- This story began not so long ago... - Brian began.
June 1, 2016
8 hours 30 minutes
- Brian, now is right now! - mom shouts from below, coming up to the stairs.
In an empty house, her voice bounces off the walls like a ball and crashes straight into Brian's aching brain.
- It's time, Brian. - Oscar says as Brian crawls down.
After going down to family, Angela kisses her sons on the forehead a little harder than usual.
- Oh, damn it. - Oscar says after his wife has gone outside.
- What? - Brian asked.
- You won't fool anyone with that smile. She looks pathetic. - he answers.
They go outside and turn back to the house.
- I know it's bad. - he says, rubbing the back of his head. - It's terribly bad.
- It's just a change of staff. - Brian says, repeating the words that mom has been saying to dad, Brian and Jeremy every day for the past three months.
- This is a change of the galaxy. - Jeremy answers.
- Thank the aliens — at least someone told the truth ... - Brian smiled and ruffled his younger brother's hair.
- In fact, this city has never been yours. - father responds. - So let Bond City become your home. Bond City...
Oscar closed the door of the house that was never the Johnson house. Like the previous one, and the former one before that.
- Goodbye, red house. - Angela says, in the rearview mirror, watching the truck maneuver too close to the entrance. There are tears in her eyes, and Oscar pats her hand lightly.
- Bond City will become our home. - he repeats again: this time so that his wife can hear him, and he seems to be able to convince her as well as Brian and Jeremy.
The family drives in almost complete silence, digesting the lie that Bond City is located very close to Charleston.
It was another step, another city, another new school, and another new home that would never become the Johnson home. But Brian didn't know then that he was wrong.
11 hours 5 minutes
The truck rumbles down a quiet street called "Cool Lane". Brian had already begun to think the city was strange and the people were strange too, although he hadn't met anyone yet. An interesting start.
The truck turns around and backs into the driveway. From now on, Oscar, Angela, Brian and Jeremy Johnson from 707 Cool Lane, Bond City. In the fall, Brian will go to fifth grade, and Jeremy will go to second grade, and Brian will make progress in Math and Physical Education, and Jeremy in IT and English, Brian will also suffer with History and Literature, and Jeremy with Math and Technology, because his hands are growing from the fifth point.
- Nice street. - Oscar says, looking around.
Brian even noticed a cat in the flower bed across the street. A cat is a good sign.
- It's quiet here. - Angela answers, and it's hard to tell from her voice whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
- Well... - Brian says, trying to lighten the mood. - I think it will be fun here!
Jeremy took out two bars and was going to eat them, but dad took one bar from him, saying that it was necessary to share.
- Oscar, you've already taken three pieces from a child in a day! - the mother sighs.
- So what, honey? I deserve it! - the father continues to justify himself.
The children started to follow their parents into the house, but decided to soak up a little more street tranquility. If they wait a little longer, then maybe that cat will come out to them. Brian and Jeremy sat on a bench in front of their new home. Jeremy was thinking about how many new friends he could make, and Brian was absorbed in thinking about the latest project — a bunch of old locks he found in the deserted red house. Five different locks, all locked, and none of them have keys. He managed to unlock two, but the rest are a problem. Locks are his new project, especially unlocking. For Brian, it's like getting something without breaking it, like he's solving a secret hidden inside.
Some movement on the opposite side of the street brought the boys out of their reverie. At first, the boys thought it was that cat, but it disappeared from view. The only thing Brian noticed was that someone had drawn the curtains on the second floor of the house opposite. Brian looks more closely, but he doesn't see anyone behind the curtain. Only the shadow of a twisted oak tree is visible, which almost touches the window, almost without touching the glass branches. And yet, someone was watching them. The red-haired boy stared out the window for a while longer, until he got tired of it.
- Well, stare at me if you want. - Brian says to the empty window. - There's nothing to consider here.
- Brian, look, cat! - Jeremy said, drawing his brother's attention to himself.
It was a gray cat with blue eyes. She came up to them, rubbed first against Brian's leg, and then Jeremy, circling them in a figure of eight.
- Hello, kitty. - Brian said.
In response, the cat meowed.
- Do you live across the street? - Jeremy asked.
Another "meow".
- Okay. Then tell the jerk who lives there that it's not good to peek. - Brian said irritably.
Anyway, the cat goes to the other side of the street, to the flower bed, and Brian and Jeremy enter their new home.
3 hours 10 minutes
When Brian woke up, he didn't immediately realize where he was. This is one of the most vile consequences of eternal travel. The room is still saturated with other people's smells.
It is unlikely that he will be able to get rid of this nightmare: he has never succeeded. Brian found himself back in a narrow and poorly lit corridor with doors. Again he tried to get out of there and couldn't. Again he opened the doors and saw only the school classrooms. And then he was attacked by a scary dark creature with white eyes and lots of bloody fangs.
Brian realized that he would not fall asleep anymore and therefore shifted his locks to the wide windowsill. This is the coolest place in his new room. A built-in bench near the window facing the street, from which it is great to watch what is happening in a Cool Lane. But so far, the boy can only see the house opposite. Then he takes out his kit and bends over the lock, which seems to be the most difficult.
- It almost worked. - the red-haired boy states, feeling the familiar jerk of the locking lock.
And then something pulls Brian to look back at the window. He looks out the second-floor window of the house across the street again. This time he is sure he sees a face looking at him.
- You again. - Brian whispers, almost ready to hear the answer.
Instead, the head moves closer to the window, practically sticking to the glass. His hands, folded in circles, are pressed to his eyes like binoculars. Brian does the same thing. He sees a boy about his age.
The boys stand facing each other with their hands pressed to their faces, looking at each other for an amazingly long time. When Brian is already getting tired of this staring game, the boy presses a yellow sheet torn from a notebook against the glass, illuminated from the back by a flashlight beam. There was an inscription on the sheet, written in huge letters so that Brian could read what was written there.
"THE BALL LOCK PICK WAS A GOOD IDEA."
Brian looks at his kit and a bunch of lock picks as if he has been exposed, but instead of confusion, he feels joy. It seems this boy from the house across the street knows something about locks. Brian reaches for a piece of paper and for the marker he used to sign the boxes. After thinking a little, the next second he lights up his own note with a flashlight.
"IT'S TURNING AROUND. I NEED SOMETHING STRONGER"
Boy smiles and nods, then shows a new piece of paper.
"COME BACK TOMORROW."
Brian nods, and he pulls down the curtain, leaving green-eyed standing with a flashlight in one hand and a marker in the other. Brian goes back to bed, looks at the ceiling. Dad's voice is heard in his head.
"Bond City will become your home."
Maybe. There's a windowsill to sit on, and a boy across the street who understands the difference between diamond and ball lock picks. But this is only a small part of what will happen next.
16 hours 5 minutes
Alex and Richard were sitting in the bushes. It's been almost a year and a half since they almost killed William. They were never found, and the robbers quietly continued to walk free. However, yesterday there was a terrible incident with missing children in the pizzeria, and because of this, no one else wanted to go to the pizzeria, so the building is empty. It was a good reason for Alex and Richard.
- So, there's no one around, so go ahead! - Alex pulled a black mask over his face.
- Wait, maybe we don't need to? - Richard stopped him.
- What? - Alex didn't understand.
- Well, the children are missing there... What if the police come?
- Richard, since when have you become so skittish? Let's go already! - Alex pulled him along.
Men pulled masks over their faces and came out of the bushes.
16 hours 6 minutes
There were voices outside and the sound of a door opening. The children froze for a second. Elizabeth immediately jumped up and ran to see what was going on there.
- Elizabeth, stop! - Cassidy jumped up. - They'll see you...
- Cassidy, have you forgotten? - girl turned to him. - We are ghosts! No one will see us!
- A. - Cassidy really forgot about it.
After leaving the workshop, the children went to the source of the sound. They saw two men in black masks shining a flashlight and apparently looking for something to steal.
- Listen, maybe we can steal some parts of the robots in the workshop? - Alex suggested to his friend.
- And what are we going to do with them?
- Like what? We'll sell it! Actually, you can earn a lot of money on them!
- Okay, go ahead. I'm going to check the kitchen.
The children immediately realized that they were robbers.
- Okay, they won't take away the animatronics, but they can take away robot parts and our food! - Olivia panicked.
- We have to stop them somehow! - Cassidy shouted.
- But how? - Olivia asked.
- Don't panic! Have you forgotten? We are big iron animatronics that can crush anyone! - Gabriel pointed at the robots.
- You know, I have an idea... - Elizabeth smiled maliciously.
16 hours 10 minutes
Richard found a pizza in the kitchen. Half-eaten. The robber smiled and began to put the food in a bag. A minute later, Richard heard some kind of rumbling. The robber was a little scared, because Alex couldn't rattle like that. The source of the sound was getting closer, and the man became even more afraid of this realization.
A huge animatronic entered the room. It was a funny Chica the chicken with her cupcake named Carl. They both looked at the man.
- Carl, look at this! Today we have pizza with juicy meat for dinner! - the robot spoke in its squeaky voice and began to slowly approach the robber.
Richard was in shock. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to scream, but he was afraid that the robot would immediately pounce.
At this time, Alex was collecting robot parts in a bag. Which ones caught his eye, he immediately took. Realizing that his bag no longer fits, Alex was about to leave, but Bonnie blocked his exit. Slowly raising his head, Alex looked at the robot with black eyes and white dots with an idiotic smile.
- Oh... - said the robber. - And I was about to leave...
Bonnie only shouted at him loudly in response, so much so that even the children almost went deaf.
16 hours 20 minutes
Alex and Richard were trapped. First they somehow escaped from Bonnie and Chica, then Freddy chased them, Foxy almost bit off Richard's head! And then there was the Golden Freddy, who also scared the men a lot.
Now Alex and Richard were in a desperate situation. All five animatronics and the Shadow Freddy and Bonnie surrounded them. The robbers did not know what to do or if they would survive at all. But besides, the children also did not know what to do next. They weren't going to kill them, they just wanted to scare them.
- Help us! Please save us! - Richard sobbed and began to scream. Alex followed suit.
- Then promise us you'll never steal anything again. - Elizabeth's soul appeared in front of people. She didn't look in the best condition. Her face was torn up to the eyes, which scared the men.
- We promise, we promise! Just please spare us! - Alex fell to his knees, followed by Richard.
- Okay. Now get lost. - Lisa said, and the robbers immediately fled through the back exit.
20 hours 55 minutes
- These thieves were so cowardly that they even cried. - Spencer recalled.
- Oh, you'd cry too if you were in their shoes. - Olivia said.
- And I feel sorry for them a little... - Naomi said. - And at least they can escape from the pizzeria, not like us.
- Don't worry, we will definitely get out of here. - Elizabeth encouraged her. - You just have to wait. Soon our life will be even better.