AN/: HELLOOOOO! I'm starting to write again semi-regularly now! I hope it lasts a while until I get a new job lol. My seasonal position of my job had ended. Good news though, I have more interviews scheduled and my (now old) boss said I can come back once they get positions open! WOOO! Whenever I do get another job, it'll go back to my wonky schedule. But for now... I focus on this. ALSO! I made that discord server I mentioned last chapter! If you're interested, I'll post it on my profiles of each fanfiction site I post this story on. If you don't see it, go someplace like my X profile (same username) and access my carrd site thingy. Click the discord icon at the bottom of the page and it should lead you to the server. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy! Womp womp for one character though.

April 15th, 1973

11:45pm

Nancy's Basement

Song recommendation: "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" by Tiny Tim

TW: character death

Tiptoe

Maria

-.-

I can't believe he's dead. Sonny's dead and it's all my fault. I was too scared to help him - just like I was too scared to help Virginia. I don't know where exactly I'm running to but I just knew I had to get away. I'm sure that Drayton will be on me along with the rest of the family. I could barely see or breathe due to the amount of tears that was running down my face. My chest felt heavy due to the amount of panic, stress, and overall grief I was feeling. What if they've already killed the others? Is Danny dead? Or Ana?! My body slammed against the opposite metal door that led out of the underground tunnels that connected to each property. I slammed my fists on the door before a couple of the buttons - begging for it to open and let me out. But even then, I would have to sneak upstairs from this property and avoid any of those… monsters! Freaks, that's what they are. Who the hell kills and eats other people and enjoys it?! I kept aggressively pushing the buttons and pounding on the door before it finally slid open - letting me navigate through this new territory that I've only seen briefly. I was in that weird room with a bunch of pumps and such - the one where I thought to myself that it seemed weird to have underneath a random house. It seemed like a room that would fit more of a factory or something.

I decided to try and follow the same path that Johnny took me on earlier this evening, even if it was slightly hard to make out. I began to walk through the rounded sewer type of hallway, passing the reddened room to the left - that was similar to Bubba's lair that Sonny had died in - before bypassing the tiny pile of bones and blood trail that made me uneasy. That left me at another damn metal door - the same one that led into a chilly freezer type of room that Johnny led me out of. I tried to pull on the door - using my still injured hand. It was no use anyways as the door itself was locked tight.

Fuck! Just my luck. How the hell am I going to open this damn door?! Maybe I can try to find another one of those lock pick things Sonny had shown me? But what are the chances of finding another one of those?! Shit, I should've held onto it. My arm was starting to ache in the same area that I had accidentally cut myself at trying to escape. I was so damn scared and miserable - constantly on edge for someone to lurk around the corner and capture me again.

I turned on my heel, beginning to backtrack down the very long sewer hall when something caught my eye. A wooden barricade. Well, I think it was a barricade. It looked like a large wooden structure that blocked only a bottom half of an opening, some type of animal - or what I hoped was an animal's - skin overtop of it, with bones and barbed wire to surround it. It was weird looking but I could maybe crawl on top of the wooden structure with the animal skin and squeeze underneath the barbed wires. I gently slid my stomach over the top of the weird skin-like texture, feeling myself wanting to get sick at the idea of what it could actually be, before beginning to belly-crawl underneath the wires. Come on, Maria, be careful. No need to cause anymore physical damage to yourself. Despite my slight curves, I was able to shimmy past the spiked wire without getting caught. I let out a loud sigh of relief before finding myself in some type of tunnel again. Old rotting boards and dirt surround me as I feared they'd collapse and swallow me whole. I began to jog down the tunnel before spotting another metal door.

How many fucking doors do these people need?!

I began to pick up my pace - heading towards another fifty-fifty chance of escaping this damn basement. But as I was getting closer, I bumped into something else. I let out a scream before pushing whoever or whatever it was away. My anxieties came rushing back as I began to scream louder. I felt a pair of arms try to hug me and I pushed them away again while looking away and squeezing my eyes shut - not wanting to see who it was. I didn't care if it was Johnny or not - they killed Sonny right in front of me! My friend and another innocent woman are dead because of him and his family. I heard someone trying to call out my name but it's all muffled as my brain only focused on still pushing the person away from me.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed loudly - causing my voice to bounce off the walls, "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE! JUST LET ME GO, PLEASE!"

"MARIA?! OH MY GOD, MARIA!" A female voice shouted back before grabbing my face. They slapped their hand over my mouth before forcing me to look them in the eyes. If I wasn't hysterical, I was on the verge of being so. The person lifted my head before I made eye contact with them. That's when my own hazel pair widened in more shock as my brain finally slowed down enough to realize who was in front of me.

It was Connie.

Upon my shock and realization, Connie very slowly removed her hand from my mouth. My eyes scanned all over her features - including her piercing green eyes and reddened hair. She gave me a gentle reassuring smile as she saw me start to calm down from our abrupt encounter. How the hell did she escape? Are the others okay?! My eyes roamed all over her face again as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

"Connie?! I'm so happy to see you!" I gasped out. Connie's worried expression was quickly replaced with a large grin as tears began to form in her eyes. She pulled me into a tight hug which I immediately returned. Just like Sonny, she seemed super happy and relieved to see me. Just like I was with Sonny too, I was more than happy to see her. I hated that she and the others were going through this entire situation with me. But at least we have each other. If nobody else gets hurt, we can maybe be stronger together as a team.

"You're alive?!" Connie choked out before laughing in disbelief, "Oh, thank God! I thought you might've been dead!"

"Thanks for being so optimistic." I joked which caused both of us to laugh. Besides Danny, she's my bestest friend. We didn't beg to be roommates for no reason! Besides Leland, she was the first person I met in that damn cafeteria. She's the reason why I'm more open minded about those around me too. Plus, who else can you count on for unlocking your dorm room after you both forgot the keys?! Noneother than Connie Taylor, of course!

"We need to get you out of here." Connie asked as she pulled away with her arms still wrapped around me, "Have you seen the others?!"

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. It hurts that I'll have to break the news to everyone about Sonny. I avoided her gaze by looking down at the dirt floor - trying to gather the courage and strength to tell her. Her hopeful smile began to falter as she noticed the expression that was planted on my face. Connie shook her head as she stared down at me - trying to prepare herself for whatever news I was about to tell her. Here goes nothing.

"Connie… Sonny is dead." I whispered out.

Connie's eyes widened in shock, "What?! No! Maria, stop, this isn't funny."

"I'm not lying, Connie. I saw him die. He got strangled and his neck snapped… he died trying to save me." I shook my head as tears began to form once again, "I killed him, Connie! I fucking killed him! All of this is my fault! You're all here because of me!"

"Shut up." Connie demanded before gently shaking my shoulders, "You didn't ask to come here, did you?! No?! That's what I thought. You didn't kill Sonny - these crazy lunatics did! Don't you dare blame yourself for this shit!"

Connie - despite still having her shy moments - knew not to hide her true self around me. I was one of the first people she openly told about liking both men and women. I was the first person of those few that she told that accepted her. Over time of getting to know each other and living in the same room, she was able to become more comfortable with me. That also includes her blunt and honest side. A side that sometimes is harsh but needed. It's definitely needed now.

I nodded at her words, "You're right. I just need to-"

Suddenly, I was cut off by the sound of a woman singing. Connie and I looked at each other out of confusion - wondering who was down here with us. It could be our friends but why would they be singing and alerting the family? None of them are clueless enough to do that. That only means it was someone within Johnny's family and only one person fit that description.

That crazy ass girl - Sissy.

"Tiptoe through the window.

By the window, that is where I'll be.

Come tiptoe through the tulips with me."

It was definitely Sissy. Her singing was becoming more clearer as her bare feet made their way closer and closer to us. She was down another tunnel that was nearby - just left of the metal door and straight ahead from where we were. Her bare feet were kicking up dirt and dust as her out-of-tune singing inched closer. Then, she spotted us. Sissy gasped loudly before smiling wide - her creepy grin spreading ear to ear. My heart dropped to my stomach as I saw her reach behind her back - pulling out a razor blade. Connie began to shove me towards the barricade I had just climbed over.

"Go, Maria go!" Connie whispered out in a hushed tone. We ran towards the wooden barricade where I began to slide against the structure again - laying flat on my stomach as I used my knees and elbows to crawl to the opposite side. Connie pushed my foot - causing the fabric of my jeans to rip against the barbed wire along with my skin. I hissed out in pain as a slight stinging sensation along with my warm blood starting to trail down my leg. Connie looked over her shoulder in a panic, "Maria! Maria, hurry up!"

"I'm trying!" I cried out before falling off the barricade.

Sissy continued to sing;

"Oh, tiptoe from the garden,

By the garden of the willow tree,

And tiptoe through the tulips with me."

Connie immediately began to crawl over the same structure once I had fallen off. She got into the same formation as me - crawling on her stomach towards me. Sissy's singing got closer and closer before I heard Connie let out a scream in pain. Sissy had cut into Connie's back ankles. But on top of that, Connie flinched and had accidentally cut the back of her head into the wire - her reddened hair turning darker and slightly getting cut in the wire. My eyes widened as I quickly grabbed Connie's wrists and began to drag her towards me.

"Knee deep in flowers we'll stray,

We'll keep the showers away.

And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight,

Will you pardon me?

And tiptoe through the tulips with me."

"MARIA, HELP ME!" Connie cried out as Sissy's razor knife cut deeply in the back of Connie's calf. Tears rolled down her face in fear and pain - as my own tears with the same feelings started to roll down my face too. I didn't want Connie to die! I didn't want anyone to die! The last thing I want is my best friend to get murdered because of me too. I began to breathe heavily again - starting to panic over the situation. Connie's screams echoed off the tunnel and sewer walls - alerting anyone nearby.

"I'M TRYING, CONNIE!" I cried out again before pulling her as hard as I could. Connie let out a loud cry as the barbed wire left her hair and scalp - taking some of it with her. Not enough to severely injure her, but enough that she might need some stitches. Sissy began to laugh as she maniacally cut at Connie's thighs and legs - severely injuring them.

Sissy whistled a tiny bit before continuing that creepy song some more;

"Maybe it's flowers you stray will be the showers of life.

And when I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight,

Will you pardon me and tiptoe through the tulips with…"

As I helped Connie onto her feet, I looked back at the barricade. Sissy was gone. Part of me was relieved but the other part of me panicked - wondering where she went. Connie and I were back in the sewer tunnel. She bit her lower lip, stifling back her cries and grunts, as she held onto me. Connie's nails dug into my bicep and fabric of my ruined shirt, trying to stabilize herself.

"Come on, we need to keep going." Connie weakly whispered.

"Are you sure?" I asked her before wrapping my arm around her waist, "We can rest - try to find something to bandage your legs and head. I don't want you to-"

"Let's just get the fuck out of here." Connie spat out. I nodded before holding onto her tighter. I began to walk her to the door I had gone through earlier with Johnny; the one with the weird walk-in freezer of… bodies. I hope Connie could make it up to the latter. I would try the other metal door I saw where I ran into her, but we obviously had just escaped Sissy. The last thing I want is for us to run into her again.

"You think you can open that door with me?" I asked her before leaning her up against the metal door. Connie, with shaky hands (due to the pain, adrenaline, and nerves), gently pulled on the door with me. It wasn't moving and I assumed it was locked. I let out a sigh before Connie gestured down to her pocket with a slight smile.

"I always carried bobby-pins on me because of you." She winked at me before her trembling hand reached into her pocket. She pulled a few out before bending them in familiar ways to try and unlock the door.

I chuckled before shaking my head, "You're a criminal, Miss Taylor."

Connie softly laughed, "You didn't say that all the times you've accidentally locked us out of our room."

"Oh shush." I laughed back before watching Connie slowly get onto her knees. Her legs trembled violently and she hissed out in pain - blood still pouring down both legs from several cuts along with the gash on the back of her head. I frowned as I watched her, feeling bad. I should've made her go first despite her pushing and shoving me. I feel nothing but guilt over her, Sonny, and Virginia. I know I shouldn't, as Connie has tried to tell me, but I can't find an actual reason not to.

All of this will forever be my fault.

"Almost done and…" Connie muttered to herself. Over time, she's gotten quicker and quicker. From our locked room, Leland's leaving his keys in the van, and so forth… Connie is our favorite little locks-smith. I swear she could break into a bank with just her bobby-pins alone. Connie gave a weak smile as a final click was heard, "I'm done!"

"Good job!" I praised her. I leaned down, grabbing her arm, before helping her to her feet. Connie let out a few shaky breaths as her legs trembled more. I don't know if she'll make it. Once we're up from the cold room, we have to go through the hole in the fence Johnny showed me - then just run and scream until we find someone on a main road. I don't think her legs, head injury, and overall blood loss will help her. I looked down at our feet - noticing a pool of blood circling around us just due to her injuries alone. Connie noticed me staring but didn't dare to look - let alone try to think about it.

"Thank you." Connie weakly smiled before grabbing the door handle. I gripped it with her - pulling the metal creaking door open. The gush of cold air circled around us with the smell of rotting flesh. Connie gagged violently before turning her head, trying to look away. She whispered out, "What the hell is that smell?!"

"Human bodies." I stated bluntly. Connie's eyes widened in horror before quickly looking around in the walk-in freezer. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to push her vomit back, before shaking her head in disbelief.

"Cannibals. These people are fucking canni-"

My brows knitted in confusion as I heard Connie stop talking. I slowly turned around - facing my best friend - curious to see why she had stopped. I definitely saw the reason why. Connie was turned away from me, the gash on the back of her head being more clear to my eyesight. But it wasn't the gash that had caught my attention. It was her looking down at her thighs that were severely cut up. She was hunched over and breathing heavily - starting to cry once again.

Suddenly, I saw a hand. It had reached out and gently placed itself on Connie's shoulder. My eyes widened as I looked over Connie's shoulder - only to see Sissy. Sissy giggled before shaking her head "no" at Connie, her smile still wider than ever. Connie whimpered and closed her eyes tightly as she accepted what was to happen next. The blade of Sissy's razor pressed itself against Connie's throat before very quickly slicing open the skin and into her jugular. A gurgling sound started to echo all around us as Connie began to choke on her own blood. It was only a few seconds before my best friend fell to her knees before onto the dirt blood - her body going limp as a large pool of blood began to circle her low lifeless body.

"... with MEEEEEEEEE!" Sissy finally sang out loudly - her piercing voice blocking out the sounds of the blood still gushing from my friend. Sissy raised her arms in the air before doing a curtsy bow, acting as if she had just finished a performance of a lifetime.

I let out a blood curdling scream as fear and grief quickly washed over me. Sissy's head snapped towards me - her eyes wide in shock - before that creepy smile reappeared. She quickly wiped the bloodied blade off on her short black dress before turning towards me. I quickly entered the freezing room before slamming the door shut. I quickly locked it despite knowing it would be no use as she probably has a key. Which, I was correct. As I quickly made my way past the collection of dead human bodies and animal carcasses frozen in time, Sissy was still hot on my trail. She reached into the front pocket of her dress before rummaging through a few keys.

I rushed to the back of the freezer and began to climb up the ladder that Johnny led me up just several hours prior. I heard Sissy's keys jingling before the metal door slid open with a loud ear-piercing creak. I began to climb faster before using all my strength to lift the little metal trap-door that Johnny helped me through prior. With a loud grunt, I pushed it before it fell onto the little wooden platform that surrounded the door. I pulled myself through before raising up and looking down the ladder - seeing Sissy climbing after me with the razor blade still clenched tightly in her hand.

She chuckled, "Come on, sunshine! Don't you want to join your friend, sugar?"

Sunshine. The same nickname that Johnny has called me this entire time. My stomach twists and turns at her words before I shake my head at her. I didn't want to be called that anymore - not if it meant her and the rest of the family trying to trick me into joining them or dying. I snarled at her as rage began to slowly build inside of me. She killed my best friend. Whatever friendship Sissy thought we had, such as that bonding experience over the wedding dresses, was long gone. Just because she gave me a false security for a tiny bit - besides Johnny - never meant I was her friend. I never wanted to be her damn friend. I never wanted to be a part of her twisted family either - even still. A sister of any shape and form would never do this to another sister.

Obviously.

"Go to hell." I snarled at her before slamming my foot down on the tips of her fingers. Sissy gasped before crying out in pain. With her free hand, without the razor, she tried to push and claw at my foot. But instead, I kicked her hand away. Sissy looked up with me as her eyes widened, quickly realizing what I was going to do next. I reared my foot back and with a loud growl, I kicked her in the chin. Sissy stumbled before falling down the ladder and landing on her side - quickly clenching her jaw as tears began to roll down her face. Without seeing she was okay, I quickly shut the tiny door I had crawled out of before locking it.

The fence!

I turned on my heel and slid over to the opening. It was right next to the place I had just crawled out of. I smiled wide, thinking about running through the fields until I found a main road and got help for myself and the rest of my friends. I could go back to mama - refusing to ever come remotely close to Newt again. I could find Ana and Danny, hold them tightly and refuse to ever let them go again. Julie and I could plan a spa day to try and distract ourselves from these monsters. Leland could drive me around and accompany me on my next trip. I was almost free!

Almost.

I grabbed onto the wired fence before gently raising it, ready to crawl through the cut hole within it. But before I could start, a strong hand quickly wrapped around my mouth. I screamed into it and began to flare around - trying to hit, kick, and punch whoever was quite literally holding me back. I screamed as the person's other hand grabbed me by the back of my shirt - dragging me backwards and further away from the fence. Victory and freedom was looking more and more like a joke. I was so damn close! I can see that sunflower field from here - the same one Johnny took me to! I can't go back, I fucking can't! I refuse to be locked in that room for the rest of my life! I refuse to die! I refuse to carry on a child I don't want! I refuse to be… eaten! I quickly bit down on the person's thumb, causing them to scream out in pain.

"AH, FUCK! STOP!" Someone yelled into my ear - which immediately caused me to tense up. I knew that voice almost anywhere; it was the same voice I've heard for the past month or so. I quickly turned onto my knees and looked up at the person who was dragging me away from my freedom. He shook his hand, trying to relieve the pain from my vicious bite. A growl erupted from the back of his throat as anger and frustration consumed him - but his deep breaths tried their best to calm him down. My eyes widened as I stared at him up and down.

It was Johnny.