Resident Evil Village: Alice Winters DLC

by CosmoK13

What was supposed to have been a heart-felt reunion between family, turned into a fairy tale of nightmares. Ethan Winters is once again forced to face many horrors to rescue his loved ones. This time, with the aid of his sister, Alice. The siblings must work together to escape the Village of Shadows. Or face the wrath of the monsters lurking in the darkness.

26. Chapter 26

Author's Note: Konichiwa Fellow Otaku's, CosmoK13 here. I'm back again with RE Village Alice Winters, part 2! As mentioned in my last update, I'm going to be making two more parts for this series, each one having 24 chapters per part. So there are 48 chapters left before the end of this series. I also wanted to wait until the DLC came out and… though I am a bit disappointed in said DLC, it did give me some ideas for where I want the next sections to go. This second part is less action and adventure, and more on the puzzles and further story elements, so it might not be as exciting as the last part, but I want to make it up with character and story development. Also, if you have seen the recent changes in some of the chapters in the first part, the backstory of Alice and Ethan have changed. It will be more elaborated here, so with that said, I won't delay this story any longer. Enjoy part two of Resident Evil Village, Alice Winters DLC Part Two.

Chapter 1-1 Ethan Winters

The rain came down lightly from the sky, as it hit the windows of the new house that the Winters would be sheltered in for the time being. It was dark out despite it still being early into the evening. The clouds covered any trace of the sky, and hid any light that would be showered down onto them. At the moment, the man of the establishment was stationed at a desk within his office. Most of his things were already set up, but he was only interested in the screen belonging to his computer. His sclera's were bloodshot with dark bags under the eyes, indicating his lack of sleep over the past five days. He found himself being isolated in the room, looking over the messages and videos that he saved from his phone and laptop. He checked over the last message from his sister that was sent to him via email, and used a voice enhancer to make the words come to life.

'Ethan, hey! Hope you haven't forgotten about me! Alice Winters, your baby sister?! I know we haven't seen each other in many years, but surely you must remember my face. I wanted to let you know that I'm all set to go. I got my ticket and flight booked. If all goes well I should be in the country by the 8th. First thing I'll do once I get there is go see you. I hope you, Mia and little Rose are ready for me, cause my mind is already made up. And I hope you keep your end of the bargain and tell me everything that happened to you. I don't want anymore secrets and lies Ethan. Please, I'm not a kid anymore. You don't have to protect me. Anyways, I better get going, got some more things to pack. See you in a few days.' Even though it wasn't her voice, Ethan just wanted to make it seem like she was still with him. He held his forehead in his hand, as the arm was resting on the desk from the elbow. All he could think about was how excited Alice must have been to come to Europe and meet her brother and his family. In all honesty, Ethan was looking forward to it as well.

The middle-aged man went to another folder, with an audio log of a message he left to his sibling the day before everything went to shit. When he played it, he mouthed the words he said as he remembered it all. "Hey Alice, sorry for not returning any of your messages. I didn't mean to brush you off, a lot is happening. Mia and I had another fight tonight. I accidentally mentioned what happened three years ago and she blew up at me. We finally settled down in our new life here in Europe to help bring Rose up properly. I know things have been calm and it all should feel like a nightmare but… I still feel like a part of me is trapped in that hell hole back in Louisiana. Mia doesn't like to talk about it, neither do I. But we can't just forget everything and pretend it didn't happen. I want to face what happened there so we can live our lives with Rose without it hanging over our heads. We owe her that much at least… I know Mia knows it as well, otherwise she wouldn't have exploded like that at the hospital. Sorry for springing this on you, but I feel I can talk about it over the phone rather than in person. I don't want Mia to hear and be even more upset. I really can't wait for you to come here… it'll be nice to have you back in my life. Maybe a familiar face is what I need to clear my mind…"

He tried so hard to not let the tears fall from his eyes, so he resorted to biting his lip. Blood was drawn from the skin, as pain and regret was all he felt the more he read over these messages while the passage of time marched forward. It seemed like only yesterday that he had control over the mess that was his life. He felt he could have lived a normal life with his family, only for the universe to be cruel and take it all away again. It made Ethan wonder, did he deserve to be happy? Should he even have such a luxurious life with his wife, kid and sister? He thought after what he had been through, it was the least fate could give him as a reward. Yet, it continued to be taken from him just when he was settling down.

His eyes looked back over to the files, seeing another one he kept on hand within his harddrive. Against his better judgment, he decided to click on it and be brought back to the past, before he was thrusted into a world of mutiny and mayhem. On the video he saw the open sea, waves crashing in the background before a woman appeared with a smile. Her brown hair flowed in curls as they reached past her shoulders, the strands matched her eyes. "Hey baby! I just wanted to send a quick "hello" and "I love you."" Mia spoke through the camera, sending a message to Ethan, the second to last one he saw before she disappeared many years ago. "Oh! Good news! I'm gonna be coming home soon! Yay!" She clapped in excitement, her grin spreading as it revealed her pearly teeth. She then sighed in exhaustion, staring at the camera lens. "I cannot wait to be done with this babysitting job. And come home to my loving husband." She stared with longing eyes, as if she was homesick. But Ethan knew now it was because she was hiding something, and it was due to such a secret that it nearly cost them their lives, and sanity. "I miss you." That part he did believe, as the love between them was true. If only she had been honest with everything else. Mia turned to the left, as if she heard something before gazing back at the computer. "I gotta get back to work. I love you, Ethan. I miss you so much. I'm sending tons of kisses." She started to make kissy noises, indicating her passion for her husband, while keeping that facade. "Bye baby!" She waved to him before the message ended.

Ethan closed the tab of the movie and sighed again, both out of frustration and exhaustion. So much time had passed yet none of the wounds seemed to heal. They just continued to fester until something came along and reopened them, making the trauma worse. Maybe he will never get better. Perhaps he was just doomed to suffer in some way. His thoughts were interrupted upon his ears catching the sound of cries. Whipping his head to the door, the husband and father bolted from his chair and ran from his office, across the hallway into the bedroom. "Rose?!" He gasped at the top of his lungs, eyes darting over to the corner of the area, a dedicated nursery for the toddler. He rushed towards the crib, panting as his six month-old daughter was becoming fussy while waking up. Her green eyes, full of innocence, opened up so she could see her father standing over her.

As Ethan looked down at his child, he sighed out of relief and picked her up. She was crying while he held her in his arms, so he attempted to calm her down. "Shh… it's okay Rose. You're safe…" He reassured her in a gentle demeanor. He rocked her in his hold, trying to ease her crying. The youngest Winters seemed to have bought it, as she began to hiccup and giggle while being in her father's arms. The adrenaline flowed out of Ethan's body, and he had to sit down at the edge of the bed to keep himself steady. "I'm here Rose… no one's going to take you…" He told his daughter, rubbing her back as he tried to stop her hiccups. He was mostly reassuring himself more than her, since Rose was still young and didn't understand what he was saying or what had happened. Chances are, due to her infant memory, Rose wouldn't even know the events of the Village or what happened to her. That helped to ease Ethan because that meant she wouldn't have to deal with the trauma, but he was still worried about her physical health.

"Ethan?" The man jumped yet again, quickly turning to the door where he saw a woman with brown hair and eyes staring at him. Concern written on her face as she stood in the frame. It took a moment for him to realize it was only Mia and not some monster.
"I… uh… heard her crying. I thought that… someone…" Ethan tried to explain, but lacked the function to form a proper sentence. He turned from his wife back down to his daughter, as she seemed to have finally settled but was wide awake.

"I put her in her crib for a moment to finish up dinner." Mia explained, not approaching Ethan at first due to how jumpy he was. "I was coming up to get you both."

The blond man heard her, and when she mentioned dinner, he got curious about the time. Turning his head to the nightstand, he saw the clock and read the numbers. "It's only six…" He realized not sure if it was late or early for him. At this rate, time was pretty much just non-consistent with him.

"I know… but maybe we could go to bed early tonight. The last few days have been exhausting between moving and… everything else." Mia was vague with the details about the event that transpired, but they both knew what she was talking about. She didn't want to bring it up, since there was still one loose end involving the Village.

Ethan stood up with Rose and nodded. "I'll come down in a minute. I just need to finish something." He lied, wanting to head back to his computer and look over the messages again. The only comfort he had, yet it proved to give him more harm.

"Ethan…" Mia looked at her husband. "You can do your work after. Please… take a break." She urged. Ethan looked back at the brunette, hesitant to answer her. He seemed ready to say no, but she interrupted. "I know you're worried, but being held up in the office is only making your mental health worse. I want to help you Ethan, but I know I'm the last person you want to be with. And the last one who can help you."

"Mia…" Now Ethan felt guilt in him as he realized he was hurting her with his self-pity. Sure, she also suffered, but he felt like he took the biggest hit. Then again, comparing the pain wasn't a good coping mechanism either.

"I just want you to know… you're not alone. And… I want to be more honest with you. But I'm scared that if you know the truth, it might break you further." Mia had always been one to hide secrets. Back when she was working under the bio-terrorist group called 'The Connections' and maybe even now, when she was worried about Rose but she tended to avoid those subjects. Yet the pain in her voice and the breaking of her eyes indicated that she was tired of the classification. It seemed Mia wanted to open up, despite the consequences that would come with the truth.

Ethan realized in that moment he was not the only one exhausted and paranoid. The male Winters reached a hand out, placing it on Mia's shoulder. She looked between the hands then up at him. With his baggy lids, he managed to force a small smile onto his lips. "Let's head down to eat… then get some rest." He suggested. Hearing that made Mia beam, as it was the first step Ethan was willing to take to try and recover mentally. Of course, they had a long way to go and there was no guarantee that they would ever fully recover. Yet any progress was still good progress, as long as they were moving forward.

Ethan carried Rose as he and Mia went down the stairs and went to the kitchen. As he looked around the house, he noticed how everything had finally been set up. Pictures and frames hung on the walls, furniture was stationed in their designated areas, and they had managed to get the layout of the house down in their memories. It was still an adjustment, but they were trying to make the most of it. Once they were in the kitchen, Ethan saw the set up of food on the table. His nose caught the whiff of slated fries and grilled beef. Seeing the spread made his mouth water, and light was shining in his pupils. "Woah… this looks good." He admits. Mia went over and took Rose from Ethan, then placed their daughter in her high chair. Ethan sat at the table, noticing the logo on the paper bag the food came from. "Is this… Grill 13?!"

Mia smiled as she looked over at Ethan's surprised face. "I remember you used to go there a lot back in your hometown. Plus, with everything I figured some nostalgia food might help."

Ethan grabbed one of the burgers and chuckled, seeing the juices of the meat mix with the cheese and vegetables. "Where did you get this?"

"Well, it turns out the chain has a few restaurants set up around Europe and there was one not too far from here. I asked Emily if she would be willing to get some for tonight, and told her it was a special occasion. Sounds like she was familiar with it since the Hound Wolf Squad tends to get some orders there." Mia explained.

"Guess they aren't a fan of European food either…" Ethan remarked, taking the wrapper and using it as a plate to set the burger and fries down. His smile didn't fade, which Mia took it as a good sign. "This is great… thank you, Mia."

The brunette took that as a win, as small as it was. "You'll also have to thank Emily for getting it." She added. Mia then began to get Rose's food settled, as she wanted to feed her daughter before herself. She went to the counter and poured the crushed up food into a small plate with a spoon. Ethan noticed that she was using a jar from the store, rather than the homemade stuff she tended to craft.

"Glad to see all the food we bought is being used." He commented.

Mia sighed as she brought the plate over. "Haven't really had much time to make it from scratch." She admits. "I forgot how much was left over… Thankfully they aren't close to expiring."

"Well, I don't think Rose will mind." Ethan tried to reassure. Mia brought the mushed up food to Rose's face, yet the baby turned away from the spoon and became slightly fussy. No matter what angle Mia tried, Rose refused to eat any. "Guess I spoke too soon…"

"Must have been too spoiled with the home made stuff…" Mia shook her head in amusement.

"Well, you do have a knack for cooking…" Ethan chuckled, then looked back at the burger he had. "Most of the time."

Mia rolled her eyes at the comment. "I'll see if we kept any of the ones I made in the closet. Try to eat as much as you can, then you can head upstairs and get some sleep." Mia ordered gently, before she headed towards the closet and began to search for the food.

Ethan sighed, watching her go before he turned his attention to the burger. He took a bite out of it, savoring the flavors of the patty. It brought him back to when he lived in the Arklay Mountains. It felt like a lifetime ago, and even though it ended in disaster and trauma, it was part of who he was. And there were some good memories that came out of that place, which he wished he could go back to. After taking a few bites from his burger, he noticed Rose was making a mess of the food she was given. "Rose…" Ethan sighed with a hint of a giggle. He quickly got up and went over to her. "Hey little lady, just because you don't like the food, doesn't mean you can take it out on it." He scolded her lightly, picking her up out of the high chair and checking out what she did. The toddler managed to get some of the mushed up fruits onto her face and clothes.

"Quite a mess you made… looks like someone is going to get a late night bath." Ethan realized. Rose giggled as she was picked up and being talked to by her father. Hearing her laugh and seeing how happy she was made Ethan feel relieved. Despite everything that happened, he was grateful he still had some people in his life that meant the most to him. His smile faded, as he realized that not everyone he loved could be here with him now.

His ears picked up the distinct sound of the landline, which made Ethan turn and was ready to go to it. The only ones who called now were the HWS, and he waited for any of their calls to see if there was any news about his sister. He was just about to head there, but when he turned the corner, Mia was there and picked up the phone. "Hello?" Mia spoke in the end, while Ethan listened in. "Oh! Dr. Anastasia!" Mia smiled as she talked on the phone. Hearing that name piqued Ethan's interest, since she was the lead scientist for the Hound Wolf Squad and was trying to stop the B.O.W's that were in the area. The same ones that he and his sister had to fight.

"Yeah, we finally managed to settle down here." Mia kept speaking into the phone. "Most of the stuff is put away, but there's probably a couple more boxes to unpack…. Yeah, we're doing fine for the most part. At least… I am. Ethan is… well…" She trailed off, not able to finish her sentence. Ethan couldn't really blame her, in all fairness. He had been in his own world after they escaped the Village and lost his sister. He wanted to go back to being happy and optimistic, just like before when they had Rose and moved to Europe. Now, with how personal things have gotten, even he was starting to become agitated like Mia did.

"I'm trying to be strong for him, Dr. Anastasia. But he's worried about Alice. We all are." Mia admitted. There was silence for a while, as Mia was listening to the person on the other end. "...I see…" Mia sighed, as if she had been told something not too optimistic. "At least some progress is being made…" Progress? Were the Hound Wolf Squad getting closer to stopping Miranda? If so, that must mean they were near the possibility of rescuing Alice. "Yes, I'll let Ethan know. And if he doesn't get better, I'll have him contact you. Maybe some therapy would do him some good." Mia promised. Therapy? As if talking to someone who already knew his predicament would be able to help. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, he wanted to do something and help his little sister. But… What could he do? "Call us if there's any other updates, Dr. Anastasia. Take care." Mia hung up the phone, sighing as she seemed exhausted. Though she couldn't complain, as she knew who was truly suffering in this house. Mrs. Winters turned on her heels, ready to head back to the dining room.

She didn't have to go far, as she looked up to see her husband holding their messy daughter. Ethan jumped when they saw each other, though he wasn't scared. "Uh… Rose got a bit too handsy with her food…" He held out their child. Mia looked at the toddler, reaching over and holding her.

Rose babbled as she was covered in the mushy food, which made Mia roll her eyes. "Looks like someone is getting a bath tonight…"

Ethan put on a smile for a moment, seeing how much of a trouble maker the young one was. He could only imagine the kind of messes she would find herself in when she got older. At least that was a long way away. "Did you find any of that handmade food?" He asked her.

"I think I'm going to have to make some more…" Mia stated. She carried Rose into the kitchen with Ethan following her. She went to the counters and grabbed the items needed to make the food for Rose. "At least now with everything unpacked, it's easier to get things." Mia noted, chopping up the bananas. "Banana puree should be good for tonight. I'll make some more tomorrow…" Mia stated. "I'll have to make sure we have Rose's favorites…"

Ethan set Rose in her chair so she could be ready to eat. "Rice cereal, bananas, sweet potato, boiled spinach and cream…" He listed off all the things that their daughter would eat. "She certainly has quite an appetite."

Mia mused as she diced the fruit. "She is definitely your daughter." She mocked. Ethan looked offended at that remark, but he felt a smile finding its way on his lips once more. The two became quiet, as Mia kept making the food for Rose. Ethan thought back to the phone conversation, curiosity getting the better of him.

"So… what did Dr. Anastasia want?" He finally asked, needing to know what updates have been going on.

Mia turned her head a bit so she could see her husband, before asking her own question. "Do you want the good news first or the bad?"

Ethan rubbed his chin as he pondered the thought. He had a feeling the bad was mostly related to his sister, so he'd rather save that to the end. And with everything that had happened, he wanted something to make him optimistic. "Guess I'll start with the good, given what my recent mood has been."

Mia had a feeling he would pick that, and started to explain as she continued to make Rose's dinner. "Dr. Anastasia says that she is making progress with her antifungal serum. She's experimenting her theories and notes to create the serum and will start testing it to see if it will destroy the Megamycete."

Ethan was surprised to have learned how fast she managed to set up her experiments. It hadn't even been a week since Anastasia got the samples of the mold for her to create an antifungal batch, so the fact she was already in the serum-making process… "I'm starting to wonder if that woman even sleeps…" Ethan muttered. Mia giggled at his joke, but thought the same thing. "So… did she say when it will be ready?"

"If all goes well in terms of testing, she says the antifungal will be ready by the end of the month. They're helping her as much as they can, but they have limited resources. Still, their plan is to finish the serum and infiltrate the Village. If they can destroy the Megamycete, then they'll have a chance against Miranda."

That was music to Ethan's ears, as he wanted nothing more than to see the destruction of that vile woman. She was the reason he and his family had been through such trauma. Not only did she kidnap Mia and replace her, but she also took Rose and chopped his daughter up as part of a sick experiment. And as for his sister… "Any news on Alice?" Ethan asked, knowing that he would have to be told the bad news.

Mia lost her cheerful demeanor as she had to give it to Ethan straight. "There's still no sign of Alice or any new information about her whereabouts. But they believe she must still be within the Village." Mia admitted. Hearing that made Ethan feel his stomach sink. He supposed it was better than the alternative of finding out she was dead, but not knowing what happened to Alice was just as anxious. He looked away, remembering those five words she told Ethan before heading back to the Village: I promise I'll come back.

Mia turned around to see her husband, as he was becoming depressed again. Nothing Mia could do or say could help ease the pain of his lost sister. Mia wondered if this was how Ethan felt when she went missing in Louisiana. New wound, same pain. "She'll be alright, Ethan." Mia approached, beginning to speak. Even if she couldn't reach him, the least she could do was try. "She's a Winters after all, we're known for surviving nightmarish hellscapes. And she's survived way longer in the Village than we did. She saved us, and she can take care of herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she was doing everything she could to get back to us." Considering the lengths Alice had to go through just to be with Ethan and his family before they were taken by Redfield, Mia wasn't far off.

Ethan tried to believe her, but his intrusive thoughts were unable to simmer down. Just having only been in a room with those Lords and Miranda, as well as knowing what they were capable of, was enough reason to doubt Alice's safety. Both her and him struggled trying to take down one of the Lords, if the four teamed up they would overwhelm her. Not to mention there was Miranda herself, whose powers were vague to Ethan at this point. All he knew was that Miranda could shape shift and have control over the Megamycete. But what else could she do?

"Alright, the food is done." Mia held up the jar of banana puree she made. "Hopefully this is what Rose wants."

"Should we… give it a try?" Ethan offered. Mia looked at him, knowing he still had his sister on his mind. But if she could give him a moment's distraction it was the least she could do, to help put his mind at ease for a while. They headed over to their daughter, still covered in the previous food. Ethan took the newly made puree and scooped up a spoonful of the yellow mush. Rose looked at the incoming utensil, moving closer as she captured it with her lips. Ethan pulled back the spoon, watching as Rose swallowed the dinner. The young girl giggled excitedly, while her parents were pleased. "Finally got some in you rather than on you." Ethan chuckled, happy to see his child eating.

"Note to self, make more handmade baby food." Mia stated, taking over the feeding for Ethan. "You go and finish up your dinner, I'll feed Rose and then take her up for a bath." Mia told him. Ethan wanted to protest, but he figured it was easier to pick and choose his battles at this point. And seeing Rose eat actually made him hungry. He went back to his seat, attempting to finish his burger and fries. They were colder now that he had waited a while, but he still devoured most of the food as it was the only taste of home he had in so many years. He kept his eyes on Mia, watching her feed Rose who was happily feasting upon the homemade food her mother made. At such a moment, Ethan would have believed that they were having a normal day and being an average family. It made him forget all of the trauma and loss for just a moment. But he knew that reality would come crashing down on him eventually, and be reminded of what was missing.

Setting his half eaten burger down, Ethan stood up from the table and spoke. "Thanks for the meal, Mia."

The brunette looked up at her husband, seeing him dawning a smile. She had a feeling it was a forced one, but at least it was a grin regardless. "If you want to head to bed, you can. I'll be there once I give Rose a bath and tuck her in." Mia stated, picking up Rose's bowl and spoon, ready to wash them.

"I could give her a bath…" He volunteered.

Mia raised a brow at the blond. "Ethan… you need to rest. You've barely gotten any sleep the last few nights."

"You haven't slept much either…" He pointed out. Mia didn't respond, and while that statement held some truths, Ethan's insomnia was from a different source. The male Winters looked between his wife and child, not sensing any hostility or unnatural energy. "I just… I don't want to wake up and find you two gone again." He muttered, having ptsd from when they were taken away the first time by Chris. He was terrified of history repeating itself, especially with Miranda still on the loose. Sure, he doubted that the witch would try the same trick twice, but they couldn't be too careful knowing what was lurking out there for them.

Mia had a feeling that was the cause for Ethan's agitation. It was easy to say she wasn't Miranda, but she didn't blame Ethan for not believing it subconsciously. Mia stepped over to him, trying to find a solution. "How about this? You go to the bedroom and sleep for an hour. If Rose and I aren't there by that time, then you can come back down and find us. Alright?" Mia suggested, trying to reassure Ethan that if anything happens, he can go to her and be as worried as he wants.

Somehow, that deal did make him feel a bit better. And one hour of sleep wouldn't be too long. With a curt nod, he agreed. Ethan went over to Rose, placing a hand on her head as she responded with a chuckle. "Get cleaned up and head to bed soon, young lady. Tomorrow, we'll have a full day of fun and activities." He promised her. Ethan grinned again as he kept hearing her laughter, making him feel warm and fuzzy, as fatherhood helped to sooth his aching wounds. Mia began to pick up the kitchen, wanting to clean it before getting Rose her nightly bath. The blond headed out, going up the stairs as he trailed himself towards his bedroom. Even though he didn't want to rest, his body was beginning to feel the effects of insomnia. "You'd think I would be used to running on a few hours of sleep at this point." He told himself, realizing how often he had to deal with stress-inducing environments without catching that long of a break. Therefore, it was weird for him to actually be getting any rest and relaxation at all. Hence why he had been running around the last few days without getting the much needed sleep, despite being in a safe territory.

He managed to get back to the bedroom, sighing as he dragged himself towards the bed and fell onto the mattress face first. The moment his head hit the pillow, his eyes started to get droopy as they were being cushioned. A yawn escaped Ethan's mouth, while his body was starting to go numb. "Guess I'm more tired than I thought…" He finally admitted. "I'm sure if Alice saw me, she would hound me for not taking care of myself." Thinking about his sister once again brought him to a state of sadness. His green eyes looked up at the bedside table, gazing upon a globe with a golden rose inside as the petals were in full bloom. Mia told Ethan it was a gift the Duke from the Village gave to her, as a farewell present from what he heard. It was a beautiful item, Ethan had to admit. And if it was from the Duke, it seemed harmless enough. Staring at the flower somehow calmed Ethan, as if the rose itself reassured him. "I hope you'll look out for Alice, Duke. If she is still in the Village…" At least there was an ally that Alice could confide in should she still be lost within that hellscape.

The Winters started to close his eyes, allowing the softness of the pillows and blankets to take over as it lured his body to sleep. While he was drifting, the room was dark except for the glowing gold of the rose within its globe. It was faint, dusty gold, but it still casted a light show around the walls, furniture and Ethan. The young man kept falling deeper into the trance, as his body was being engulfed by the shine from the Merchants' gift. The room grew brighter, but Ethan didn't notice this at first. Strings of the glowing flower covered the man and room, morphing it into a sequence of the past.

After what felt like many hours, the blond began to wake up. He felt much better rested but still had a bit of a headache from lack of sleep. He groaned as he began to get up from the bed, holding his temple to try and ease the pain. "Of course my body rewards me for finally taking care of it, by giving me a small migraine." He sighed. After his head started to clear, he looked over to find his phone, checking to see if his alarm he set went off. When he picked it up, he tapped on the screen but it was black. No matter how many buttons he pushed, he couldn't get the home screen to function. "The hell? I could have sworn I charged this…" He set the device down, checking around the room as he realized how dark it was. He could still see outlines of furniture and the walls, but it was hard to make out any details. How long had he been asleep? He turned to the side of the bed, wondering if Mia had come in to lay with him. He was all alone in bed. The blond man reached towards the lamp, attempting to get some light into the area so he could see better. When he turned the knob, it did not turn on just like his phone. He became slightly annoyed and concerned. "Why aren't the lights working?"

Ethan jumped out of bed, knowing he wouldn't get any answers while staying on the mattress. In the blackness, he made his way over to Rose's crib, looking inside but did not see the toddler. The Winters started to become panicked once more, as neither his wife or daughter were in the bedroom. "Rose?! Mia?!" He called out, but there was no answer. He decided it was better for him to look around the house, trying not to jump to conclusions. The Winters walked towards the door, grabbed the handle and turned it to be taken to a hall. But it was not one from his own house.

When he walked outside, he noticed the hallway had different colored walls of pale yellow instead of dirty white. The floors were a soft carpet rather than a hardwood oak. The man was confused when he saw the corridor, it wasn't like his house at all. "What?" He breathed, looking around in confusion. He took a few steps out, checking the area as it looked familiar to him. His eyes noticed the frames hanging on the wall, but it was the pictures that caught his attention. Instead of images of Ethan with his family of Mia and Rose, he saw the photos of his old family with his parents and Alice when the siblings were much younger. Where did these come from? He didn't hang them up on the walls when they moved. He stared at them, awed in the past as he saw how happy they all looked together as a group of four. He started to reach up, wanting to touch the frame. He stopped upon seeing his hand, realizing that the arm was much smaller now and wearing different clothes. He checked his body, alarmed when he appeared to have shrunk! "W-what!?" He covered his mouth, even his voice sounded different, like a child!

He nearly jumped upon hearing a beeping from the other room. Though he was hesitant to approach, he knew he needed to figure out what was happening. Against his better judgment, Ethan walked towards the end of the hallway in his younger body. He braced himself as he turned the corner, being taken to a kitchen with the same colored walls as the hallway. His eyes widened when he saw a larger man standing over a microwave. The older man before him had features similar to Ethan, blond hair and green eyes. He had on a black t-shirt and gray jeans as his hands were holding a bowl of steaming popcorn. Ethan stayed where he was, his eyes not being taken away from the man who stood before him.

The older of the two looked at the boy, cracking a smile. "Well look who finally decided to come out of his room." He chuckled lightly. Ethan kept his wide eyes upon the guy, as memories of his past came flooding back into his mind.

"D…Dad?" He whispered, trying to process everything.

The man set the bowl of popcorn on the counter before he went to the refrigerator, opening the door and going through the shelves. "And here I thought you were too old for family movie nights. At least that's what you told me before you shut yourself in your room after dinner." He chuckled, grabbing some soda cans from the cold storage.

There were many thoughts swarming around in Ethan's mind. Where was he? Was this all a dream? What happened to him? Why was his father, who had been dead for many years, standing before him? Even though he should have been somewhat disturbed and baffled due to the circumstances, he found himself frozen to the ground. He stared at the man who had raised him when he was born, being able to see him in the flesh after so long. He should have had so many things to say, but he could not use his voice for some reason. "What's that look for?" The older Winters asked his son. His eyebrow arched as a grin was plastered on his lips, showing off his carefree attitude.

Without thinking, Ethan ran over to his father in his tiny body. He wrapped his arms around the man's waist, hugging him tightly as he had longed to feel his family. He didn't say anything, he embraced the man as that familiar warmth he felt when he was younger came rushing back into him. Reminding Ethan of his younger days, when he was innocent and hadn't experienced any horrors in reality. The older Winters was caught off guard from this action, but he didn't pry his son off either. "Woah! Where did this come from?" He joked. Ethan admitted that he wasn't the most affectionate when he was younger, and it followed him even to his current age. It was something he regretted throughout his life, that lack of sentiment he hardly gave to his family. It made them drifting apart even more difficult, as it proved to Ethan how he took his parents and sister for granted back then. Thomas was patient with his son, patting his head and returning that hug. After he set the sodas on the counter, he held onto Ethan. "If this is your way of apologizing, I accept." He told Ethan.

The young boy looked up at his father, trying his best not to cry even though he wanted to. He was seeing his dad again, for the first time in so long. That rugged beard, those green eyes and that golden blond messy hair… it was all there! And when he touched his father around the waist, that feeling of warmth made Ethan surprised at how real it all felt. Was this truly a dream, or had he woken up from a nightmare lasting many decades, and came back to the reality he craved for so long?

"Dad! What's taking so long?" A high-pitch voice belonging to a girl called out. This caught Ethan's attention, as he turned to find the source of who was speaking. A young girl entered the kitchen, wearing her purple polka-dotted night shirt and pants. Her hair of sunshine was put up in twin pigtails, showcasing her age as an elementary schooler. She couldn't have been any older than eight years. Despite the difference in pitch, Ethan recognized who it was.

"Sorry sweetie, your brother here decided to come out of his room." Thomas Winters explained.

Ethan pulled away from his father, staring at the younger version of his sister. Despite the questions, he kept them down as he went over to her. "A-Alice…"

The girl tilted her head, confused as she stared at her older brother. "You're acting more weird than usual…" She commented.

That only made Ethan chuckle more, as he reached over and patted her head. "Heh… I feel better than ever to be honest." He began to rub her hair, which made Alice try to push his hand away in slight annoyance. Ethan kept that smile in his teenage state, a sense of bliss in the air that he was relishing in.

"Are you sure you're doing alright, son?" Thomas questioned. "You seem a lot more cheerful than usual. Not that I want to complain, but it just isn't like you."

The son of the family turned to his father. He knew he didn't act this way before… at least when they were still living in their home town. But, given everything that had happened, he wanted to spend time with the family he lost the first time around. "I just… I felt bad about…"

"Being mean?" Alice finished for him. Even back then, she was pretty sassy.

Ethan nodded in her direction. "Yeah… so, if it's alright, do you have room for one more for your movie?"

Thomas and Alice raised a brow towards the other Winters. Even if Ethan had a gut feeling that this wasn't real, he still wanted this dreamscape to be a positive experience. The father of the siblings looked over at his youngest. "What do you think, Alice?"

The girl hummed as she stared at her brother, tapping her chin. She was hesitant to answer, making Ethan agitated as he wanted to know what his little sister thought. Eventually, she placed her hands behind her back as a smile grew on her lips. "I'll allow Ethan to join us… if he allows me to pick the movie!" She decided.

The brother figured there would be some strings attached to this deal. Even so, he managed his own grin and gave a nod. "Alright…"

Alice giggled, rushing towards the living room for her to pick the film out. Thomas mused as he watched his daughter head out while he looked back at his son. "You really are in a rare mood today, considering the movies Alice usually picks out."

Ethan turned to his father, marveling at him as he couldn't believe he was right in front of him. The brother of the Winters rubbed his neck as he let down his guard. "Well… I haven't been a great brother in… a long time. So, I want to try and fix that if it's not too late."

Thomas mused at his son's response. "There's always time to fix what has been broken, but it depends on how much effort you put in, and how much trust that person has in you." He gave his wisdom to his son, which Ethan took to heart. The moment between father and son was interrupted when the landline on one of the walls in the kitchen rang. Thomas set the drinks down, then handed the bowl of popcorn to his son before he went over and picked up the receiver. "Winters residence." He responded. "...Sheryl? Yeah, we were about to get ready to watch a movie. When will you be home?..." Ethan listened in on the conversation, wondering who he was talking to at first, but began to make a guess. "...It's that serious?" Thomas sounded concerned, as he held onto the cord and handle of the phone. "I thought you said it was some kind of flu?" He questioned, letting the one on the other end speak. "...No, the kids are fine. No sign of shaking, sweating or increased appetite…" He explained. "Yeah, I'm fine too… Look, I'm coming over there to check up on you." He declared. "No argument. I want to make sure that you are gonna be set in case you have to pull an all-nighter… The kids will be fine, Ethan is fourteen, he's old enough to be by himself while looking after his sister. I'll get your stuff, go there, and come right back…" He wasn't going to be persuaded, as he was adamant on doing what he planned to. "...I'll see you in an hour…I love you." He hung up the phone back on the port, then turned to his son.

The young Ethan stared at his father, confused and slightly worried. "Was that… mom?" he hesitated to ask, mainly because he was scared that the answer would be correct.

Thomas gave a nod to his son. "Yeah, looks like this sickness going around is a lot more serious than the pharmaceutical company thought. They're trying to figure out what it is, but so far it seems like it's worse than the flu." Hearing that made Ethan's blood run cold. All of this sounded familiar, but he dare not speak about it since he wasn't sure how to explain it without looking crazy. Plus, there was a part of him that didn't want his theory to be true. "Anyways, she'll be staying late tonight to try and figure this out while getting the right medication in order. It's pretty much all hands on deck over there. I'm going to bring her a change of clothes and some food in case she will be there until morning."

Ethan didn't like that idea, as it was all too familiar to him. "But dad-" He tried to protest, only to be cut off.

"I need you to watch your sister. I'll be gone for at most two hours." Thomas instructed. "Can you tell Alice about this?"

As much as Ethan wanted to deny such a request, his lips refused to speak. His mind remembered these events, where it would lead and he didn't want to go through it all again. But… maybe if this was a dream, he could wake up before it happens? And the least he could do was keep his promise to Alice, as he owed her that. He nodded with a heavy conscience, but didn't verbalize his feelings. Thomas reached out and ruffled his hair, grateful his son understood. He then headed out of the kitchen to go upstairs. Ethan watched him, and by the time he was gone, Ethan found the strength to move his feet again. He carried the bowl of popcorn out into the living room where Alice was waiting. She already had a VHS tape in her hands, while she planted herself near the TV and VCR. The moment she heard the sound of footsteps, her head turned to see Ethan carrying the snacks.

"Did you pick out a movie?" Ethan asked, putting on a brave expression to try and not scare his younger sister.

Alice looked at him with a mischievous grin, holding up the tape. "Aqua Tzu's big break!"

Ethan raised a brow as he looked at the tape. "Aqua Tzu? You mean that blue Shih Tzu dog who aspires to be a dog model?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Not just a dog model! She wants to become a fashionista, make her own brands of dog care, become a big star in HollyWoof, and be an inspiration to all the small dogs in the world!" Alice marveled as she hugged the tape close to her chest. "This was her first movie, where Aqua Tzu goes to HollyWoof to try out for a part in a movie, and she is determined to get the part down right!"

"Well, I could think of worse role models…" Ethan muttered. At least most of these movies based off of children shows were usually only a little over an hour long, so it was at least bearable to watch even if he wasn't a fan of the original show.

"Is dad going to be joining us?" Alice looked around, expecting her father to appear.

Ethan stood in her line of sight. "Uh… Dad has to run an errand." He tried to explain. She stared at her brother, looking perplexed as she wanted more of a reason. Ethan sighed, elaborating. "Mom called… She said she has to work late tonight. So Dad is going to the Pharmacy and bringing her some fresh clothes and food."

Alice listened to his explanation, once he was finished, she pouted. "I can't believe that company is making mom work so much. Especially when she was already taken away this morning before we woke up." Alice was more angry than sad about the job her mother had. Ethan didn't blame her, but he still tried to reassure her.

"I miss mom too, but she should be back in the morning. She has to work hard to give the people who are ill their medicine." Ethan told his younger sister. "And, even if mom and dad aren't here, you have me." He tried to sell himself, even if it wasn't much.

Alice loosened her expression, as the child noticed the longing look on her brother. As if he knew something she didn't. Every time Ethan looked at this younger version of his sibling, he was reminded of the times he wasn't with her for many years. They were the only family they had, and yet he never kept his promise to be there for her when she needed him. Even now, back in reality Ethan had let Alice down. "Ethan? Are you alright?" He snapped out of his doubts when he saw her gazing at his features with curiosity.

Shaking his head, Ethan tried to downplay his heartache. "I'm alright… just been thinking a lot. Anyways, I'll help you put in the movie and we can watch it together."

Alice found her grin again, then giggled as she watched her brother take the tape out of the sleeve and stick it inside the machine. "Are we gonna have popcorn, soda and ice cream?!" Alice questioned as he finished putting the movie in.

"Ice cream?" He repeated. They didn't usually have any with their movies, since their parents try not to give them too much sugar after dinner. When Ethan saw that pleading look on his sister, he felt weak. Her wide eyes and puppy lips tried to guilt him into it. Even though he was against it, Ethan knew it was a dream so he wanted to live it the best he could. "As long as you don't tell Dad I gave you some, you can have a bowl." Upon hearing that, Alice mimicked herself zipping her lips to prove to Ethan she wouldn't snitch him out. He chuckled at the response, then headed into the kitchen. A gentle sigh escaped his lips as he found himself standing in his childhood kitchen. It looked just like he remembered it, even though it had been over twenty years since he last stepped foot in here. He couldn't believe he was imagining this house yet again, nor did he understand why he was thinking about the past now. Was it because he was thinking of Alice and how he failed her? Maybe his mind was trying to take the guilt away by reminiscing about the happier times?

He decided to check around the kitchen, since the young boy was curious about how accurate the room was. He walked towards the sink, noticing a few dishes in there that had been left to sit, needing to be cleaned and dried. "Guess Dad forgot to wash the dishes after dinner… he was probably going to do them after the movie." Ethan pondered. Speaking of cleaning, he checked under the sink to notice many cleaning products and a pipe connecting the sink to the wall. "Leave it to having a mom in health care to worry about germs. We have more solutions and chemicals than the hardware store." While Sheryl wasn't a germaphobe, she always wanted to make sure the house was spotless and wiped down. It wasn't as if getting sick would be the end of the world, since their mom was a pharmacist so she had a discount on the medications.

Ethan moved away from the sink and headed over to the clock on the kitchen wall. It read 7:38 PM, still fairly early but Ethan knew Alice didn't need to head to bed until 8:30. She might be a bit late due to the movie, but a few extra minutes wouldn't hurt her sleeping patterns. He turned his feet as they took him to the refrigerator, and opened the door to see what was inside. Most of it was standard stuff, and the storage was pretty much full. One shelf was dedicated entirely to bottled water. "No doubt Dad restocked the water shelf. The tap water is fine for dishes, but he makes us drink water from packages." Ethan remembered how insistent his father was about making sure they drank untapped water. He was afraid that due to Raccoon City being built on a pharmaceutical company, they would poison the water supply one of these days. "Dad may be somewhat paranoid… but he does look out for us. Heh… guess I took up after him now." Ethan chuckled, thinking about how he was overprotective of Rose and Mia. Like father, like son…

He reached for the freezer and took out the tub of caramel sea salt ice cream. "Alice's favorite… just like mom's." Ethan muttered. He wasn't much of a fan for it, but would have it now and again. Tonight, he would just let Alice relish in it. He took out the silverware, scooped the frozen treat in a bowl, and put it all away. Then, he took the ice cream and headed back to the living room, where Alice was waiting for him as she bounced on the couch.

"Hurry up!" She called to him, seeing him approach. "The previews are almost over!"

Ethan walked over to the couch, sitting down and handing Alice her treat. "Don't eat it all at once. You still have the popcorn and soda as well." He reminded her.

Alice rolled her eyes at his remark, before digging into the sweetness of the frozen flavored cream. Ethan figured she wouldn't listen, guess some things never change. "After this, I'll tuck you into bed." He told his sister. Alice didn't listen, too focused on her food and the movie as the opening credits began to play. Ethan watched the movie as well, since there was nothing better to do. Even though there were some aspects of this scene that he wasn't fond of, when he noticed his younger sister smiling… Ethan couldn't help but feel a glimmer of happiness. It reminded him of what he had missed the most, and what he wanted so desperately to get back. His eyes watched the screen, as the movie played out as he tried to make the most of it.

---

Ethan didn't know when it happened, but he somehow fell asleep during the movie. He was slumped on the cushions, as the screen had gone blue, due to the movie being over. The young boy felt his head falling over to the side, which startled him awake. His body jolted, as he found himself waking up. When he looked around, he noticed that the living room had gone dark, saved for the brightness from the television. The bowl was left on the table with the ice cream gone, the bucket of popcorn and soda bottles were half empty. "Geez… falling asleep in a dream. How is that possible?" He muttered, stretching out his arms as he tried to see where his sister was. As Ethan checked around, he couldn't find Alice anywhere, which worried him. "Alice?" He called out, but got no answer.

Immediately, Ethan jumped off the couch and began to walk around to try and find his sister. As he searched, he tried to understand his surroundings. He went to the TV and turned it off. The room was dark, which made Ethan a bit weary. He went over to the lights at the end of the couch, flicking them on. Thankfully, one of the two was able to produce some light so he could check around much clearer. "The electricity still works… that's good." Ethan remarked. His feet then carried him to the front door, where he noticed the chain lock and deadbolt had secured it. No doubt his father made sure the house was secure before leaving his kids. "Two locks… I forgot how common break ins were in the past." Ethan shrugged.

He walked around the living room, before coming back to the kitchen. "Alice?" He called out again, peaking into the room but saw no sign of her. Nothing seemed out of place, until he looked over at the clock which read: 10:15 PM. It had already gotten this late?! How was that possible? What drew Ethan's attention was when he realized there was a calendar underneath the clock. That wasn't there before, was it? It was a stacked calendar, meaning it only showed one day at a time. Right now, the date for today was September 24th. The gears in Ethan's head turned when he saw that time. It was so familiar to him. "September 24th…" He muttered. He began to grow even more worried as that date sent a chill down his spine.

A blaring light filled the living room, causing Ethan to jump as it was sudden. Against his better judgment, he followed the brightness back in the area. The television screen had turned itself back on, as a man behind a desk was speaking. "There was a disruption earlier at today's football match between the Raccoon Sharks and the Old Court Thunders. Apparently the game was interrupted when an unruly fan got out of control and sparked a riot. The number of injured is not yet known, but more than 50 broke the line before the cops could take control of the scene…" Ethan watched the news reporter make this comment, while the screen showed images of a man running out on a football field, who was jumping on some of the players and went right for their throats. He could see the blood being sprayed on the grass and stuck in that person's teeth. As Ethan stared at the attacker, he noticed his eyes were glazed over with hunger.

The sportscaster was replaced with a woman who was now taking reigns on updating with the news. "Throughout the day, there has been an increase in emergency responses being stretched thin with many reported cases across the city. Currently, Raccoon General Hospital is becoming overwhelmed with more patients than they can handle. We now go live to Dr. Annette Birkin from the Umbrella Corporation for further details." A small video square was placed in the corner of the screen, showing a blond haired woman in a lab coat. "Dr. Birkin, are there any thoughts as to what is happening?"

With a deep inhale, the doctor began to speak in a calm, almost cold, manner. "It appears that the illness that has been going around is much more violent than we perceived. We have determined that it is contagious like the flu, but that is where the similarities end. We have yet to pinpoint the exact origins of where the infection came from. But rest assured, we at Umbrella are doing everything we can to minimize the situation. Until we have a handle on this matter, I advise people to stay indoors and resist any outside activities. I also suggest that schools should be canceled for the safety of the children. If you or anyone you know is experiencing any of the symptoms, please call the Umbrella Corporation and we will send some people to help." Once her statement was finished, the screen turned into a static to show it had been cut off.

Ethan stood there for a moment after the broadcast, processing what he heard as his body was covered with goosebumps. "Annette Birkin… Mom mentioned she worked with her a couple of times." He remembered that name now, she was one of the head scientists at Umbrella. She must have been talking about the virus going around the city as the number of fatalities were increasing. "I don't know why… I don't like that woman." He noted, as he felt there was more to the story than what he believed.

Regardless, he had to get back to finding his sister. Ethan walked out of the living room, past the kitchen and went back to the same hallway he was in when he first entered this dream world. He couldn't find the door that he came out of, instead he was met by a staircase leading up. The man, in his young body, climbed up the steps as he was taken to the second floor. "Alice?!" He called again, much louder this time. As he walked down the hall, he noticed more pictures of him with his first family. How they all looked happy and close. As he stared at them, Ethan couldn't help but reminisce. "Never would have thought that there'd be a day we weren't all together…"

He tried to keep the negativity down, as he kept searching for Alice. He went down the furthest part of the hallway, opening the door to be taken into a bedroom. The walls were dark blue, with some books on machines, engineering and systems. A double sized bed was against the wall with a night stand next to it. There was a desk in the other corner with a computer set up. As Ethan stepped into the area, he was breathless as nostalgia took him over. "My old room…" He gasped. "Just like I remember it…" He looked around the place, getting lost in the past as he went over to his computer desk, seeing the set up. It wasn't as impressive as today's technology, since this computer was from the late 90's so it was much bigger and heavier. But back then, having such a station was pretty cool. "I must have spent hours playing around and doing many programs…" He remarked with a smile. His feet took him to a book shelf with many manuals on engineering and designing. "Guess I always wanted to be a systems engineer, even back then." He realized his fascination with mechanics and organization. Funny how it's usually the big things that never change.

He was about to head out of the room as nothing was here, only to be stopped by the brightness coming from his computer. Once again, a device that turned on its own. Ethan jumped when he saw a man standing outside what looked to be a tavern with police squads and tape surrounding the building. "I'm reporting live outside of Jack's Bar where only moments ago, the customers and employees were forced to evacuate. The bartender on shift was mauled brutally by a drunk customer. This is only one of the many mass violent outbreaks that has taken place today and it seems the numbers are increasing. It's unclear what the status of the bartender will be, but the ambulance has taken him away. With the increasing chaos, all available police units are being called out to maintain order. They are setting up roadblocks and are putting in helicopter evacuation points. They have also been ordered to kill any civilians refusing to comply with their orders. So far, it seems many people are either unaware of this outbreak or they are choosing to ignore it."

After the broadcast was finished, Ethan began to feel more paranoid. He remembered these broadcasts, they were the start of the hell that would become Raccoon City. But why was one of them on his computer? "I-it's just a dream Ethan… just find Alice and wake up…" He tried to remind himself, quickly stepping out of his room and checking around. The room next to him had to be Alice's, he remembered that much. He noticed the door was open ajar, which hoped that she was inside. The older brother slowly entered, checking around the room of pink walls and stuffed animals. "Alice?!" He called out louder, but as he scanned the bed, she was not sleeping there. He approached, noticing many stuffed animals against the pillows. But one in particular caught his eye: a white owl. Ethan's hands reached and picked it up, holding the soft toy in his hands. He remembered that after they escaped Raccoon City, Alice had carried this bird with her everywhere she went. "Mom got this for Alice on her fifth birthday… she never sleeps without it, even back then." Ethan reminisced.

He decided to take the owl with him, so when he found Alice, she could have it. The moment he picked it up, he heard static once again. Ethan's head whipped around, looking at the edge of the bed where a dresser stood across from it. Resting on top, was a small TV that had a VHS slot below the screen. Just like his computer and the screen downstairs, it flicked to life as live scenes were playing out. This time, the news woman was showing images of fires happening around Raccoon City. "A number of fires have broken out around the city, putting a severe strain on the Raccoon Fire Department. One unit is currently putting out a fire at the Apple Inn, as the situation is fatal due to a malfunctioning boiler ripe to explode.

"We also have reports that the Raccoon Mall has been closed off, as a small police unit was ordered to set off explosives near the mall as the violent mass increases with no way of calming them down. The number of such deranged people are reaching a cataclysmic proportion, with two officers already being killed while assembling the detonator. Thankfully, with the help of a group of sane survivors, they assisted in the efforts to successfully trigger the explosives to destroy the path. Not long after, a large reinforcement of officers arrived and helped the survivors. In other news, due to the information of unreasonable riots that have been breaking out around the city, the President from the Pentagon has invoked the Insurrection Act of 1807, meaning that the city and the surrounding area is officially under martial law. It is unclear if the Pentagon will be sending further support, but as of now, all civilians are encouraged to do whatever they must to protect themselves and their loved ones."

That was all the update had to offer before the screen went back to static. Ethan felt his lungs inhaling and exhaling rapidly. All he could think about was how this scene was playing out just like it did over twenty years ago! And the worst part, he knew not all of them made it out alive! "No… This can't be happening… not again!" Ethan quickly rushed out of the room, heading out to the hall and continued to cry out. "Alice!" He shouted, checking around upstairs still. He went to the other bedroom, where both his parents slept. There was no TV in there, which relieved Ethan since that meant he wouldn't have to be subjected to another news broadcast. Instead, what he witnessed was outside of the window viewing a portion of the city. Flames erupted from the buildings as little but multiple explosions occurred, lighting up many of the areas. Sirens could be heard in the distance, signifying the severity of the situation.

Ethan's panic was rising, making him rush out of the last bedroom and continue to search for his sister. The moment he was back in the halls, he noticed the walls were much blacker, covered in some kind of vines that were embedded with the structure. "What the hell?" Ethan gasped, as he noticed these strange roots that looked eerily familiar. He didn't have much time to investigate, as his ears picked up the ringing of the telephone downstairs. It caught him off guard, yet even as he stood there, the phone kept ringing and ringing, with no sign of taking a message. With a shallow gulp and terrible judgment, Ethan slowly climbed down the stairs in the darkness, following the noise. He came back to the kitchen, where the phone was. The clock had stopped working, staying on that time. The calendar marking the date was now covered in a red substance.

Ethan tried to ignore those details, instead focusing on the phone as he tried to brace himself for what he would listen to. When he reached for the handle, the ringing finally stopped. Only for the answering machine to pick up. "You have three new messages." The machine called out in that robotic tone. "First message at 5:30 AM." With a beep, the first memo played out. "Hey honey, sorry I had to leave early. There's been some rumors that there's an illness going around, so more people are coming in for cold medicine. I might end up working late tonight, since our store hours have changed now due to this sickness. Hopefully it's just some influenza variant, but there's no proof of what it is. Still, keep an eye on Ethan and Alice. I'll be home as soon as I can." The female voice stopped, letting Ethan take in the sweet voice.

"...Mom?" He whispered. Despite how long it had been since he saw her, he could never forget the soft and caring voice of his maternal figure. He wasn't able to let it sink in long enough before the machine beeped again.

"Second message at 8:30 PM." The machine chimed before the woman on the other end picked up. This time, her tone was distressed and terrified.

"Oh my god, this is a nightmare. I don't know what's happening! The customers started to tear each other apart. There's blood everywhere! We can't even go outside. Everyone is becoming feral, and there is no reasoning behind it. I've tried calling the Birkin's but neither of them are answering! The pharmacy has been barricaded, we're waiting for the police but no word on them either! If you get this message, please let me know you and the kids are safe!"

Ethan's breathing became more erratic, as he felt the anxiety in him rising. He remembered these messages, the last time he would hear his mother's voice and the tone was of distress and panic. He was in denial, he wanted to leave the room but couldn't as he felt his legs glued to the floor. His body was unresponsive, forcing him to listen to the last message.

"Third message at 10:00PM." The machine chimed just as the phone picked up the last voice mail. Screaming and crying could be heard in the background, while Sheryl tried to speak through her own tears.

"Thomas… Ethan… Alice… I'm sorry… If any of you get this, please leave the city immediately! I… I can hardly… aaah! I-I love you… I love you… I love y-" She couldn't finish her sentence before the line went dead on her end. The landline also didn't speak up, indicating that was the last message. Ethan's skin crawled with goosebumps, while his mind was swarming in fear. The empty house… the date… the messages… he now knew what he was remembering: The day when their childhood home of Raccoon City became hell on earth.

He was able to be taken out of his unhealthy state when his ears picked up the sound of the door opening. His body was able to function again, making Ethan head out of the kitchen and be taken to the living room where he saw the front entrance had been exposed. His nerves began to get to him yet again, as he hurried over to the doorway and took himself outside. When he looked out, he saw his little sister in her nightwear standing on the steps of the driveway, looking over their neighborhood. "Alice!" Ethan shouted, running over to her. He grabbed hold of her shoulders, turning her around to look at her face, as she seemed confused before the terror took hold of her. "What the hell are you doing?! You shouldn't be out here on your own this late!" He scolded her.

Alice stared at her older brother, her body slightly shaking which he could feel. When he noticed, Ethan loosened his grip on her but still kept holding her. "D-Dad isn't back yet… and mom called on the phone… Ethan, she's in trouble." Alice admitted. The older brother's eyes went wide at the realization. Alice heard the messages their mother left. That's right, she heard them back then too. "Ethan… where are mom and dad? Why aren't they back yet?" She continued to ask her sibling questions, while tears began to well up in her eyes. Ethan knew she was more confused right now than scared. While he was losing his mind and terrified shitless. Even so, there was one thing for certain according to Ethan: He had to get Alice out of here.

"Alice, I need you to listen to me." Ethan looked into her eyes, becoming serious as he had to take charge now that it was just the two of them. "We need to get out of this city. It's not safe here anymore."

"W-What about mom and dad?" Alice questioned.

Ethan was hesitant. He didn't want to risk going deeper into the City, where the source of the infection was. They were safe at the moment due to them being closer near the rural areas. However, their only means of transportation and safety were their father, since he took the truck. It would be easier and safer for them to leave in a vehicle, especially before the Umbrella Corp began to set up roadblocks around the city to prevent anyone from getting in… and certain people from getting out. Despite the risks, the rewards were promising. Ethan gave a small nod. "We'll go find Dad. He might still be at the pharmacy with mom. Hopefully they are both waiting for us."

Alice agreed to his plan, as she didn't object. Ethan pulled away from Alice for a brief moment, before giving her the stuffed owl from her room. When she saw it, the little girl grabbed hold of it and pressed it against her face. "Artemis…" She mused.

Ethan noticed how happy she was when Alice was holding her owl friend. At least she had a moment of bliss for now. "I need you to stay close to me, Alice. And listen to everything I say, alright?" He tried not to be too demanding, but he needed to make her know that he was in charge. Alice looked up at him, giving a nod of understanding.

"How are we going to get to the Pharmacy? It's a five minute drive from where we are." Alice pointed out.

"That's not too far of a walk… but going the regular way might not be idle." Ethan noted, as he was worried that if they went the more populated route, they would only encounter those violently infected. He noticed the other backyards and the fences around the properties. It was a long shot, but it might be the safest route. "Follow me." Ethan ordered, heading towards the backyard. There, he made it to the fence and waited for Alice. Once she was there, he checked the length, thankfully it wasn't too high but they would need to work together. "We're going to need to find some way to get over that…"

"You could boost me up and I can unlock it from the other side." Alice suggested.

"No way, I'm not leaving you alone for that long!" Ethan denied her suggestion. "We have to be there together at the same time. Especially when we don't know what's on the other side." He checked around their backyard, noticing the many toys, small houses and the shed that were stationed around. "Let's see if we can find something to get us over there. And arm ourselves in case we meet some scary strangers." Alice complied, as she began to look around.

Ethan checked the backyard, desperately looking for anything they could use to hop over the fence and protect themselves. Ethan tried to get over to the tool shed, since that seemed like the best place for weapons and items. When he got there, he tried to open the door, but there was a padlock keeping them closed. "Figured Dad wouldn't let us get access to the shed easily. But that means there must be some dangerous tools in there for us to use." He noticed the lock had eight digits on it, meaning that it needed eight numbers. What could it be? Ethan didn't know the code at the moment. Hopefully, there was a clue of where it could be around here.

He continued to search the rest of the backyard, hoping to have some luck. Not that he wasn't known for being fortunate at times. He came over to a large tree, noticing a bunch of wooden boards and smaller building materials all around. A table was stationed under one of the larger branches, next to a tire swing hanging from the tree. When he looked at the blue paper on the surface, he could see they were schematics for a fort. "A tree house…" Ethan noted. "Right… Dad was planning on building this over the summer. But then he had multiple projects on his plate and it got delayed." Ethan looked up at the base and two of the walls that had been completed. "At least he got half of it done before the end of summer…" Ethan noted. His eyes went back on the prints to see if he could gather any information. The details of the fort looked simple enough, but the manual next to the blue paper showed how many steps and materials were needed. Ethan managed to find a note attached to the manual, it was in his father's handwriting. Slightly sloppy, but he could still make out the words.

"The kids had been asking for a treehouse for a while now. Only because a kid at school bragged that his dad had built him one last summer. I thought since work had been slow lately, it would be a good idea to make one. Thought it would be a good thing for Ethan and Alice to have a place of their own, outside of their rooms. Sheryl said she will convince them to share, all I need to do is put it together. Hopefully, if all goes well, I should be able to finish it by September 30th of this year. I've got all the tools I need for the shed, I just have to update the code. Last thing I need is either of the kids getting in and playing around with dangerous items."

Given how much was done already and the events happening, Ethan knew that this was a project that would never get finished. Still… he couldn't dwell in the past now, he had to focus on getting him and Alice to the pharmacy. The note mentioned a date… September 30th and this year, which would have been 1998. 09.30.1998. The numbers fit the amount on the padlock. He decided to give it a try, so he headed back over to the shed and entered the code in the lock. Once it was done, he waited and was rewarded with a click. The padlock unhooked, and Ethan was able to get in the shed. When he walked around, he saw the many tools that were hung up on the walls and stationed on the tables. Not the most threatening like a gun or cannon, but they should be useful for their survival. One item in particular caught Ethan's eye: A machete resting up against the wall. It was pretty sharp and he was old enough to wield one with ease.

With zero hesitation, the older Winters grabbed hold of the handle, and stashed it behind his back for safety. He would have preferred something that could kill from a distance, but he wasn't looking for a fight either. The brother Winters also grabbed a smaller knife, turned around and handed it to Alice. "Here… if anyone who looks threatening tries to attack you, you defend yourself. Understand?"

The sister stared at Ethan, realizing he was telling Alice she could kill if she had to. While it might have been an overwhelming concept for someone so young, it was a desperate measure given their situation. With hesitation, she took the knife and kept it close to her. "Now what do we do?" Alice asked.

"We still need to figure out how to climb the walls…" He checked the shed again, but his eyes didn't catch anything of usefulness. He walked out of the shed and looked back over at the treehouse. He noticed the rope attached to the tire, looked back at the hooks, some flexi-wire and special no nail super tack in the small hut. A lightbulb went off in Ethan's head as he went over to gather the hooks, flexi-wire and bottle of specialized glue. He then headed back out into the yard towards the swing. He climbed the tree to get to the branch where the rope was holding the tire from. Machete in hand, he carefully but swiftly cut the twine and watched it fall to the ground.

Once he got himself down, Ethan got to work. First, he grabbed the hooks and pointed them in different directions with equal space between them. Next he had to bind the hooks together. First he squirted the no-nail tack from the top of the three hooks between their bodies, then he tied them all together tightly with the flexi-wire. Hopefully the hooks would be strong enough for the strength to hold. Next, he passed the rope through the holes in the hooks, making sure the hooks all face the same direction. He tied a figure-eight knot and a stop knot at the end of the rope to keep the twine from slipping back through the holes. His hands pulled the string tight, then checked it over. The three hooks were tied together with the wire and the rope coming down in a single line. "Woah…" Alice awed as she saw the make-shift grappling hook Ethan created.

"Thank goodness for Dad's homeschool boy scout lessons." Ethan chuckled. He had a few items left over, so he quickly got to work and made a second grappling hook. Once they had two, he gave one to Alice while he kept the other. "You remember how to use one, right?"

"I've seen spies use them in the shows." Alice replied.

"...Close enough. Come on, I'll show you." He walked with Alice back over to the fence, where he held his rope and swung it a bit. With the force he gained, he tossed it over the barrier and heard it get caught on the wood. He tugged on the rope, making sure it was sturdy and could hold his weight before he began to climb up and hop on the edge of the picket. "Your turn." He told Alice. He watched her struggle at first, but encouraged her to keep trying. After a few failures, she managed to swing it over for Ethan to grab and hold on. He helped her climb up and picked her over to the other side. "There… pretty easy, right?"

Alice nodded at him, as they had finally left their backyard and entered into a new area. "We still have a long way to go. Stay close." He advised. Alice followed behind, and from then on, they stealthy made their way through the yards of the neighborhood. Alice noticed there were people on the street, growling and grunting as some even attacked a few bystanders. She wanted to scream and cry from such a violent sight, but Ethan had to keep her quiet so they wouldn't draw attention. "Keep going… don't look back." Ethan urged her in a whisper. He wished she didn't have to see this, but it was too late. All Ethan cared about was getting him and his sister out of this city before it escalated to a hell on earth.

It was rough, and they had a few close encounters. Especially once they were out of the neighborhood and made it to the smaller section of the market area. Cars littered the streets, giving them more cover but also was tricky to move around in. However, the number of people increased along with the chaos. Small fires were breaking out in buildings, trash cans and other vehicles. Blood had splattered on any surface and object, indicating the brutality those that were infected showcased. "We're getting closer… but it'll be more dangerous." Ethan told Alice. "Let's keep to the alleyways… they should give us more cover."

Alice followed close behind. "Do you think mom and dad are okay?" She asked, holding onto the hand of her brother as they used the back way to keep themselves hidden.

"If we could survive… they can. Let's just… focus on getting to the Pharmacy and see what we can find." The distant howls and screams of the infected and non-infected could be heard, despite how far the siblings were. "Christ… they're everywhere."

"What's wrong with them?" Alice questioned.

"They're… sick." Ethan tried to explain as best he could, trying hard not to scare her. "That's why they are acting out like that."

"Are we sick?"

Ethan answered quickly. "No. We're not sick." He reassured her.

They clung to the walls, using the darkness as their cover so they wouldn't be spotted. It didn't matter if that person wasn't infected, Ethan didn't want to risk being seen by anyone unless they were his parents. After a stressful tread, the siblings finally made it to the Pharmacy where their mother was working. The logo of the Umbrella Corporation was painted on the board, but the building itself was pretty normal. Aside from the boarded up windows, and a few infected clawing at the doors. "Shit! There's a crowd in the front…" Ethan grunted, as there had to be at least ten zombies between them and the entrance.

"I don't see Dad's truck anywhere in the front." Alice noted, as the parking lot, while having many vehicles, none of them looked like the ones their parents owned.

"That must mean he parked in the back… come on." Ethan urged, pulling Alice along as they continued to sneak past the front, heading quickly behind the building. Once they were in the back, they saw that the lot was mostly empty, saved for two cars. The back entrance was not blocked off, but there were no infected anywhere. "Dad's truck!" Ethan rushed over to the pick up, checking it over as he hoped to see his father inside. He looked through the window, but saw nobody in the seats. "But no dad…" Ethan sighed, of course it wouldn't be that easy.

Before Ethan could investigate further, he heard the sound of feet walking off. He became alert, worried that one of those violent people had found them. Instead, he watched as Alice headed off into the building, with the door wide open as she was lost to the darkness. "Alice?" Ethan called his sister, but she didn't turn back. He was immediately on edge as she rushed inside. "Shit, she can't be on her own." The older of the siblings was forced to follow after her. Leaving the parking lot, he made his way over to the back door and slowly walked into the room. He kept his eyes out for any sign of his sister and parents, as well as potential threats. Thankfully, he was armed but he didn't want to risk getting into any fights.

The pharmacy within was a complete mess. The lights had gone out, so it was more or less dark, save for the light coming in through any windows that weren't boarded up. Shelves had their items knocked out, while a few smaller shelves seemed to have been trampled over. Papers and other items were scattered across the floors, making a mess of the very place. He had to maneuver around the maze of aisles, trying to locate his sister. "Alice?!" Ethan called out, but got no answer. "Damn it, why doesn't she learn how to stick together?!" He cursed.

As Ethan kept walking around the store, he noticed there were more than just items and supplies within the area. The smell of a metallic scent wafted through the air, which Ethan recognized immediately. His feet squeaked when they stepped in a red liquid, being spilled out from a body laying on the floor, unmoving with multiple wounds. "Jesus… that's the last thing I wanted to see…" Ethan whispered, trying to slowly walk past the dead. He didn't want to take any chances, for if there was one thing he learned: Nothing ever stayed dead in his world.

He tried to maneuver around the bodies and debris, searching for his family members in the hopes that they were still alive. "Alice?!" Ethan called out again, hoping to get a response. When he heard nothing, he decided to move away from the store aspect of the building and went over to the backrooms. He found the counter leading to the pharmacy, where there was the most amount of blood. That was either a good sign or a bad sign depending on who you were asking. Ethan slowly approached the door next to the counter, but when he turned it, it was locked. And the open desk was blocked off by shutters. He had to think of something, so he went around the rest of the store, to see if he overlooked anything. Being careful and treading slowly, he managed to find a body on the ground behind one of the check out counters. On the belt of this man, were keys that could unlock any door around the store.

Ethan knelt down and reached over, his fingers brushing the band of keys before he finally grabbed hold of the chain. Tugging it from the corpse, he now had a means to enter the pharmacy labs. Hopefully his sister was back there. The moment he had the keys in his hands, the body beneath him began to stir. Groans came from the man, who's wounds were opening and rotting. Ethan immediately jumped back when he saw the guy getting up and swiping at him. Thankfully, he managed to dodge the attack, but that didn't stop the infected. "Shit! Of course it wakes up now!" Ethan cursed, turning on his heels to head back to the pharmacy. The other bodies began to stir, pulling themselves up and attempted to corner Ethan. The building began to feel more closed off, as he was outnumbered by the living dead, who tried to grab and bite him. Thankfully, he managed to use his machete to keep them at bay, but even he knew his limits with his body and lack of ammunition.

With high tensions, he finally got to the door leading to the back rooms. Taking the key, he managed to insert it into the lock and opened the door. He closed it behind him and locked it to ensure that the horde couldn't try and push their way through. Once he caught his breath, Ethan gathered himself and began to look around for his sister. He walked through the back of the pharmacy lab, seeing the shelves of medicine ready to go out and the counters filled with tools and equipment for use. Fortune was finally on Ethan's side, as he found his little sister, who was standing in the hall looking into a room. "Alice!" Ethan immediately ran over to her, as she was frozen in fear. Once he was by her side, he grabbed hold of her shoulders and made her face him. "You shouldn't have gone into the building without me! You could have gotten hurt!" He scolded her, even though he was relieved to know she was safe.

Alice didn't respond, as she seemed lost in thought. Ethan was worried that something might have happened to her, since she was usually so talkative. Before he could ask, groans could be heard in the room Alice was staring into. The two looked back in the small space, witnessing the nightmare made into reality. On a floor covered in blood and broken glass, a woman in a white lab coat howled in hunger. Her body was drenched in the same material that decorated the ground. All that could be heard from her were incoherent groans, as if she no longer had the capability to form words. Her eyes were glazed over with hunger, her teeth showed as she had her mouth agape. Her skin looked much paler, with bits of the flesh torn off. Her legs were twisted as they had been broken, but her arms and upper body still worked. She used her arms to drag herself towards the two, desperately advancing towards them as she had no good intentions with them.

Ethan felt his heart break, seeing the woman approaching them in such a pitiful and grotesque state. What made the situation more horrific was the fact they knew who this woman was. "...Mom?" Alice called out, seeing the creature staggering her way. The young sister attempted to reach out to grab her maternal figure. "Mom!"

"Alice, no!" Ethan managed to pull her back just before the woman could attack. She groaned in anger, desperate to reach her children even though she no longer saw them as such. Ethan quickly dragged Alice away from the room, trying to find a means of escape.

"Let go!" Alice struggled to get away from her brother's hold. "We have to help mom!" She begged, looking back as they ran, seeing the corpse woman dragging herself towards them.

"That's not mom anymore!" Ethan exclaimed. Even though Alice was confused, he knew what was happening because he had lived this all before. He tried to head back over to where the door leading to the store was, thinking they could escape through there. When he was near the door, he could see the horde pushing against the shutters that kept them out of the back rooms. Pounding could be heard on the other side, indicating that the zombies were still resilient to get their next meal. "Fuck! We're trapped!" Ethan realized it was either they faced one zombie that was their mother, or they had to go through a group of about five to seven. Neither of those options sounded good. He held his sister tightly, pressing his back against the wall as they both heard the cries of the monsters. The paralyzed one growled, getting closer and closer as she was adamant on getting another meal.

"Mom! Stop, please!" Alice begged as she hated to see her mother like this. But Sheryl Winters did not obey, nor did she care. She only had one thing on her mind: to feast. Even if it was her own flesh and blood. Alice cried, holding onto Ethan for dear life as the woman who had raised them both was now a shell of her former self. Ethan decided that if he was going down, he would at least go down fighting. He already lost his sister once, so he would not let her down again. With his other hand, he grabbed hold of the large knife and readied himself. As much as he didn't want to fight his mother, he felt he would have no choice. He glared at the zombie that had a resemblance to his mom, a tug of guilt and longing played in his heart but he tried to swallow it down.

With a loud roar, the rotting corpse reached out to grab hold of Alice just as Ethan was ready to slice her apart. His blade did not get the chance to taste blood, for their mother's incoherent speech was interrupted by the sound of a bang, followed by her blood spilling out onto the floor as a bullet lodged into her head. Some of the splatters landed on Ethan and Alice, just before their mother fell to the ground, twitching before no longer moving. Confusion plagued Ethan as he questioned what had happened. Both him and his sister looked up, seeing their savior. Thomas Winters stood in the halls, holding a shotgun in his hand as he had the look of a cold-blooded killer. "Dad?!" Ethan and Alice gasped when they saw their father.

Thomas didn't give them time to acknowledge him, instead he barked orders at them. "You two! Come over here, now!" His voice was demanding, cocking his shotgun as he was preparing for another attack. Ethan nor Alice had to be told twice, as the older brother took his sister's hand and rushed over to his father's side. Once the three were reunited, Thomas began to lead them down the narrow, dark halls and out to the parking lot once again. A few of the zombies were rushing towards him, attempting to get their next meal. "Stay next to me!" Thomas shouted to his kids, as he aimed the barrel at one approaching target. With the pull of a trigger, he blasted the head clean off, making that one fall to the ground for a permanent death.

They rushed over to the truck their Father took to get here. He got the keys to open them, then ordered his son. "Get you and your sister in the truck!" He told Ethan as he continued to keep the horde at bay. Ethan opened the backseat doors, pushing Alice up first before he got himself in the seats. Once they were both in, he immediately shut the door so the zombies wouldn't come in. But one of them was persistent and pounced on the door, being seen through the window as they tried to claw at the children. Alice shook in fear while Ethan hugged her to try and protect her. The head of the zombie was grabbed from behind, as Thomas Winters began to bash the monster into the side of the vehicle. Giving it a dose of brain damage while giving his truck a bloody paint job. Ethan tried to shield Alice away from the mess, but she had witnessed just as much as he did.

Once the horde had dwindled in numbers, Thomas got into the driver seat and locked the doors. He started the engine and wasted no time in plowing his truck into the zombies, running them over with zero hesitation. He drove them out of the Pharmacy and headed down the back roads, keeping his eyes open for any obstacles. Ethan was catching his breath after having his adrenaline pushed to the breaking point. At least they were safe for the moment. "Are you two alright?" Thomas asked his children, now that they were on the road he could check on them.

Ethan answered since Alice was still processing the trauma. "Y-Yeah… we're fine…"

"Raccoon City has become unsafe. So we're going to get out of here and visit grandma and grandpa out in the countryside until things calm down." Thomas explained.

"That's a five hour drive from here…" Ethan told him.

"Which means more distance between us and here…" Thomas grunted.

Alice sniffled, tears finally welling in her eyes as they were puffy and read. "W-what about mom?" She questioned.

Neither Ethan nor Thomas could answer her, as they were aware of Sheryl's state but it was hard for Alice to comprehend. Especially at her age currently. Still, she's owed an answer due to their mother no longer going to be in the picture. "Mom is… not coming with us." Ethan began, as Thomas allowed him to speak. "She got… sick and was suffering. So, dad had to help her so she wouldn't suffer anymore."

Alice sniffled, as her whimper increased in volumes. Ethan rubbed her back to try and calm her down, holding her close. "Mom can't be gone… she can't…" Alice cried in her brother's arms, while he could only sooth her best he could.

"...I'm sorry Alice." He apologized. "But I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. I'll protect and watch over you. Promise…" He continued to hold onto his sister as the car ride was smooth sailing. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the scent of the blood and his family as he drifted off. He continued to stroke Alice's back, repeating the word 'promise' over and over. The guilt in his body bubbled over, as his past failures were catching up to him. Reminding him of all that he lost, and how little power he had to control it.

Ethan began to hear the horn of the truck in his ears, but he ignored it at first as to focus on comforting his little sister. The world around him grew darker, while the blaring noise continued to increase. The back of Alice became softer suddenly, and it felt like she had morphed on his body. He opened his eyes to see if Alice was alright, but was met with bafflement. In his arms, he was now holding a pillow against his chest. Instead of the hard covered seats, he was laying on the bed in his room. And the truck horn turned out to be the alarm on his phone.

His body bolted to sit up, checking around as he regained his surroundings. He found himself in the bedroom of his house in Europe, rather than his father's truck driving through Raccoon City. Ethan felt sweat on his body, his breathing was shallow as he found himself back in the present. "The hell?" He reached over to the bedside and turned on the light, illuminating the room. Then he switched off his phone so it would stop making that noise. The man held his head in his hand, trying to collect everything. "It was… just a dream? But… it felt so real…" Ethan remarked, thinking back on that memory he had. The smells, touches, tastes and noises… nothing like that could have been replicated even in a dream no matter how vivid.

A soft knock came from the door, making Ethan jump as he turned. Thankfully, it was only Mia coming in holding their daughter. "Ethan?" She called him as his wife entered the room. "I was just coming up to get you. You slept a lot longer than you said so I got a bit worried." Even as Mia spoke, Ethan could only stare at her with wide eyes and a pale face. The female Winters noticed this, which only made her worry more. "Ethan? What's wrong?" She asked, seeing how upset he appeared.

Ethan's hands were shaking, the memories of that night still haunting him. But why? Why was he having these flashbacks now?!