and it only made her cries intensify. She had been ready to give anything just to see her brother in person. Give up her passion just to hold him in her arms and never let go. And like magic, she didn't have to give up anything, and here he was with her.

"Linc, you're-you're really…" She said, pulling herself away. Words failed her as she fought to avoid being lost in his eyes. A battle she was rapidly losing ground as his smile spoke volumes of how much he understood what she was saying. Oh, how she wanted to hear his voice. Hear him even whisper her name so that instead of internet videos through earphones, it was from his very lips. Those delicate, soft looking, mesmerizing…

She didn't know what force of nature was controlling her, but she didn't care. She felt herself heating up as a deep blush engulfed her features as she brought a hand up to his right shoulder to support herself. Lincoln didn't even budge from the change, most would have felt the sudden weight pull them down a little, but yet he stayed still as stone. With having to lean so far up, Leni had to put more effort into lifting herself up with her free hand on his shoulder as leverage, standing on her toes to bridge the gap. Raising as high as she could go, she was almost at eye level now, but leaning forward and using his shoulder for leverage, she was ready to feel that soft connection between them.

But something was wrong. She could feel it. Or the lack thereof feeling it. Not knowing what was immediately wrong, Leni opened her eyes to see why Lincoln wasn't allowing her to kiss him.

Only there wasn't anything there. No Lincoln, not even a head. The only two things there were a peg hole and the back corner of the wall staring at her. Confused, she tried to think what was happening; she reached down to his hand to see if this was just her mind playing a trick. Then she felt her hand touch cold plastic instead of warm skin. The shining suit had revealed itself to be her unfinished project in the same place as before but now with a large wet stain from herself.

She didn't know what to think. She was as sure as the sun shone that her brother was right here and not just a statue.

"Wha-" *Knock, Knock*

"Leni?" She jumped when she heard her mother call out from behind the door. The knob turned as the door slowly opened for Rita to peer inside, "Are you okay, honey? I thought I heard you scream?"

Looking back and forth between her mother and the mannequin, Leni felt her head spinning, "Yeah, mom. I'm just… I'm just… l…" She felt any form of thought fail her. Like from the aftermath of an extreme ride, she backpedaled and fell into her chair.

Seeing her daughter practically collapse, Rita quickly closed the gap between them, "Sweety, what's wrong?" She brought a hand up to her forehead to check her temperature. She was a little warm but not to the degree to be of concern.

"It's… it's …" Leni tried to get her thoughts back on track. Her eyes darted back and forth between her mother and the statue. Almost expecting it to become Lincoln again and reassure Rita that everything was okay. Yet it remained as unmoving as the moment she last touched it, and she finally let her brain drop everything, "It's nothing. I was just a bit… tired."

"I can imagine. You've been up here on your sewing machine so much I thought Lisa replaced you with a robot." She laughed, though truth is told, the only way they knew she was fine was her bedroom was directly over the living room. Outside the normal routine, the only time she saw Leni actively 'working' was whenever she was carrying a tower of boxes full of clothes she had finished for commissions and running them down to the post office.

She had to admit, from working at home, Leni was moving product. At the rate she was making so many varieties, Rita did wonder how Leni could do it nonstop without burnout. And looking over her newest creation, it didn't take her more than ten seconds to see just who she was making it for, "That for Lincoln?"

Leni nodded, a smile forming as she gazed up at her work, "Yep. I keep seeing him wearing all those bright and normal clothes that keep getting dirty and ruined. I wanted to make something to help him."

"Well, that's very thoughtful of you." Rita smiled, happy to still see her daughter still as kind-hearted as ever.

"I'm just having some problems getting the foam and metal not to weigh a ton. I totes don't want Lincoln being eaten by the wind again." Rita felt her smile drop for a second but recovered before Leni could ever see it. Looking down at Leni with hidden concern at what she meant by Lincoln being eaten.

Before her mind could even wander into that path, her inner shelf stopped that train right before the switch and sent down a more reasonable track. It was better on her aging mind to think of this as Leni just focusing on a personal project for herself than what she said it was for. "Just don't stress yourself too much now, okay? I'm sure one day your brother would love to have it." She gave Leni a gentle pat on the shoulder.

Leni looked up to her with that ever-present positivity returning, "I know, Mom. Just…" She slowly turned back to her table, "keeping myself occupied."

Satisfied in knowing she was at least okay in that the scream was not from something to worry about, Rita had almost 30 years of experience with kids of all ages to know something was still disturbing her second oldest. To what end that she was so focused on making a suit she had no idea if he would even see it with his own eyes. She felt was just a way of her trying to keep her mind in the area of making sure she still had him in her heart.

"Alright, dear. I'll leave you to your work. But if something's wrong, I'm here, okay?"

"Okay, Mom!" She said with a smile like her old self. Reassuring Rita that if something did come up, she knew someone was there to turn to for help. Feeling her work was done here, Rita headed out of the room to resume or previous task, but as soon as the door closed behind her, Leni's smile dropped like a lead weight as she whispered, "What's wrong is what I can't tell you…"

Feeling that her mood was starting to go to places it shouldn't be, she looked up to her computer for a source of motivation. Brushing off some of the papers that contained numerous sketches, either just a few lines to full complete outfits that looked ready to go from paper to needle, Leni paid little attention as some fell to the floor as they occupied the other side of the table. Pulling herself up closer to her little Chromebook, itself showing a rendition of her current project, as she clicked off to close the tab. Appearing before her was a site that no one would expect her to be on; the page Lisa showed them had all of Lincoln's weather stuff on it.

It was opened to the gallery; dozens and dozens of different dates, times, and locations. She had the 'Year 1' album opened and pulled all the way down to a single image of Lincoln leaning against the front of his tank. Visibly soaked, doors wide open, utterly covered in globs of mud and grass but the scenery around it was such a stark contrast. From its dark form and its lights, the sky above and around him was a crisp orange from the setting sun to his left. Unlike the car lights, the beams coming from behind practically made Lincoln glow like he was an angel.

With a click and pinch, the image zoomed into Lincoln's face till most of everything below his neck was gone. Whoever took the picture must have used one of those high-end expensive cameras, the kind that no matter how far away or up close you are, the details were all there. And Leni just could tear herself away from how Lincoln was literally shining. The wetness on his skin and in his hair only added to the sparkling effects that matched his contrasting blue eyes so much it was hard for her to come up with a word she felt was the best at describing him. In her eyes, nothing short of perfect fit the bill.

It had been almost four years since she last saw his smile, it was three days till she got to see him on television, and her birthday was just weeks away. She knew fully what she wanted; two straight years had told her the truth that long ago, she didn't notice. For two years, she couldn't reach out for it and felt this year was gonna be no different.

But next year, she knew things were gonna be different. What would happen? She had no clue at all what tomorrow was going to be about. But she knew next year, no matter what challenge was in front of her, she would finally accomplish her dream. She remembered how Lincoln was always trying to plan ahead for things and felt following his footsteps was a good way to reach her goals like him. Tapping the screen, the page changed over from the gallery about her brother and his adventures to an equally long and extensive list showcasing wedding dresses to help build her inspiration.

---

Thursday, October 9th.

That was what stared Lynn in the face as she stared at the crossed date on the calendar. The day was just one among the dozens that had once populated the calendar since June with the sheets long since tossed.

Saturday, however, with so much red circled around it, was a reminder to everyone in the family that the countdown was nearing its end. In two days with '10 PM' boldly written so much it bled through the remaining pages, the wait was beginning to become relentless. Everyone had made sure to clear their schedules that day; the younger siblings had no school thanks to the weekend, their father would close up shop for the day, and any sister that worked was making final preparations before the night. It had become a family event now once they told their parents about what they found out.

It took a lot out of them that day when Lisa did a show and tell of everything they knew about Lincoln's real career, mainly in keeping them from passing out or having heart attacks from all the videos of how close Lincoln was to disaster. Out of preserving their hearts or feeling that it would be told later, she had left out telling them about what Ronnie had said about their last chase. It would probably be a bit too much for parents of 11 to know that their only son was possibly half dead somewhere and find out he was about to appear on a hit television show a couple of months later.

The feeling of anticipation and dread felt like their own clashing storm fronts in the house, building for days and soon revealing what kind of storm it would show them. It was a perfect storm to see how much Lincoln had succeeded in life and what could be the last time they saw him.

Lisa had already told them about the season's length; 15 episodes, an hour long each. Released all at once for their viewing to see in one sitting or when they could have the time. Even now, their dad was working still putting together the new TV that was almost big enough to block out their front window. The old man's excitement to see his son on the 'big' screen in the best detail and sound possible was something that was a little infectious to the family in building their hype.

Though right now, after spending the morning setting up the device itself, Lynn Senior was not having a fun time. Smacking the remote in his hand in an attempt to see if it worked at all when he was trying to get the settings changed, "This is why I miss good old fashion cable…" he mumbled. Ripping the back off to make sure there were even batteries inside.

Lynn was one of the few sisters still at the house at this hour; Lori was off at work, Luna was somewhere in town with Luan, Lucy was hiding somewhere with Leni still in her room, and all the younger sisters were at school. Normally she would be tending to class or practicing, but maybe now, possibly getting herself ready to get a job to start adding her support to the table. But for the summer, minus recovering back to her old self, she had a strange feeling bugging her for a while now. Something had been bugging her for weeks now. No matter what she did, she felt part of her mind drift towards it like a magnet in a junkyard. She could pull away all she wanted to, but it kept coming back.

Moving away from the calendar to the other side of the dining room to peer out the window, she could see why even today felt like time was dragging. The weatherman had called for a light rain lasting all the way to the morning hours Friday, with heavier rain coming later that day. The temps barely breaking past 50 with the winds making it feel closer to the low 40s. Right now, the sky looked like a gray blanket covering the world to make sure everyone knew the weather was not anyone's friend.

With a sigh, she looked slowly headed towards the living room. Coming to the front door to snatch her jacket off the coat rack and toss it over her blue long-sleeve shirt. Normally, she would have done her morning routine by now, but today she felt that tiring herself out so fast wasn't something she needed. Dressed in an outfit more befitting of fall weather with her jacket zipped up and blue jeans, she slipped her shoes on and headed out the door. The moment she stepped past the door and closed it behind her, she felt her face being hit by a cold, wet wind that made her ponytail flutter back and forth in her hood.

It definitely felt like Michigan Fall was here to stay.

But a little cold rain and wind weren't going to stop her. Pulling her collar slightly higher, she descended the steps and started walking. To where? She didn't know nor care. This time of year, Royal Woods was once again focused on making sure to be ready for the upcoming holiday. And glancing back at her house, she could see that her younger sister had some idea in the spirit this year, with some decorations here and there, but it was a far cry from the elaborate setup she had always prepared for the past decade.

The neighborhood around her had the same idea. Some houses have some pumpkins on their front step or actually going about setting up fake spiderwebs and ghosts. What she found a bit ironic was that some of the houses she remembered that always went out with the decorations were houses that once had kids around Luan to the twins' ages years ago.

Now those homes were almost as bare as theirs. Yet houses she remembered that didn't partake in the holiday spirit suddenly were the ones doing the opposite. Even as she walked past Mr. Grouse's house, formerly Mr. Grouse's house, she could hear the sound of laughter from kids inside running past the front window. It did make her pause and gaze back at her shrinking house. Wondering when did the laughter and joy disappear.

Though she knew the answers to that question, focusing on what was in front of her path, she felt it really was the only thing she was making sure to keep looking forward to. The brace was finally removed by the end of July, and she felt like her old self again. She was able to use the warm days left in the summer to finally start pushing herself again to build that hill back into a mountain.

But then what? What was her end goal in life now?"

With how fast she recovered, she remembered getting a call from the university that they were offering the complete chance to come back for the fall semester. Understanding that it was her choice if she wished to stay in the sports program or possibly go for something else. The old her was practically over the moon at the chance to go back and show that nothing could really stop Lynn Loud and that the sports world would know her name. But the current her was conflicted if she should do it.

They said it was such a small chance for what happened to her to happen to anyone in the world. It was small but never zero. And she wondered if what happened was just a one-and-done or that sometime later, it could happen again, and she wouldn't have the support like last time. She could imagine Lincoln following behind her like he heard her thoughts and telling her to always look for a way to make a dream come true.

Maybe the sports world didn't need her on the front lines. Like anyone she saw as her 'hero' they eventually had to step aside and let someone new eventually take their place. That didn't mean they wouldn't stop doing what they loved, help usher in the next player. She could see it like how the Rocky movies did it with the Creed movies. Though out of all her heroes, though history has eventually given the world people to live up to and beyond their legacy, her brother was the one she felt that no matter what history did, it could never create someone else to compete with him.

His legacy would go down in history as the brother from a family of 13 that went through hell to ensure his family was safe and sound. And if he were ever to fall, she'd be damned to let his legacy wither away and be forgotten. If she had to yell it out from every skyscraper in every city on TV to remind everyone of the kind of man he was. Hell, she'll name her firstborn daughter Legacy so that whenever she was asked why she could tell that person it was his love that made her push on to achieve what she did.

Well… maybe not Legacy. There were plenty of people in the world with odd first names based on things, and sometimes it didn't result in the best of futures.

Maybe something shorter, Lacy, maybe? Yeah… that sounded about right. It had the solid appeal that it could work either way. Plus, it did follow family tradition with all their names; why stop now? Though Lynn felt like she was looking way too far into the future now. Having a daughter? A child? She might be 23, but there were plenty of things she wanted to do in life before trying even attempting to start a family of her own. Her family now needed love and support before any of them could really branch out.

And finding Lincoln and bringing him home was their primary goal.

Lisa told her, and everyone really, that with what info the teasers and trailers had given, there was a solid chance that there would be enough visual information to finally crack down the final pieces she needed to find his estimated location. What was the plan when she did find him? No one knows. Lisa had explained a few times that she was working on a special project that would begin the moment she could confirm his whereabouts but didn't go into any simple details.

But Lynn didn't let it bother her. Everyone needed something to focus on until they could actually do something when they figured something out. She needed a place to clear her mind. Just let the world disappear and let her be alone with her thoughts for a moment.

She got her wish as she came to the intersection with the entrance to Ketcham Park, sitting across the street. Beyond the metal fence, she could see the place was as dead as a graveyard, given she's only seen maybe four other people walking in this weather, not counting cars, with the grass becoming dull and the trees and bushes lost their leaves. She remembered coming here multiple times in her youth. The playground equipment acted as her first taste of something akin to obstacle courses to start homing in on her skills and senses.

Making sure not possible to be hit by a car and become crippled again, Lynn rushed in her step to make sure she got across the intersection quickly and passed under the park's archway. She almost immediately walked off the path onto the soaked grass as she made her way to the old playground. Set up was different, but nature had not been kind with how rustic everything looked. A look at the swing set made her debate on her decision, but she frankly just wanted to sit in silence.

Coming up to the least wet seat, she spun around and dropped her rump in between the chains. Hearing the metal groaning and stretching under the sudden weight of an adult woman sitting on something built for kids, Lynn sighed as she leaned forward to rest her weight on her legs. Hoping that the chains hold long enough for her not to fall onto her butt into the wet mulch suddenly.

She gazed around the park, looking towards every bench, pathway, and open grassy field, always expecting to see someone there. Parents watching their kids play, couples going for a stroll, pets running around having fun. So full of life. But no, it was just as dull as everywhere else was. In a couple of days, it would be a perfect hangout spot for someone on Halloween; for now, it was the perfect place for her to be alone with her thoughts.

But she realized, when she caught movement from the corner of her eye, she wasn't alone now.

Snapping her head around, she saw the brief moment of a pair of legs kicking out forward and then curling back as the swing sent the person flying back as they pushed to maintain their momentum. As she came down and right past her, Lynn got a decent look at the seeming ghost child that somehow managed to sneak up on her like Lucy.

She looked about 12, almost as tall as she was back when she was about that age, with a frame that oddly looked like it had a balance of muscle and slack. Freckles galore covered her face, and around the base of her neck that disappeared beyond what she could see was a red and white sports jersey, like her old Number 1 she wore so much, but instead with a Number 2, with white sleeves extending out of a red jacket with a little fluff of white around the collar.

Despite the weather not agreeing with the idea of someone like her wearing a pair of shorts, she seemed completely unaffected by the spiking cold breezes and flying leaves. Aside from a pair of red sneakers and almost knee-high socks, Lynn was a bit taken aback by just how much the girl beside her reminded her of herself a decade ago. But what really confused her was how her hair was that weird shade of gray. It looked too natural to be something like hair dye and had some brownish tint to it. And those eyes. She could swear she had seen them from somewhere before…

"Hi there!" she heard a cheery voice speak out as the girl swung by, going as high as she let herself before letting gravity pull her back.

Feeling part of her think that it wouldn't sit well to be suddenly talking to a random kid that popped out of nowhere, yet also not wanting to look like an ignorant prick, Lynn glanced around the park for a quick second to see if there really was anyone else around them, she turned back to the girl just as she made another pass.

"Uh… hi? Whatcha doing, kid?"

"Waiting for my dad."

"Huh…"

"Yep." The girl kept pushing on, "He's a bit late because the weather is supposed to get worse later."

"So… where's your mom? Shouldn't she be here with you?"

"She is. She's just around right now, waiting till Dad comes." The girl answered without giving an ounce of concern about where her parents were. "Though I know they're keeping an eye on me. My dad has always been the kind of dad to make sure I'm always safe when doing things away from adults and would practically fight anyone that tried to hurt me."

Lynn snorted in amusement. Resting her elbow on the cold chain to prop her head up on her hand, "Kinda like my brother…."

Dropping her legs, the girl dug her heels into the ground to bring herself to a stop, "Who's that?

"My… brother Lincoln. He's…" she tried to think of something that wouldn't sound completely outrageous, "He's always been someone that would go to war to protect me and my sisters. Sure, we fought and yelled, but deep down, we loved him for what he did every day for us."

"Hmmm." The girl slowly started to rock back and forth, "Kinda like my dad with all my siblings. He can be a bit overwhelmed, but he always makes time for all 17 of us."

Lynn felt her mouth drop at the sudden number. 17 kids? She knew that her family of 11 kids was something that you didn't see as often as one might think. A family of 5 was big enough, double, and you get to some really crazy things as they did. But be on the pinching point of breaking 20?

"Christ, kid. Your dad and mom must really love having so many of you to handle all under one roof."

The girl slowly nodded, "Yeah… it can be hectic at times. My sisters and brothers all have their moments and hobbies. But whenever I see Dad struggling, I always go to help him out. I can't stand to see him be so overwhelmed so much, and it makes me happy to see my family all happy."

With curiosity starting to rise, Lynn asked, "What's your name, kid?"

"Oh, it's Lacy."

---

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and after hand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)

Where to even try to begin with this chapter...

By the word count, you can see that a lot is detailed here. Going a lot further than my intended 15k target by a mile (or two) and becoming nearly as long as some 10-chapter stories on this site are. At the time of writing this AN, the word count is just under 19k, with it probably breaking 20+ after it and the edits I'm doing are complete.

The biggest issue I had with this chapter was how I was building out each sister to have a moment of the week dedicated to them going through different thoughts and events in the lead-up to the show night. Lori's section alone is 6k words, and after that, I decided to limit each sister to roughly 3 to 3.5k words each, but even THAT was making this thing bigger than expected. At the time of this writing, only Lori to Leni and Lynn's sections were complete, with the twins a third of the way through.

Personally, this chapter was getting too large for my taste.

So I found a way to change it up and probably prevent this from being a 30k word chapter (thank god) and direct the other segments with Luan, the twins, and Luna to the next chapter (which at the time is only the intro to the show and some events before already at 7k) so that its at least distributed between a wider area and I can focus more on condensing the following chapters.

Halfway through writing Lisa's Note, I stopped and did something else than I intended. Originally its purpose was to build up in a similar way. Chapter 4 did between the sisters while bringing in other TLH side characters to give each one a moment to reflect on what they will eventually witness. Originally Lisa's "Time is running out" line was "One week remained," with each sister reflecting on each day like a countdown. Lori's section was bigger compared to the others because, at the time, I thought more about how she would reflect on life had led to this point. Shortly after, I finished Lynn's. And an unholy amount of time was taken to work on Lucy's (which is a bit weak but plan to fix that later). Then after that hill, I was able to be creative again and go about the others.

This chapter initially started with Lisa's recording detailing how the sisters had gradually become bonkers for their brother at various stages, but then I thought, "They still don't know the fate of their brother; they've been told and will soon actually see it. Will this really be the time for them to start going bonkers or be more concerned for his safety?" And from there, I did this. Part of me doing it like this was to symbolize the growing thoughts between them. And for some, it introduces the reality that they aren't the only ones waiting to see what Lincoln has been up to. Some of the heaviest inspiration of this chapter comes loosely based on how the characters were in other stories, such as A Shadow of His Heart, Hero's Duty, Love Returning, and a few smaller fics acting as a template on how to try and build the situation.

Is it perfect? Probably not, but I feel it works with what I'm trying to convey.

And even then, this chapter was originally to have a second Lynn/Lucy part at the end where they sit down for the show, but that alone broke over the 7k word limit, and at the time of this sentence (on July 2), this chapter is already over 15k words with only Lori, Lucy and Lynn's segments done (each between Lucy and Luna is about 2500 to 3000 words each) and because of how this was structured really couldn't be broken up. With how Lynn's section ended, I was able to plug that part into chapter 9, with the third part possibly being plugged into chapter 13 or 14 later down the line, with 9 and 12 already being built.

I decided to release this chapter by itself mainly to get something out after two months of thinking and replanning. With the changes listed above, Chapter 9 is expected to get finished a bit sooner, with Chapter 10 well underway. Once both are complete, I will do my previously mentioned 2-day releases for all three.

To be clear: there is no time travel in this story. So what you see at the end is there, but the how will be revealed later down the line.

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and after hand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)