Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Fucking die!” Cindy’s rage-filled screams echoed throughout the Mess Hall. “Why won't you…fucking…die!!!!”

A sickening squelching sound mingled with Ziggy’s horrified shriek.

If the blood-stained burlap sack didn't fall into Alice’s line of sight, she would've believed Cindy was unleashing her wrath upon an insect or some other critter who made the fatal mistake of biting Ziggy.

"No...Alice…"

She felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, as if she was made of glass. Gentle and warm.

“Alice?”

Cindy’s hands were…unbelievably warm.

Was she running a fever?

"Alice, j-just…stay.”

No. She was cold and shivering.

“Just stay with me."

"I want to. I really do. I want to see this through the end. Make that supernatural bitch pay for everything."

Of course those words never leave her. Only strained breaths as she gasps on the wooden floor of Union’s Meeting House…no…no the Camp’s Mess Hall.

Cindy laced their fingers together as she clung to her hand. To her shoulder.

Don't leave me.

Alice doesn’t know how she hears the desperate plea when Cindy never spoke.

Would never dream of it, snitch.

She wanted to squeeze back, to both assure Cindy and never let go.

But she could feel herself slipping away…

"A-Alice...” Cindy’s tearful, pleading and bargaining faded away. “Alice!"

And Alice found herself in…

Oblivion?

Hell?

Heaven…?

No.

"Mr. Rooker! My Goodness, you gave me such a fright! You're here bright and early today. What's the occas—”

"Your mother wanted me to pick you some Tylenol for your headaches...God, Ruby, why are you singing?"

She was being pulled into memories which didn’t belong to her.

“Billy, honey? What are you doing up so late?"

"Tommy...hey man what are you doing?"

"Counsellor Tommy?"

“Constance! Where’s Constance?!"

“…crush it till the petals fall…”

Of the past. The Shadyside Killers. Their victims. All their families. Centuries worth of pain, suffering and despair…everything.

"I can see now...” Pastor Miller stood tall and imposing, looking down with empty bloody eye sockets at a horrified Solomon Goode. “I can see everything..."

"Alice."

Among the chaos of overlapping sounds and images, emerged a clear voice.

“Alice, can you hear me?”

A familiar voice.

"Alice!"

Someone was shaking her desperately.

"Alice, please wake up."

"C-Cindy?" She wondered out loud.

"No. It's…it’s me, Alice."

Groaning, her eyes fluttered open.

“Alice?” Blue eyes hovered over her, shining with fear and worry. “Are you alright?”

“Slater?” she rasped, sounding like she smoked through three packs of cigarettes under an hour. But she could talk. She could breathe. She didn’t feel cold anymore.

“Yes. Yes, it’s me,” Tommy Slater, free of the burlap sack and head firmly attached to his shoulders, nodded rapidly. “Oh thank God…” He choked, close to bursting into tears from sheer relief. “A-Are you alright…?”

“Y-Yeah…” Blinking slowly, Alice’s fingers curled into a fist. “I think so.”

When Tommy leaned closer, she swung, landing a perfect strike against Tommy's perfect jaw.

Clutching his aching jaw, Tommy gave her a bewildered look. "W-What...?"

Alice hissed and grimaced, nursing her aching hand. "I've been waiting…my whole fucking life for a moment like this…to get back at the bitch who made our lives a living hell. And five seconds later, you show up, axe swinging like a fucking bat out of Satan’s ass.”

"I-I...It wasn't you I was after,” Tommy stammered. “Ziggy bled on bone so...it was her. You were in the way.”

"Oh that makes me feel so much better." She huffed. Sitting upright, she gaped down at her chest, now free from the long fatal gash which had killed her. Nevertheless, she still poked and patted her chest.

“Where the hell are we?” Alice briefly surveyed her surroundings. “Whose bedroom is this?"

Tommy stared dully at the third-place trophies that lined up the bookshelf along with a Best Camp Counsellor award. “Mine.”

“Oh.” Kinda dull. She stopped herself from blurting. "Looks nice," she remarked instead, letting her eyes scan the space, hoping to catch some embarrassing childhood photograph of Tommy. But so far nothing. There were no pictures.

Which was surprising. Tommy seemed like someone whose bedroom wall should be covered in photographs of smiling family, school friends, teachers, co-workers…counsellors…

Cindy.

Without any visual memories, the whole place felt wrong. Like it was missing a soul.

"And atleast it's not Hell,” Alice murmured, eyes seeking to locate any trace of the girl in the polo shirt. Even if she was standing next to Tommy Slater, with a Sunnyvale patented smile. “So you know…that's comforting."

“I’m sorry,” Tommy apologized and slumped against the wall, hunching over himself. “I’m so sorry, Alice,” he repeated, bringing his knees to his chest and draping his arms over them before burying his face.

Despite their differences, Alice heart’s clenched in pity. “Hey…hey. Come on. No apology needed. We know you were possessed. You...you would never hurt us. We know that,” Alice assured softly. “Sarah Fier…she’s the fucking monster,” she spat. “And a petty, vengeful, vindictive bitch for doing that to you."

Tommy was shaking his head vigorously as if disagreeing.

"She’ll pay for what she did to everyone in Shadyside. Tonight,” Alice promised. “Cindy is on her way to the Hanging Tree. To stick the hand back into that bitch’s bony ass and end the curse."

And once Sarah Fier bursts into flames, screaming and writhing in three hundred years of agony she had inflicted upon Shadysiders, Cindy could graduate, get out of Shadyside, kick everyone's ass at college...become a doctor, accountant, lawyer, president, whatever the fuck she wanted to be.

Alice would be there every single second, cheering from beyond the grave…

"Cindy is dead, Alice.”

Alice slapped her palm against the wall just to keep herself upright. To not shatter into pieces. “What?”

“I…” Tommy raised his head to look at her.

Alice wished he didn’t.

He looked like a broken man, someone who lost everything. “I killed her,” he mumbled numbly. “I killed Cindy,” he repeated, as if she didn’t hear those terrible words the first time.

"No. You didn’t,” Alice refuted firmly, clenching her fists, itching to hit him again and never stop. “I was dying…but I'm pretty sure I remember your head fall off and roll around and Cindy holding a shovel." Then dropping beside Alice and pleading with her to stay. With her.

How could Cindy do that if Tommy had killed her?

It was impossible.

"It didn't work, I...I came back again," he whispered, as if confessing a terrible sin. "So did the other killers. There were four of us...and they were surrounded at the Hanging Tree...I...she got in the way when I was going after Ziggy."

Alice clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut.

No matter what happened between her and Cindy, the snitching, arguments, pretending to be perfect, ignoring her existence, what remained unchangeable and constant throughout the years was Cindy's love for her sister. The reason which drove Cindy to find a way out of caves.

Only to finally end in her death.

No. Sacrifice.

"Did Ziggy make it?" Alice asked grimly.

Tommy nodded wordlessly.

Alice sensed there was more. Four undead killers against two living and fragile Berman sisters. What kind of condition did Ziggy made it out in? And now with Cindy gone…what the kid must be going through and what Cindy herself must be going through after losing her life…

Alice hopped to her feet. Her bandaged ankle flared, not enough to alarm. Though it was strange it didn’t heal like her chest wound. But it didn't matter. "Come on.” She offered out her hand. “Let's go.”

Tommy blinked as if the words were foreign to him. "Where?"

"Let's go find Cindy."

Tommy hugged his knees tighter. "I...we can't."

"We can and we will,” Alice vowed determinedly. “She's gonna need us, okay? Especially right now. So get off your ass and let's go, Slater."

Tommy’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Alice…you don't...don't understand—”

"We find Cindy, we make a plan,” Alice said as she headed straight for the closed door. If she had to wake up the whole dead Slater family and drag them in here to make Tommy help her find Cindy, so be it. “Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean I’m letting the witch win.”

She paused and titled her head up at the ceiling, delivering a death glare. "You hear that, Sarah Fier? You think this is over? You think you’ve won, huh? You just made a huge mistake. Cause now that I’m dead, I’m going to be your worst fucking nightmare!” Alice vowed and wrenched the door open forcefully. “I'm going to haunt your evil ass till the end of tim—”

"Hey, hey. Keep it down, will ya?" a voice interrupted. "There's a young impressionable mind here."

Eyes widening at the people standing out in the hall, Alice’s hand instinctively slammed the door shut before locking it. She then rammed her back against the door, holding onto the doorknob for dear life. "H-Hey...uh...Slater?" she called shakily.

"Yes?" Tommy responded quietly, well on his way to blending with his bedroom's wallpaper.

"Why is the Milkman Killer, Ruby Lane and Billy Barker right outside your room?" She hissed, panicked. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I've got a better one..." Harry Rooker's muffled voice came from behind the locked door. "How does someone, not on the wall like the infamous and handsome Harry, or the talented Ruby or the adorable Billy, wind up in the Void of all places?"

Chapter Text

Much later, Alice scowled at the huge goat head mounted above the fireplace before her burning gaze lowered to rest on Joseph Goode's small framed picture on the mantle along with his sons, Nick and Will. 

Nick looked constipated as he stood beside the now dead Sheriff.

Alice's hand toyed with a lighter in her hands, thoroughly entertaining the idea of burning every Goode picture she stumbled upon. Or better yet, burning this whole replica of Goode Mansion to the ground if people weren't already occupying it…

"This is so remarkable…” Pastor Cyrus Miller breathed as if Alice was some goddamn miracle. “In all my years here, this has never happened before."

Then again, he was missing both his eyes…

Harry Rooker's face looked like it had gone through hell. But his eyes were working just fine. And they were looking at her suspiciously. “What's the verdict? Why is someone who wasn't chosen as a sacrifice end up in the Void?"

Cyrus doesn’t reply, but asked her a question instead. "What's the last thing you remember, Alice?"

Cindy's voice.

Pleading with her to stay.

"Oh...uh..." Alice cleared her throat awkwardly and crossed her arms "Well I found Sarah Fier's hand down in the caves, with the help of Nurse Lane's diary. And then we…uh…Cindy and I were talking about reuniting the hand with the body...we thought the body was buried under the Hanging Tree. And then Ziggy bled on the bone…and saw an angry Sarah Fier. Fast forward we’re holding shovels, then I turn around and there’s Tommy, with an axe and…I guess Cindy decapitates him after he..." Alice made a slicing motion with her hand. "...you know.”

Cyrus' face remained neutral, but Harry’s eyebrows shot into his hairline.

“And then I died.”

And ten minutes later, Cindy and Ziggy both died as well. 

Harry Rooker being the one who got Ziggy. 

Apparently to survive undead killers out for blood, the person who bled on the bone needed to die.

Harry glared bitterly at the Goode family photograph, looking very much he wished he could pull out his knife and stab both father and son.

"And then I'm here,” Alice finished. “Well technically I woke up in Tommy Slater’s room."

“Huh…” Harry hummed thoughtfully. 

“Huh what?” Alice asked.

“Maybe you and Slater are...soulmates or something?" Harry offered.

Alice shuddered before scoffing. "In your worst fucking nightmares, Milkma—Oh," she suddenly realized. “Sorry Father," she apologized sheepishly, feeling chastised in his mere presence.

Cyrus merely smiled benevolently, seemingly bursting with joy and hope, despite the empty eye sockets. “We all are just very curious," he explained. "We've never had two people arrive on the same day. And never someone who wasn't...chosen."

"Are you sure you didn't just…forget you're a Shadyside Killer?" Harry continued his interrogation making Alice inwardly groan.

She forgot people she had slept with before a high and happy Arnie breezed into her life. But she was certain she would remember being a ruthless bloodthirsty monster on a killing spree. No matter how drunk or high she had been.

"I'm pretty sure," Alice answered tensely. "And how does someone even forget they're a Shadyside Killer?" 

"Why is your hair short?"

Alice blinked down at a very curious Billy Barker staring up at her.

"Also what happened to your leg? Does it hurt? What is that ?" Billy squinted closely at her injured ankle before lightly poking it. "That doesn’t look like a bandage..."

Alice slowly slid her sanitary pad wrapped ankle away from the child. 

Billy fired another hundred more questions. 

Alice glanced questioningly at Harry, who only gave a solemn nod in confirmation. 

"Well shit," she muttered under her breath.

"Let her settle down first, Billy," Cyrus told him gently. "Then you can ask her your questions later, alright?"

Billy looked like he wanted to disagree. 

"Why don’t you go and see if Isaac needs help in the kitchen?"

Billy sighed heavily and relented. "Okay…" With a sour face, the ten year old stomped out of the living room.

“If that's William Barker, then that would make Isaac…”

“The Grifter,” Harry answered Alice.

"Wow…” Alice chuckled, shaking her head. “The Grifter cooks." And guts girls with his bare hands. Though no fault of his. Just like everyone in this room. Except for Alice.

“Yeah he does—so…” Harry jumped back in trying to solve the mystery of why she was here. “Did you see a bright light before you ended up here? Hear singing angels? Or…the exact opposite?”

“Harry…” Cyrus reprimanded.

Alice glowered. "No. But If I ever see inferno and screaming demons, I'll push you right in."

“Alice…”

“I’m sorry,” Harry was the first to apologize. “It’s just that, what if this is some plan of the Goodes? Or the Devil himself? This place loves to play mind games on us so…”

Right funny plot twist—though looking back at her whole life, it should not have really been surprising—the Goodes were evil. 

Long story short, three hundred years ago, Sarah Fier fell in love with Pastor Miller's daughter.

According to insecure men with nothing better to do than sit on their asses and drink the day away, that sort of love between women had the power to curse and bring darkness upon the land, kill the crops, contaminate the water, make the animals go crazy, make the local pastor go crazy and cut his own eyes out along with a dozen village children after killing them.

The convenient solution to all their terrible problems was to accuse an innocent woman of being a witch and hang her.

Which obviously didn't work because a few years later, another person snapped. Then another and another...and another...until Tommy Slater.

Yet the legend of the evil Big Bad Sarah Fier possessing good people from beyond the grave continued. 

All thanks to the Goodes. 

And the sheer stupidity and ignorance of people themselves.

Even her.

She should've considered it extremely sketchy when Sunnyvalers hired her and Arnie as camp counselors. Jobs they applied for as a joke.

Joan, Gary, Tommy and ofcourse Cindy made sense. They were responsible and reliable. Even if Joan boldly smoked weed in the Mess Hall. Probably had sex with Kurt by now with the way she had been eyeing him since they all arrived at camp.

She also should’ve considered it odd when Kurt assigned her and Arnie with Tommy and Cindy for cleaning duties.

But Alice didn't question any of it. 

It was Cindy's last year at camp. Last year in Shadyside. Last time Alice saw her before she fled and never looked back.

But that scrawny bitch, Nick Goode, had other plans for all of them. Plans which included destroying Tommy's life like Cyrus Miller and so many other killers and annihilating his reputation like Sarah Fier. And also by default, murdering Cindy Berman. Because a Shadysider trying to better themselves and leave the cursed town? Unacceptable when Shadysiders were supposed to be cattle for slaughter.

Oh and just when she believed the evil asshole Nick couldn't possibly get any worse…

Alice held up the notebook, obsessively scrawled with lines Ziggy would enjoy. Poems Ziggy would love. Twenty questions to ask Ziggy at camp.

Ziggy. Ziggy. Ziggy.

Apparently the Goode Mansion altered to the time period of the latest Shadyside Killer. And Billy Barker found the notebook tucked away in the Stephen King collection bookshelf. 

Alice could imagine the evil little bitch, sprawled ass up in his bed, planning a whole wedding in his head with a stupid satisfied grin on his face…

She also imagined Cindy, looming over the sick bastard with a deadly look, her fingers itching to rip both his balls and dick off, to crush and grind them into a smoothie and make him chug it down. Then push him into an oven and make him into a pie and serve it to the whole evil Goode family. Maybe not just pies, but cakes, bread, biscuits—

“Cookies,” Ruby voice brought her out of her murderous thoughts. “Isaac is making a huge dinner for all of us. So in the meantime, here…" Ruby held up a tray towards her. "Milk and cookies."

Alice slowly accepted the tray with a confused look at the milk and cookies infront of her. "Please tell me the secret ingredient is seven kinds of alcohol?"

Ruby chuckled. "No. I made these for Billy, but I remembered you used to love these too.”

"Oh thanks." Disappointed, Alice still managed to smile appreciatively and took one cookie. “Mmm,” she murmured, taking a small bite. "It tastes like Nurse Lane's cookies..."

Ruby shone at the compliment, though her eyes held a hint of sadness. "It's my Mom's recipe."

"Well these are heaven." Alice meant every word as she crammed the rest into her mouth. "Better than the crappy desserts Sunnyvale Moms are always sending for the Shadyside kids. Wait…" she realized something. "You said I used to love them? Did we...know each other or something?"

"Alice…" Ruby smiled brightly. "I was your babysitter."

"No. You're pulling my leg. Come on!"

"I am serious."

Alice wiggled her eyebrows at her. "So you're telling me the hottest Shadyside Killer was my babysitter?"

Ruby's pale complexion grew slightly red. "Well I was Cindy's babysitter.  You just marched up to me and made me yours too because Cindy was your best friend. And Cindy declared it was some best friend's law to share everything. Except Chrissy. Uh...well, Ziggy.”

Alice chortled. "Bet we were trouble makers."

"Cindy was fine and well behaved. You were quite a handful." Even if her tone was chiding, Ruby couldn’t stop staring at her in awe and wonderment. "The last time I saw you...you were barely five and couldn't even reach the kitchen counter and now...you're—" 

"Disappointingly less adorable?" Alice finished with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, that’s what happens when you lose all the baby fat and don’t grow into a swan from an ugly duckling." Though Cindy did. But then again to Alice, Cindy had never been an ugly duckling.

"Stop it!" Ruby chided her and Alice half expected her to reach out and start fussing like a mother hen over her appearance. "You're absolutely perfect."

Alice resisted the urge to blush at the compliment. She also felt guilt snuck up at her for raiding Nurse Lane's office earlier for drugs. And anger at the pervert Sheriff Joseph Goode for what he made Ruby do to her friends thirteen years ago.

It's just too bad she could barely remember anything about Ruby babysitting her or Cindy. Even good positive memories seemed to have been snatched and replaced with dark and despairing ones when living in Shadyside. Only bright spot in the darkness had been Cindy. Whether it had been a hard day in school, Shadyside itself or Nick Goode’s evil shit cave. But now…

Alice aggressively bit into another cookie and chugged down half her milk.

"Seeing as how I’m older than five…” Alice crossed the room over to the bar and picked up what she guessed was Joseph Goode’s very expensive alcohol and began pouring.

"Oh wow..." Ruby blinked as Alice literally emptied the whole bottle into her glass of milk. “That’s…don’t you think that’s a lot?”

“Nope. This is how we deal with the shit that happens in Shadyside in '78." She left out the part of rock and roll, partying and weed. And copious amount of sex while doing all three.

She sensed Shadysiders Killers would be gasping and clutching their pearls if she ever mentioned it.

And the Pastor looked ready to adopt her into the family.

Alice stopped pouring and took a gulp of the milk laced with alcohol and dipped the cookies in them. “Sorry, you want some?” No wait. Ruby Lane was still sixteen. Despite being an inch taller than her. "Uh...you know, forget I ever asked." 

Ruby didn't say anything. But she found the girl's gaze wistfully fixed on her wrists. Apparently, Alice's bracelets didn't make the trip into the Void. But her scars did. 

She cleared her throat loudly and maybe defensively and sent a pointed look at the gashes on Ruby’s own wrist. 

Ruby's pale cheeks flushed and she looked away.

"Not that I'm getting sick of looking at your wonderful faces…" Alice switched topics to break the awkward silence. “Where is everyone else?” 

“Isaac and Billy are in the kitchen. Doctor Carson is in the library. Tommy’s still in his room.” Ruby looked downcast. “He didn’t have a chance to settle down after dying and then suddenly he was resurrected and—” 

“No.” Alice interrupted. “That’s not what I meant.”

Ruby frowned. "What do you mean?"

“Where’s the Farmer of Death? The Miner? The Twins?”

“They don’t live in the mansion.”

“Why?”  

“Besides hating anything to do with the Goodes?" Harry spoke up. "If the Milkman, Grifter and Humpty Dumpty gives you nightmares….then just remember, we’re teddy bears compared to those fellas out there. They don’t want to traumatize the kid.”

"The kid, huh?" Alice repeated skeptically.

“Fine, they scare and terrify us too,” Harry admitted. “Even Isaac and he’s a huge guy."

“Alice, why are you smiling?” Ruby asked.

Alice smirked. “If a Sunnyvaler ever ends up here, I know just where to send them...” She then sighed forlornly. “It’s just too bad.” She took a sip from her drink. “Really wanted to meet Amy and Rachel.”

The room suddenly fell deathly silent and Alice found all eyes on her, including Pastor Cyrus.

"How do you know those names?" Ruby spoke in a low voice.

“What? Amy Dodd and Rachel Rifkin?” 

Ruby nodded grimly. “They’re not in the history books."

“Sure they are…” Otherwise, how would Alice know them? Especially when she never even opened a history book or skipped classes.

Ruby shook her head. “Doctor Carson had been going through the latest news articles in the library. 11th February 1978…the thirteenth anniversary of…” she trailed off with a pained expression. “Everyone…still believes Ruby Lane is the first female Shadyside Killer.” 

“But you’re not clearly.” Amy Dodd and Rachel Rifkin would disagree.

“How do you know Amy and Rachel? How could you possibly know their full names, Alice?”

“I…” Alice stammered before Arnie’s face flashed infront of her eyes. 

“Whatever you’re on man, thanks for sharing." Arnie roughly patted her shoulder before moving away. "Dick.”

“Tommy?” Cindy’s voice called from somewhere in the darkness. But she ignored it and grabbed the double bladed axe hanging on the wall.

“What the hell are you doing man?” Arnie’s smile fell as she stalked forward. "Tommy?”  

He never got a chance to dodge the axe.

“Oh my God! No, no! Tommy! Stop! ” Cindy both begged and sobbed amidst the sounds of axe meeting flesh and blood splatter. "Tommy please stop!”

Alice gasped as she pulled out of the memory. "Oh…shit…oh shit…” She grappled with the glass in her hands before Ruby hurriedly took it from her.

“Alice?” 

“I-I think…” Alice panted, clutching her rapidly beating heart. “I think…I know what happened…"

Chapter Text

“Alice? Are you awake?”

Groggy and disoriented, Alice groaned and rolled onto her stomach. “Nope. I am not.”

There was a long pause. “Yes, you are.”

"No…I am dreaming right now. You’re just part of that dream."

"No, I’m not.”

Eyes still tightly shut, Alice scowled.

Jesus, Jeremy was really persistent today.

But why was he even coming to her? Kids and their drama was Cindy and Tommy's department. Kurt had made that perfectly clear the first day she stepped off the bus to Camp Nightwing.

"You and Arnold's only job here is to make sure Camp Nightwing stays sparkling clean…shining bright…like our beloved town of Sunnyvale. Failure to perform your assigned duties would result in immediate dismissal. Consider this your first and last warning. Now…get to work…starting with my cabin."

"Asshole," Alice mumbled to herself and buried her face deeper into the pillow. "Listen Jeremy dude, whatever it is, I'm sure Cindy will be more than happy to solve your problem." Unless it was something requiring payback with a bully from Sunnyvale. "Come to me when she can't."

Something which was impossible. No matter how challenging, Cindy Perfect Berman always got the task done quickly and efficiently, according to the three-page resume Alice had swiped from the office earlier. Load of crap or not, it was absolutely fine with Alice if it earned her a relaxing, quiet day in bed. "See you at lunchtime. And you better save me some candy this time."

There was no alright and see you later, Miss Hart. Just another long pause. 

"Who's Cindy?"

Alice's eyes flew open. "Jesus 'effin Christ!'' she gasped, heart almost leaping out of her chest at the small, curious face looming over hers which clearly didn't belong to Jeremy. What the fuck?

"Are you going to cry?” Child Killer, William Barker inquired.

“W-What?” she stammered, half-expecting him to materialize a metal baseball bat and start beating her head mercilessly into a bloody pulp. 

“Ruby wouldn't stop crying when she got here. Harry cried too," the boy relayed, looking distressed. "But Harry will say he didn't if you ask him. It's okay if you wanna cry. We have lots of tissues here."

Alice worked her jaw. "Okay," she finally said, after making double—triple sure she wasn't in danger of being whacked to death by a ten-year-old infront of her. "I'm…good. I’m fine." 

“Are you sure?” Billy asked for his own reassurance.

“Yup.” She slowly let her guard down. And uncurled her fingers from around the lamp on the nightstand which was supposed to serve as a weapon. "No crying and tears here. But thanks for asking." And almost giving me a fucking heart attack, she thought inwardly before cursing herself. Fuck…it was all real…

From Tommy splitting Arnie's head in half to being trapped in the caverns below camp with Cindy Berman of all people. To all paths leading to a black, fleshy mold beating like a human heart…

...Calling out her name… 

And Alice responds to its call by laying her palm flat against it…being overwhelmed by the past…seeing all the Shadyside killers and their victims. 

Then ending up with them after a dea—undead Tommy slashed her chest open after Ziggy bled on Sarah's hand.

What a day… Alice rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

Part of her still desperately clung to the hope it had all been a nightmare. One big side effect of getting high on Joan's weed and the stolen drugs from Nurse Lane's office.

But hope had always disappointed her in life. Why was it surprising it did the same after death?

"Did Ruby really babysit you?" 

Alice released a patient sigh. "According to her, yes." 

"But you're way older than Ruby."

"Uh-huh…" Alice dragged a hand over her face. "God…what time is it?”

"It's supposed to be breakfast time,” Billy chirped, plopping down on the bed and bouncing up and down like a Jack-in-the-box. “But everyone's tired today. So Isaac said we're gonna have brunch later." He then pouted. "You missed dinner," he said, like she had failed some important test.

"Wait…did you say breakfast?" Alice squinted at the window with the curtains parted. "What are you talking about, kid? It's dark as the inside of someone's as—" She caught herself from finishing that sentence. "Are we having a solar eclipse I didn't know about?"

"It's always dark in the Void," Billy said as if it was the most natural thing. "Always."

"Great," Alice groaned, massaging her throbbing forehead. "That's just great."

“Is your name really Alice?" Billy flopped down on his stomach. "Like Alice in Wonderland?”

"Yup." A resigned sigh escaped her. "That's me. Followed the white rabbit and fell deep, deep down into the rabbit hole."

Billy giggled now upside down, balancing on his head. "You're funny."

Alice couldn't even crack a smile at the compliment. “Thanks.”

Why am I still alive?  

Was the question Alice asked herself every morning. But today...

"How am I still alive?" Alice wondered out loud, wading through her murky memories of last night.

She momentarily winced at the bright, harsh, light of the table lamp Billy's eager hands switched on.

The last thing she clearly and painfully remembered was raiding Joseph Goode's office, more specifically his collection of vintage whisky and drinking a hundred times her body weight.

It was after…way after she revealed to the Killers about touching the thing in the caves…and found out about the consequences…

" You touched the Devil's heart?” Harry Rooker sputtered. "You actually touched it?"

Alice wrinkled her nose, swirling her cup of herbal tea. "That's what you call that disgusting-looking thing with a million flies in the caves?"

"I refer to it as the Heart of Darkness," Isaac Milton supplied, making another cup of tea in the background, trying to be noticeably discreet. Impossible when he almost reached the ceiling. "It's a physical manifestation of evil on Earth. It's feeding on the blood of dead Shadysiders."

"Why would you touch that thing?!" Harry squawked. "Not even the Goodes are crazy enough to touch that thing!"

Alice sighed, sipping her tea. "Should it really be called a heart when it literally pops out Shadyside Killers like a woman's—"

"Heart !" Harry maintained stubbornly, shooting Ruby a glare who snorted into her tea. "We're calling it a heart and that’s that."

Alice put her hands up in surrender. "Alright. Heart it is then. Jeez."

"What happened after you touched it, Alice?" Pastor Cyrus inquired gravelly.

Alice sobered up and so did everyone else. "I saw all of you...all the Shadyside Killers…all the killings…" she paused, noticing the collective discomfort and stricken expressions. "I…I felt the pain of those people, Sara—the Goodes, sacrificed…and their victims.” She clutched her teacup. “I saw and felt everything as if I was there.”

A very deep and uncomfortable silence followed.

"Uh…I think I also saw ghosts…of children…without their eyes." She watched Cyrus Miller's stoic expression flinch before his body visibly stiffened. "That's how I ended up breaking my ankle. But…” She quickly tried to amend, noticing Isaac Milton seemed to be the one holding Cyrus upright. “It could just be nothing because I saw Cindy looking like a ghost too and she wasn't…" She took a shaky breath. "She was alright. And she saved me…uh…my ankle. And we both got out of the cave. So maybe it was nothing?"

The silence only grew thicker. 

Alice shifted uncomfortably. "So…uh…that’s what happened. Maybe touching the heart thing has something to do with what happened?” Alice tentatively suggested. “Why I ended up in this place?”

Cyrus stroked his chin thoughtfully though his expression was far away. "Yes. It could be."

“So what…the curse made a mistake and thinks she’s a Shadyside Killer because she got all our memories and feelings?” Harry remarked in disbelief. "Because she touched the heart?"

“It appears so,” Isaac responded, keeping a firm hold on the three-hundred-year old man.

"Lucky me," Alice grumbled.

"What about the ghosts Alice saw?" Ruby asked grimly, glancing at Cyrus worriedly as Isaac led him to sit on one of the chairs.

"The Devil loves to deceive and play tricks," Harry replied quickly, more to assure and comfort Cyrus. "So maybe that was it. Just a prank by the Devil.”

Alice scoffed. "Well, that was some horrifying prank. I could've broken my neck back there instead of my ankle."

A wry smile tugged at the Milkman's lips. "King of Hell doesn't really care about your neck. Probably aiming for it, especially after you touched the heart."

"Well…I say fudge his evil Majesty." She downed her tea, ignoring the raised eyebrows. "As delicious as this tea is, it could really use some weed. Got any?" 

"Uh...no." Ruby chuckled weakly, obviously shaken up by the fact someone shared her pain and memories. "We don't have marijuana here, Alice." 

"Uh-huh." Alice caught Harry’s very guilty expression who tugged on his red bow in the background. "That's just too bad.”

“Uh-huh,” Harry coughed and straightened before taking a quick sip of his own tea. “A shame.”

Yes. It was a shame. As much as she would love to investigate Milkman's hidden weed stash, she had unfinished business to take care of.

“Well guys and gal, I've told you everything I know." She placed the empty cup at the nearest table. "Seeing I'm not a Shadyside Killer, I'm gonna be heading off soon. So if one of you could point out the exit, that would be awesome."

It was like she had announced someone’s death. None of the killers could meet her eyes. 

"North, South, East, West. Up or down? Look, the sooner I get out of here, the sooner I meet up with Cindy and we figure out a way to kill Nick Goode and end this nightmare. We were too close to ending the curse. We need to finish this. For Shadyside. For everyone who lost their lives. And for you guys too. I swear on my soul, we will kill Nick Goode, dance on his fucking corpse and clear all your names. Once I get out of here. So if you could show me a way out or just give me a map…?"

“Uh…Alice?” Ruby started gently, regret and pain shimmering in her brown eyes. “There’s something you need to know.”

And Alice was suddenly reminded of Nurse Lane, giving bad news to a sick kid who had been looking forward to Color War and other camp activities, but now couldn't participate in any.

Because he was stuck. Trapped inside his cabin for the rest of the summer. For a month. No summer camp was barely three months. But being trapped here in the Void…

Alice found her head shaking in denial. “No…I am not a Shadyside Killer, okay?”

“Alice…”

“And okay I’m not doing this just for Shadyside, but Ziggy too. The kid's in danger. That sick bastard is so obsessed with her that he brought her back from the dead." Cindy's death and the Camp Nightwing massacre would be the perfect opportunity for Nick to get close to Ziggy. "I need to go. Right fucking now. So there has to be a way out.”

"The firstborn Goode has to die," Harry said softly. "The curse ends. Or someone bleeds on Sarah Fier's bones. Those are the only two options for leaving this place. Well, the second one isn’t really an option.”

"Actually, there might be another option,” Isaac spoke up. “Not for us. But for her." 

"Go on Isaac," Cyrus prompted, now sitting on one of the living room chairs.

"Alice isn't a Shadyside Killer. The only reason she's here is because she touched the Heart of Darkness and lived through all of our memories and pain while we were under the Devil’s possession," Isaac paused to send a gentle smile her way as if both equally grateful and troubled for her carrying all their burden. "But the effects of it are fading now. Am I correct?”

Alice nodded in confirmation. “I barely remember the names of the older killers.”

Isaac nodded before addressing the room again. “Alice is with us now as well. And we’re with her. Not just simply in the form of painful memories.”

Harry frowned at the excited Isaac. “What are you getting at Isaac?”

“Once a new person is chosen, everything changes here. To the year he or she belongs to. 1922...1935…1950…1965…and now 1978.”

“So…?”

“So when this new person arrives, it would be someone Alice never knew. Someone whose memories she never lived through...and since all our memories she gained have almost faded away as well—"

"The Void might realize she's a big mistake and evict her when everything changes," Ruby breathed in amazement before flushing in embarrassment. "Oh I'm sorry, Alice."

“It's okay, I wouldn't want anyone to crash in my room for more than a week too,” Alice teased weakly before swallowing thickly. "So you’re saying I have to wait for thirteen years then? For Nick Goode to murder someone else?"

Instead of answering, everyone looked to Cyrus Miller. Not surprising since the Camp Nightwing massacre eerily echoed the massacre of Union's children in 1666. It even happened in the same place as the settlement. Not a coincidence on Nick's part.

"After what Solomon did…to the town's children…” Cyrus began haltingly, cradling his head, as if speaking about it was an devastating ordeal. “He got everything he desired. Power…prosperity and legacy. Five children…all healthy sons. It was years after his death that his firstborn was called upon to choose another sacrifice. By then he had a son of his own. Even a grandson.”

“How long after the Mess Hall massacre did another killer show up?” Alice sighed when she received confused looks over the question. “The Meeting House massacre in Union," she corrected. "How long?”

How long would she have to wait? How long till she saw Cindy again? Even after the JVC incident, she saw Cindy in Shadyside. Except for greeting her with a tight hug and mischievous grin, Alice greeted her with two middle fingers and a vicious sneer.

“You snitched on me.”

“I didn’t—Alice come on! Can’t we please just talk about this? It’s been months and—Oh…you’re giving me the finger again…yeah, that’s really mature, Alice. You've really grown and changed.”

“Mature you say? You threw me under the bus, Cindy. And then you avoided me for like weeks. There’s nothing to talk about. In fact, how about I make it easier for you and your shiny new friends and neither one of us have to see each other's faces ever again! How does that sound?”

“We’re both stuck in the same town. We both go to the same school, so that’s kind of impossible—Wait…Alice! That’s my homework! Alice!"

Alice swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as she waited.

Cyrus dragged a hand through his haggard face. "This Nicholas Goode is still young...from what I’ve gathered, Thomas ended up killing more than just children…there was only one survivor on the land innocent blood was spilled…which could mean…longer for the next sacrifice." He turned his eyeless face towards Alice. "A lot longer than fifty years.”

Alice shook off the memory and frowned. I should be dead. Again. 

She should be wherever the campers and Arnie and Cin—other counselors' ghosts were floating around after being murdered by a possessed Tommy. 

If not. She should at least be in a coma. 

Why didn’t it work? 

All the real Shadyside Killers were all here and accounted for in the flesh...soul…? Their memories and experiences had faded away from Alice’s mind. She couldn't even recall the names of the killers who didn't make the history books.

So if she were to die again somehow…

I'm me now. It should've worked! This place should've realized I'm a fucking fake and a mistake and spat me out! Why didn't it work?

"Cause you can't get hurt here,” Billy revealed a tad bit too cheerfully, letting himself plop face down onto the mattress.

Alice's breath hitched. "What?"

Billy rolled onto his back. "I was trying to get my kite. And I slipped and fell off the roof."

"The four storey roof?" Alice asked, baffled beyond belief.

"Uh-huh. But I was okay. See?" Billy spread his arms to demonstrate the phenomenon. "It hurt a little when I landed on a rake. But then I was okay."

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

"Harry looked like he was going to have a heart attack,” Billy giggled fondly at the memory. “Doctor Carson fell off the roof too when he was trying to watch the sky for stars. And he didn't break his head."

Carson.

Edward Carson.

The Humpty Dumpty Killer.

And on cue, her mind played the nursery rhyme:

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again

Unless it was not a man who stitched him together. But the King of Hell…

He not only put Humpty Dumpty and Child Killer back together again, but put Tommy's burlap-covered head back after Cindy decapitated him with a shovel…

He brought the other killers back to life using the Heart of Darkness…to prevent Sarah Fier's ghost from showing Ziggy the truth behind his deal with the Goode family and curse.

He brought Ziggy back to life because Nick Goode wished for it.

It wasn't the Witch's mark rather than the Devil's mark that scarred the land. He made the caverns she and Cindy were trapped in

Which means he made the Void where Shadyside Killers were trapped in for centuries. Which meant…

"You can't get hurt here," Billy, sprawled on the bed, moved his feet and arms as if making a snow angel. "You can't die in the Void.” He smiled at her. “Isn't that great?"

Fucking hell.

Chapter Text

"...Harry's head caught fire too when he was trying to light fireworks. And also when he tried to cook a steak. But he was fine after jumping into a pool. We have a swimming pool, did you know that?"

Alice dragged her hands down her face before digging her fingertips into her scalp and thinking about screaming and never stopping.

"Yeah. Might've seen it."

There goes her backup plan of finding a cliff high enough and jumping off it. It also meant she would grow her head back too if she somehow managed to find a guillotine.

God, she should've known better. Taken a hint when Pastor Cyrus Miller moved around with empty eye sockets or Ruby's slashed wrists didn't gush out blood.

"How come you don't have your own room? Everyone does."

Alice shot him an exhausted look. “Boy you have a lot of questions today, don’t you?"

“Uh-huh.” Billy nodded eagerly, swinging his legs. "Harry says I'm a very curious lad."

"Uh-huh. Tell you what curious lad…” Alice cut him off when his small mouth began to open. “Why don't you go to your room and play or something?" She closed her eyes and snuggled back against the pillow, intent on going back to sleep, where pain, worry, and disappointment didn't exist. "I'll answer your questions after I catch up on eighteen years worth of sleep."

"This is my room."

Oh.

That explained why almost half of her legs were dangling over the edge of the bed.

"Did you sleep on the floor?" Though Alice couldn't find any sort of sleeping bag.

Billy shook his head. "Harry's room." A scowl followed the admission. "He snores."

"Yeah sorry about that,” Alice apologized sheepishly. "I kind of got…lost." The excuse sounded lame even to her ears. But lame was better than drinking so much she couldn't see straight and hoping to join her fellow counselors in the afterlife which wasn't called a Void. "I honestly thought this was Ruby's room."

"Ruby's room?" Billy made a face. "Ruby is a girl!"

"Right well...life's biggest lesson, don’t go around touching weird little blob things, especially calling your name in a creepy-looking cave."

Billy merely blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"Nevermind." She massaged the kinks out of her neck before kicking the covers off and sitting upright. "I'll get out of your hair. You can have your room back."

"It's okay. You can stay," Billy offered without an ounce of hesitation. "You can sleep some more if you're tired," 

"Oh." Alice felt oddly touched by the gesture. "Thanks."

"Or if you wanna cry."

Alice rolled her eyes at the expectant look on Billy's face. "Sorry to disappoint but no water works for me. But I will definitely sleep some more." She settled back into the cold sheets. "Just wake me up when this brunch thing starts because I am starving."

Also, it was about time she met Doctor Ed Carson. She needed to get sleeping pills. A lot of sleeping pills. She can't die in the Void, but she could sleep for let’s say…more than fifty years.

So yes, she couldn’t wait for brunch.

Billy gestured toward the nightstand, where Alice now noticed a trolley right beside it with a covered tray. "Isaac left breakfast for you if you're hungry."

Alice shot up into a sitting position and silently cursed when her head spun. "Why didn't you start with that?" 

"Cause it's really cold now," Billy said defensively.

Cold was an understatement. When Alice grabbed the coffee mug, the liquid was freezing. "What the–"

"It was snowing," Billy said as if snow in the middle of July was fucking normal. 

“Right…” Then she lifted the lid of the tray. "Holy shit…" She uttered, her gaze darting back and forth at the stacks of pancakes, waffles, sunnyside eggs…bacon…brownies…croissants…food she never laid her eyes on before. She had never seen this much variety of breakfast in her life. Scratch that, she had never seen this much food in her life. 

Bon appetit, Miss Hart read a card with a smiley face on an empty plate.

"Isaac can make you another if you want,” Billy suggested.

Alice choked on incredulous laughter. "This is fine." Oh this is…crazy. She gulped down the freezing, bitter coffee in three sips and made a face. "Not my first cold meal." She wolfed down three cold sunny side eggs and three toasts. Even cold and hard it was better than anything she tasted before. Definitely better than air or an expired can of tuna and beans.

"Ruby misses Nurse Lane…Nurse Lane is her Mom." Billy folded his arms and put his chin on his elbows. "Do you miss your Mom too, Alice?"

As much as one could miss someone who had plans to leave both Shadyside and Alice and then proceeded to crash their car around a pole, thanks to the drunk driving of her mother's latest boyfriend. 

"She died a long time ago,” Alice said briskly, which in essence was the truth even if the accident happened a year ago. “Dad also." Because Dad in jail for the last twelve years would invite a hundred questions she wasn't prepared to answer. "So not really. I don’t miss them.”

As for any foster parents, it would be shocking if they remembered she existed long enough to identify her body or have it cremated. 

Billy scrunched his brows, inching closer. "Don't you have any brothers and sisters?"

"Nope." Unless she counted the cheating Mr. Watkins' one-month-old baby daughter he was ready to leave behind to start a brand new life with Alice's mother. "No siblings," she said between a mouthful of pancakes. "I'm an only child."

"But then…who do you miss?"

The image of Cindy's smile floated through her brain. Cindy, full of relief and joy despite being a mess by both Sunnyvale and Shadyside standards.

"What took you so long?" 

Even with the throbbing pain in her leg from tripping after those terrifying visions, then falling after being suspended ten feet above the ground by only a bucket and having Gary's decapitated body slam on top of her broken ankle, Alice couldn't help grinning back like an idiot as Cindy grasped both of her arms and pulled her out of the darkness. Out of the caverns of nightmare and death.

Even afterward, Cindy held her steady as Alice wobbled on her broken ankle. She held her gaze as Alice grinned deliriously, excited to share what she found…a solution to end all their problems to save Shadyside and–

"Cindy's dead, Alice…" Tommy's broken voice shattered through her reminiscing and chilled her right down to her bones. "I killed her."

Alice wrenched herself away from the memory of the broken and traumatized counselor and forcefully stabbed a waffle with a fork. "No one." She curled the fingers of her other hand into her palm, halting them from absentmindedly brushing against the strip of polo shirt still wrapped around her ankle. "There's no one."

"No one?" Billy repeated, disbelief clear in his voice. "But Isaac says everyone misses someone."

Knowing she wouldn't be let off the hook without providing a satisfactory answer to quench his curiosity… 

"Well there is someone. His name is Arnie."

Billy’s eyes lit up in curiosity and wonder. "Who's Arnie?"

"My boyfriend." Alice inwardly grinned when she saw Billy scrunch up his nose. “And boy do I miss him.”

“Oh.”

“Are you sure you wanna hear about how much I miss him?” Alice waggled her eyebrows as Billy slowly inched away. “How much I love him…" Billy scooted away more. "How much I just wanna..." She puckered up her face and made exaggerated kissing noises.

"Eww!" As expected, that was a bucket of ice-cold water to his raging curiosity and he practically scrambled off the bed. "No! Gross!"

Alice couldn’t help, but laugh. “Sorry…” she cleared her throat and sobered up, noticing Billy’s offended expression. “I’m sorry." She batted her eyelashes and mustered the most innocent look. "Forgive me? Please?”

“Fine,” Billy huffed and shuffled to the other side of the room.

Chewing on her fourth waffle, Alice let her eyes lazily follow him as he wandered to the shelves containing a collection of various models of cars, ships in bottles and airplanes. "Wow…" she admired, impressed on noticing the miniature models of the Shadyside and Sunnyvale which occupied three large tables. “That's quite a collection of toys you got there."

"It's not mine." Billy headed for mini-Sunnyvale. “It used to be Sheriff Goode’s.” 

Somehow Alice had a hard time imagining the stoic Sheriff Goode playing with toys. Or even in diapers.

"This is my home," Billy gestured to the farm model sitting in the middle of both towns. He plucked a grazing cow from it. "This is Bessie," he introduced, holding up the plastic black and white mammal. "And this is Rick and Hans the Horse." He motioned at the rooster and horse.

"Hey Bessie…Rick…Hans…" Alice greeted with a wave and refrained from asking about non-animal family members. "Nice to meet you all."

"They already like you," Billy told her in a hushed tone as if it was a secret. "They told me yesterday."

"Oh cool," Alice returned awkwardly, munching on some jam and toast. "I love you guys too."

"Gary the Goat is missing, but Bessie will find him," Billy declared confidently and made airplane noises, making Bessie fly across Shadyside and Sunnyvale. 

"Alright go, Bessie," Alice cheered half-heartedly between a mouthful of dry cereal, trying to ignore the twinge of pain at the mention of Gary the Goat.

"He's not in here…maybe he's here…" Billy murmured to himself.

Watching him play innocently, Alice felt a profound sense of anger wash over her at the thought of the long-dead-Goode carving Billy's name on the wall. Making the child snap when he was at home with his whole family.

You must've been a special kind of asshole to go after a kid like that. And you did it for what?" Alice eyed the farmland, Billy's home, which had been Sunnyvale golf course and a gated community consisting of luxury apartments long before she had been born. A place every Sunnyvaler and naive Shadysiders desperately wanted to make their retirement home or dream home.

What was Tommy Slater sacrificed for? What wishes was Nick Goode making right now after so much bloodshed at a summer camp? Besides bringing Ziggy back from the dead after putting her life in danger in the first place.

"Fucking evil asshole," Alice muttered under her breath, scooping up and swallowing what looked like pudding. You were high, but you were right, Arnie. Goodes stole the land from Shadysiders. Did you get that?

Silence greeted her.

Come on, Arnie. You promised to haunt me if you ever croaked first. Still waiting for a sign, you gross little shit. 

Still nothing, but Alice continued directing her thoughts toward her dead boyfriend. It's too bad you're missing all this. Especially the food. Isaac Milton, the Grifter cooks…like a real home-cooked meal. And oh God I bet there's gonna be warm showers at this literal palace Goodes have been living in. But I bet Nick that evil bastard prefers cold showers. And I’m pretty sure I’ll find a stash of weed under the Milkman’s bed. Bet you a million dollars the Goodes have enough food and booze in their basement to survive ten apocalypses. Anyway, if you hear this, bring the kids over. Bring everyone over. We’ll have a party.

But like the hundred times she tried, Arnie remained silent. 

So did Gary…

Alice sighed.

…Joan.

"Uh…Alice? Are you okay?"

“Yeah. Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" Alice chuckled bitterly, watching Pastor Cyrus and Isaac exit the living room. After Cyrus Miller had revealed the length of time between him and the next Shadyside Killer. "I guess this makes Joan the only counselor who was smart enough to get on the bus and not go running into the forest and go cave exploring and touching weird shit. So good for her.”

Ruby and Harry shared an uneasy look before they each took a sip of their respective teas.

Alice exhaled loudly through her nose, bracing herself for even worse news. When you're a Shadysider, always expect things to get worse. “What is it now?” 

"Joan…uh…Counsellor Joan,” Ruby began, a devastated look twisting her soft features. “She’s…dead.” 

The news still hurt more than Alice believed possible.

Joan had been positive about everything. Or maybe it was the weed. And maybe her dreams of opening a weed farm and partnering with Arnie and Alice were ridiculous as Cindy and her polo shirt and her Sunnyvale disposition…but she didn't deserve to go out this way. “Was she in the way when you guys came back?”

They shook their heads.

“She was killed before you and Cindy got out of the caves,” Harry answered, drumming his fingers against his teacup. “It must've been after you touched the Devil’s heart.”

Alice straightened up, confused. "How do you guys know that...?"

"After Chrissy–Ziggy,” Ruby corrected with a sad smile. “After she bled on Sarah's bone, we were given a glimpse of Tommy's whole life until Cindy…till he died.”

"It was to get us acquainted with the year so we could hunt her," Harry continued grimly. "So we experienced everything Slater saw and did till Cindy got him. The first time."

"So kind of like what I went through in the caves but you guys went through with Tommy's memories?" Alice asked for clarification and received nods.

"In Tommy's case, both the good and bad seeing that he's a—"

"A decent human being and not something which feeds on human blood and suffering of the whole world?" Alice finished for Ruby.

Harry clicked his tongue approvingly. "Pretty much."

"Alright then help me out here," Alice began her head reeling with the newfound discovery along with Joan's death. "How did Tommy even get to Joan? She was always surrounded by people." Whether Gary, Tommy, the other counselors or the campers. "She wouldn't be caught dead alone. Especially with an ax murderer on the loose."

Both Shadyside Killers shifted uncomfortably. "She didn't know." Ruby seemed unable to meet her gaze. "She was…uh…kind of…distracted."

"Distracted by what?"

The lack of reply, Ruby's flaming red cheeks, and Milkman trying to waterboard himself into Isaac's herbal tea told her everything she needed to know.

Despite the lingering grief, Alice found herself suppressing a snort. "So that means Kurt's dead too?" As hard as she tried, she couldn't even pretend to grieve for the shitty head counselor. Especially seeing he was supposed to be Nick Goode's best friend. Good fucking riddance finally.

"Uh…no.” Ruby was the only one brave enough to reply. “He was…in the shower when…Tommy came for Joan,” she explained hastily. “And Shadyside Killers don't go after Sunnyvalers. Only those with Shadyside blood."

Alice’s slightly cheerful mood plummeted. "Of course they do," she muttered disdainfully before suddenly realizing something. “Uh hey, Ruby?"

Ruby turned back to her curiously. "Yes?"

Alice nervously drummed her fingers against the wooden bookshelf she was propped up against. "Nurse Lane…I-I mean your mother, she never believed all the bullshit the papers and police said about you. Even though everyone else did…” She looked down at her broken ankle. “Including me," she confessed with a wince. “And also I sort of…stole your Mom's diary and flashlight...and tried to steal some of her drugs too." Alice briefly entertained the childish notion that if she repented her crimes, maybe her sentence in the Void would be reduced. "Well, I only managed to find one. L484."

Ruby stared at her with a tilted head and an unreadable expression. Harry observed her with a raised eyebrow as if waiting for another confession after the drug stealing.

Alice chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. "Turns out it was just Tylenol. Thought you should know. Which you probably do, having Tommy’s memories and all."

"Tylenol?" Harry echoed as if the act was an embarrassment rather than a crime. "Who steals Tylenol from a nurse's office?"

Cindy Berman does to prove to herself the curse didn't exist and drugs made everyone snap. That something was wrong with Shadysiders for not trying to better themselves.

Though with Tommy's memories floating around the killers' heads, they would probably know more about Cindy's dumbass plans. They would probably know more about Cindy than she would. Especially the last six years.

Cindy Berman. Both a dumbass and a badass, who saved her multiple times from dying in that cave and managed to fix her broken ankle. 

Cindy Berman, who she won't be able to see or hear for a very long time.

The sound of Ruby gently placing her teacup on the glass table broke through her errant thoughts. The sixteen-year-old surprised her when she moved forward and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for telling me that."

“Uh…you’re welcome,” Alice responded uncertainly, awkwardly patting her former babysitter’s back.

“It’s going to be alright, Alice,” Ruby assured, squeezing her tightly. “You’ll see them again.”

After fifty years and more…

The wayward thought assaulted Alice. The feeling of utter hopelessness that all Shadysiders were familiar with–which frequently visited her after the JVC incident with Harold Hines–slowly clutched her heart and squeezed it. 

Three whole lifetimes to forget someone … She will truly forget you now . No need for her to pretend you don't exist anymore. You will be nothing, but a forgotten memory to her. 

"Yup. I will,” Alice lied with a smile as she unsuccessfully shoved away the familiar thoughts. "And it's gonna be awesome."

She felt Ruby chuckle and instinctively tighten her embrace. "I hope so too."

She would be fine. 

It was just a few years. Compared to Cyrus Miller who hadn't seen his daughter's face for over three hundred years to Ruby Lane whose mother roamed Shadyside like a living ghost after her daughter's murder spree and suicide thirteen years ago, Alice got the better deal. 

There was actually a fragment of hope for her.

"I'm Cynthia. Cynthia Berman. But everyone calls me Cindy. Oh and this is Chrissy. What’s your name?"

Alice swallowed thickly.

She would be fine as long as she never thought about polo shirts, blue piercing wide eyes, snitches, JVCs, and siblings with flaming red-hair. 

She would be more than fine if she did the not-thinking part with Joseph Goode’s collection of fine-tasting wine until she couldn't see straight.

Alice dispassionately watched the late Sheriff Goode's portrait over Ruby's shoulder. The man who drank, smoked and drank some more and suffered a cardiac arrest he never woke up from…

And then like all crazy ideas, Alice was hit with one…

"So…uh…Billy," Alice began, playing with her pudding, not wanting to dwell on unpleasant thoughts of her failed attempt to leave the Void and snitches in polo shirts. "Has...uh…Tommy by any chance come out of his room yet?"

“No.” Billy shook his head disappointedly, bumping Bessie against Sunnyvale's football stadium. "Isaac left a tray for dinner and breakfast. He didn't take it. Ruby says it's because Tommy's really really sad." Bessie zigzagged between the football team of Sunnyvale Devils. "I heard him crying yesterday. And today too."

Ah shit.

Alice felt a pang of sympathy for her fellow classmate and counselor. But even if she lock-picked her way into Tommy's room, forced the world's greatest breakfast down his throat, or brought Nick Goode's decapitated head, there would be no words she or anyone could offer to soothe what he went through last night. 

Only time could, hopefully. Something both she and Tommy had an eternity of.

"Alice?" Billy called, cuddling Bessie against his chest and patting the mammal's head affectionately.

Alice stuffed her mouth with a spoonful of pudding. "Yeah, kid?" 

"Who's Cindy?"