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Royal Woods, Michigan

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Two days before Halloween

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Lynn had been unable to shake off this sudden feeling of dread. Ever since waking up, it had been crawling all across her skin, goosebumps on constant replay. Waking up early in the morning, she started the new day by going out for a quick jog around the neighborhood. She hoped that the exercise would be sufficient to shake off this strange surge of anxiety that her body was suddenly down the dark, lonely street, she wondered if perhaps this bad sensation had to do with today's date. It was his birthday, after all.

Today, Lemy would officially be twenty-three-years of age, and ten of those were spent locked up in the mad house. Perhaps it was just that, that and also the fact that Lyra was back home with those two no more than 70 miles apart from each other.

"I should go see her later today." Lynn huffed as she was coming up, and the streets were fully decorated with the black and orange colors associated with the annual festivity.

She had grown to dislike the holiday, nothing but bad memories for her and the others. Painful memories that were still too fresh in her mind. The wound in her heart never fully healed as the loss of both Lincoln and Luna had affected her just as bad as everyone else in her car, she ignored the obvious stares that some of the nearby people were giving her. Even after a decade, this fucking scrutiny remained intact. Opening the door, she was stopped by the local police force. "Hey Lynn."

Lynn huffed in annoyance and glared back at the man, "What is it, Sheriff?"

"How's the family?" Lynn snorted and focused her full attention at the man.

"What a dumb fucking question Chandler. Now, seriously, what do you want?" Sheriff Chandler MaCann rolled his eyes. Lynn had always been a hard ass with a disruptive mouth, and that bad trait had only soured like aged milk over the years. He knew that she would never warm up to him. How could she? After all, he used to be her brother's bane back in school. She had actually kicked his ass a few times for messing with poor nerdy Lincoln. Even with a badge of authority, he was certain that she would still punch his lights out and happily spend the night in a jail cell.

"I hear Lyra is back. Staying at her old place, Lyle, too." he said.

"You gonna do something about the shitheads harassing them? Or are you turning a blind eye to that, too?" Lynn spat.

"I didn't - I don't want to shove that girl into an unnecessary spotlight by assigning a patrol unit to her life 24/7. She deserves a quiet life. Away from this place." Chandler looked her square in the eyes.

"I catch that fucking brat of yours around them again, I'm going to break his fucking jaw."

"He is my problem. Focus on Lyra."

A starring contest ensued between the two adults. A petty rivalry stemming from an old past the two once shared. Lynn broke off eye contact first and climbed inside her vehicle. He was right about one thing, she needed to be there for Lyra as well as she pulled away, Chandler approached her rolled down window, "I advocated for the death penalty. He doesn't deserve to be alive." Lynn's frown switched to a neutral stare, "So did I."

Back home, Lyle, Gloom, and Lyra were in the dining room enjoying a game of cards. This was another of Lyle's attempts to reach out to her. It was extra difficult giving them circumstances surrounding today's date. Since the day started, he had not left her side once. Like a piece of gum, he was sticking by her, and he wouldn't be removed that easily. Gloom admired his dedication and helped as much. Lyra had been too quiet, her eyes burning a hole in at the cards in her hand. After such a long pause she looked up and went all in.

"I give up!" Gloom dropped her cards in defeat.

A miniature smirk formed on the blond as he challenged that bold play, "All in."

Lyra looked at him, and a similar smile spread across her once neutral expression, "You sure about that?"

"Try me." Gloom was being a sport by acting like an actual fan witnessing an epic duel. The two cousins sized each other up and lowered both hands simultaneously. A full house vs a straight flush, Lyra lowered her gaze before letting out a chuckle, "Almost had you. Next time I will win."

"Lyle has been playing poker for a while now, he actually did some gambling in college. Won good money." Gloom revealed this fact which Lyle was not to keen to share.

"Don't, please." Lyra gave him an amused look, "I am not a gambler! Not an addiction! Just a pastime is all."

Lyle and Gloom where in the back doing some yards work. So far, the day had gone off without a terrible outcome and he was beyond grateful about it. He had worried that she would end up relapsing again and the thought of sending her back to that horrid asylum was a horrific thought. Raking the leaves, he looked over at the old tire swing, a memento from an old time. In a moment of sudden weakness, his mind unlocked old memories that related to say swing. He saw visions of a younger him, along with a younger him. Both of them building that swing with a tire that Lemy had stolen from a house down the street. Both, ten-year-olds, laughing in joy as they took turns swinging from their proud creation. Lyle continued to look on, mesmerized by that fond memory as buried emotions were on the verge of erupting out. It was the touch of his girlfriend that brought him back to reality.

"You, okay? You were just...standing there, silent, like a statue." he saw the worry in her and shook his head. "Sorry. This place...it's doing things. Where is Lyra?"

"She's inside. She is making mash potato for lunch." A loud crash of glass was heard inside the house. On instinct Lyle raced inside, leaving Gloom behind as he called out for Lyra. He found her in the living room, the glass bowl shattered with the food sprawled all over the floor. She had her back to him, her body appeared tensed, and he could make out rough breathing coming from her. She was freaking out.

"Lyra are you okay?" Lyle slowly approached her, "Talk to me. Are you hurt?"

Standing by her side he saw the unquestionable mark of pure fear on her. Eyes wide as saucers, mouth gasping for air and her chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. He wanted to wrap his arms around her but had no idea if that would only freak her out even more and cause her to go on a frenzy. Gloom had followed asking what had happened. Lyle ignored her concerns as he shifted his focus towards the object that had caused his cousin to have such an act of panic. In front of them all, in the living room was the old family television, it was on at a low volume, but it was the images on the screen that had caused Lyle's heart to stop momentarily and his entire blood to run cold.

On the television was the morning news. There had been a riot at the Hexwood Mental Institution, Lemy's psychiatric prison for the better part of the decade. Dozens dead, multiple escapees. Both cousins watched this revelation in stunned silence. At that very moment both had somehow linked their minds together and managed to sense the exact same thing - unfathomable fear.

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Lucy Loud's Residence

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One day before Halloween

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Time had no purpose when shrouded in darkness. When he had come to, Clyde found himself chained against a stone wall by the ankle in what appeared to be a cellar of old origin. Depleted of his possessions, he relied on his mind to count the time and thus far, since his awakening a total of eight to nine whole days had gone by. He never saw Lucy, only that whenever he woke up, he would find a bottle of water and a single loaf of bread before him, all served on an old platter. He yelled, thrashed, failed to break loose from the solid chain keeping him a prisoner in this underground lair with wax candles as his sole source of flickering light. He screamed out Lucy's name in both anger and fear. Cursing her into damnation, promising to lock her up for life, then promising to strangle her to death for what she had done. Silence was his sole companion during these stressful hours.

Another terrible thought invaded the good doctor's mind. Lemy. If his theory was correct, then Lucy was aiding her nephew. As to how far it went, it was up to speculation, but given all that has occurred in the past twenty-four hours his fears were only ever increasing with that appalling possibility. Today was his birthday, he realized and was even more desperate to escape this prison of his.

Sitting down against the wall he anguished over the lives of the Loud family. Lemy was coming for them and here he was, trapped underground, held hostage by a deranged woman who had lost all touch with reality. Lyra was vulnerable, Lynn would protect her with her dying breath, but he did not wish for that to happen. Many would be massacred as that heartless monster marched relentlessly towards his older sister. He needed to escape and stop Lemy for good.

The door leading in and out the cellar opened as the rusty hinges created a loud creaking which disrupted the otherwise eerie silence. Clyde still on the floor looked up and saw the silhouette of his captor. "Lucy." venom oozed out his lips as he hatefully watched the pale woman slowly descend the stairs. Holding a candle in hand, she was still dressed all in black but now wore a black veil while carrying a boutique of white roses in the other hand.

"What have you done." it was less of a question and more of a demanding explanation from the Clyde.

She ignored him and gently placed the boutique on the ground in between them and produced a white chalk. She began to draw a circle in the ground. He realized that she was drawing up a pentagram of sorts. Clyde always knew she was a firm believer of the occult but had never witnessed her perform any rituals in person. "What is all this? What are you doing?" his patience was thinning by the minutes as her silence and robotic movements gifted him no answers.

"Do you believe in the afterlife, Clyde?" she remained focused on her pentagram as she spoke, "Ever wonder if there was a way, a possibility to discover a gate to the other side?"

"I don't have time for this. What has become of Lemy!" Clyde yelled.

"Do not worry for him. Unlike us mortal begins, death has never missed an appointment."

Lucy stood up, admiring her handwork. A full pentagram with many strange symbols that only she knew the full meaning behind. She grabbed the boutique and placed it in the center of the circle. She finally looked up at Clyde, her face, those eyes, always hidden. She walked over to him, only stopping a few feet. Clyde stood back up, he wanted to lunge himself at her, but he understood that she purposely stood from arm's reach. Without the dress, he could tell that she was physically frail, and a single push could easily damage her, no wonder she relied on drugs to subdue him.

Clyde could no longer keep it in and expressed his inner thoughts that had been boiling for many days in the dark, "Did you, do it? The night Lincoln and Luna were killed by their own son, how much of that night was influenced by your will."

Lucy sighed, "Luna was...a whore...and Lincoln, my Lincoln was weak against the temptations of the flesh. She took my only shining light in the abyss and tainted his sweet innocence with her vile corruption. They mated and soon after gave birth to two abominations of sin. Two beautiful children that I had come to deeply cherish. I watched them be the family I always wanted, express the love I had kept hidden and raise two kids who should have been mine. I wept, I cursed, I hurt, but I never intended to bring them any harm. Lemy did that all on his own accord."

"You saying that Lemy just...chose to murder his family in cold blood? You didn't guide his mind and hand towards that kitchen knife" He just woke up one day and simply killed them for no reason?" Clyde grasped for any answer to the madness, Lucy was the closest thing to a clear confirmation in a decade.

"I don't know what possessed him that night. Could have been the spirits answering my woes of wrath, perhaps he was always like this beneath the surface, or like you said, he just stopped being human that night. I do not have the answers you seek. But when he arrives the truth shall liberate both our souls." Lucy said.

"Why did you help him escape? He is going to kill so many people! He is going to kill Lyra!" Clyde screamed at her, which caused Lucy to flinch.

"He loves her." She replied with a harsh tone, "A love just as twisted as mine and Luna's. They deserve to be together, and I deserve to be by Lincoln's side again."

Upstairs a door was swung open and heavy footsteps pounded against the old wood. Both adults looked up, Clyde expressed actually shock while Lucy allowed a rare smile to engulf her apathetic features. "He is here."

The footsteps drew closer, slow and steady. Clyde's heartbeat accelerated with anticipation as he stared wildly at the stairs leading upstairs. Lucy had moved over to the pentagram, standing in the center with the roses in hand. He was now starting to understand what she was planning. All rituals, especially those that dabbled with the dark arts had always required some sort of blood sacrifice. Question now was if he was too a part of this ordeal, or had he just happened to stumble in her plans. He yanked hard on his chain, he didn't care if he had to break his entire bone into a thousand pieces, if it allowed him to break free, he would take that painful opportunity.

He then saw him. Standing at the top of the stairwell, donning his prison uniform which was decorated in dried blood. Lemy took a single step down and then another, his large figure eclipsing the light of the upstairs room. Lucy looked at him awe, she gripped the roses in her hands, allowing some of the thorns to pierce her skin and draw blood. Clyde glared at his patient, the son of his best friend, the monster he had fought so hard to keep lock up, now free and with more blood on his hands. Lemy looked at him and as he had for many years showed no emotion at his presence. He walked towards Lucy, stopping right in front of his aunt who he dwarfed by a foot and a half. To her too, he revealed no reaction, he blankly stared at her in absolute silence.

"Hello Lemy." Lucy spoke, "Let us begin."

...

Sorry for going AWOL. It's a bad trend of mine.