"Whose eyeball?" Mary asked with a tilt of her head. "Lulu's friend?"

Bonnie pulled Mary closer before she could investigate. She collapsed to the ground, bringing Mary down with her. "Dear god, how'd they find us?"

I brought my fingers to my mouth, nibbling on the nails. Savages were here. Bonnie was injured, Mary was defenseless and I...

Turning to them, I noticed Bonnie continually eye the pitchfork, probably wondering how fast she could reach it in her injured state. Meanwhile, Mary hummed a children's song about fire and bridges.

The taste of Freddy and Guno's flesh bubbled to the surface of my thoughts. I-If I ate them, we could―

"No." I shook my head to sweep away the vulgar idea. Once I commited that crime, I couldn't go back.

More cackles bounced through the walls as liquid splashing echoed in my head. It took one whiff to recognize it as gasoline. I shifted my gaze to Bonnie, wide eyed.

"Smells like fireplace. S'mores?" Mary slurred once I caught the sound of a lighter flicking open.

Bonnie covered her while I followed her gaze only to find embers crawling up the walls. Around them, wood darkened to black. Not again, the fire, the fire―

I looked down. My legs struggled to support me, trembling as stitches strained to keep themselves together. That didn't matter. Something had to be done; I refused to abandon them like Jack did to me no matter how terrified I was.

"We need to get out of here." I looked to the window Mary climbed in from, fists tightened. "Over there, before the savages find out!" I whispered.

Mary ran to my side without fuss. On the other hand, Bonnie stared holes into her legs. She covered her mouth with one hand, the other waving smoke away. "I... I don't think I can anymore. My legs are at their limit," she said in a muffled voice.

I pushed Mary in the escape route's direction, then turned back to Bonnie, teeth clenched. "It's not that far!"

With a nod, she walked. Yet each step made her legs tremble. She looked left and right as her skin glistened from sweat.

My eyes were dead set on her. Brows furrowed and mouth scowling, one thought came to mind when I watched the woman wobble to us. Could the reason she was taking her time be because she didn't believe in us? Maybe she thought I'd―

Mary brought me back to reality by tugging on my finger. Her lips trembled as words spewed from them. "We should help. Mama's going to burn."

My mind wandered back to when Bonnie glanced at the pitchfork. Then, a slew of scenarios came rushing in, all of which ended in my second death. I looked to Mary, dread sinking its claws into my skin. "Wh... What if we lea―"

A scream cut through my sentence. We whipped our heads to the source just to find Bonnie sprawled on the floor. She held her swollen legs as agony possessed her features. Eyes shut and breaths heavy, the woman attempted to get up without much success.

Meanwhile, I stood still, frozen by looming suspicions and fear of dying the same way our parents had. It only took a few seconds of seeing my hesitation for Mary to act on her own.

"No, Mama!" the girl cried before ripping herself from my hold. She dodged the rapidly crawling flames until she was in Bonnie's arms. "I'll be good. Help out, okay?"

"I'm sorry, darling," Bonnie whispered as tears slid down her cheeks. "You need to go with Lulu. I'll come for you soon."

What? I pointed to myself, flabberghasted. I could barely take care of myself and she wanted to leave Mary in my care? If it weren't for the smoke and howls reminding me of our dire situation, I would've snorted.

Mary clung to her mother's chest while trying to pull her up. "Why not now? We have to be quick. Don't want Mama to burn!"

"It's my legs, sweetie," she said with a sigh. "Once I get some candy, I'll be right behind you, okay?"

Mary's sobbing worsened. She nestled her body into Bonnie's embrace. "Liar. You're hurt... because me."

Bonnie looked to me with eyes glistening from tears. She held her daughter tight and sniffled.

I'm sorry. I took a step back just to jolt forward when a stray flame scorched my skin. How could I suspect her of anything? To avoid her gaze from piercing my heart, I averted my own. I sneaked peeks at them until she returned her attention to Mary.

Bonnie shook her head, then pushed her daughter away. "You can't stay here long."

Yet Mary refused to leave her. She grabbed Bonnie's hands and shook them up and down. "Drag you, like Lulu. See?"

That's right, she dragged me on the ground for hours, didn't she. Just to keep me alive. I slid a hand down my face, sighing. Bonnie put her daughter's safety before her own... just like my mother did. My fists tightened as embers fell to the ground.

She snatched her hands away. "No! I caused your death once and I refuse to do it again." Bonnie sucked in a sharp breath and glared. "Go with the woman, now."

Mary flinched. I watched her curls bob when she shook her little head. "Because... I'm dead? Don't want me... anymore?" Her arms fell to her side. "Am I bad?"

At that, Bonnie pulled Mary into a weak embrace. Her arms trembled around the young zombie. "No. Of course not... I just want you to be safe and happy. Go, please."

"Happy in your arms," Mary argued before looking at her. "Won't leave."

Something in Mary's expression must've melted her resolve because afterwards she faced me with a look of confidence.

Once I swallowed down my obnoxious doubts and fears, I walked over and squatted to their eye level. Bonnie was now sitting up while Mary rested between her folded legs. Despite the flames closing in on them, their smiles never faltered.

"So, neither of you plan on leaving, huh." I rubbed the back of my neck. A bitter smile tugged on my lips by the time I returned my gaze to theirs. It was contagious, even though I wasn't happy at all. I pointed to Bonnie, lips quivering. She ruffled my hair until I forced out my next words. "You can't move―"

My eyes fell to Mary. Her teeth were yellow, probably from all of the candy she chomped down on when she was alive. I breathed a shaky sigh before poking her nose. "―a-and you don't want to, no matter what."

The girl giggled. "Yup! Already dead. Stay Mama. She... doesn't like alone."

Seeing her joy in being with Bonnie until death pulled a chord in me. As much as I wanted to put up a cold front, her strength broke through my barricade. My legs gave way before I could utter a response. I sat there on the soft dirt, forcing my rotting body to shed tears. Everything from Jack throwing me away to Guno and Freddy's torture washed away previous thoughts like a flood.

Words escaped my lips as I trembled from a mixture of feelings. Yet they came out hoarse and barely audible. I could only form slurs between whines and wheezes. As the barn crumbled to the ground, I continued bawling until someone tapped my shoulder.

Mary wiped my tears away with her hand. After I was clear, she looked to the pile of candy in her lap then back to me. The girl picked out a mini chocolate bar. "Here." She held her hand out, as if offering a farewell gift. "Reward," Mary muttered.

I stared at the red-and-silver wrapped Cat-Kit bar without moving an inch. "Ah, thanks."

"She's right; you deserve it," Bonnie asserted between foul coughs. "A promise is a promise."

With that, they placed the candy in my palm once I opened my hand. Mary grinned. "Don't waste tears. Dead smile."

I tilted my head, looking to Bonnie for help. "Huh?"

"'Don't waste your tears.'" Another hack interrupted her translation. "'Since you're dead, smile instead.' At least, that's what I think..."

"Miss Bonnie?" I reached out when her head fell on top of her daughter's. "See? We need to―"

Mary stopped my hand. A small frown perched on her face. "No. You go. Find Jack."

"How did you..." I trailed off, wondering if she eavesdropped before.

She kept quiet. Instead of responding, the child clung to her ill mother. When I didn't move, she faced me, smiling again. "We'll be... okay. Bye bye."

The walls rumbled. If I didn't move soon, I'd be dead for good. So I stood, a new determination blossoming in my gut. It took everything I had to take those first few steps forward. Each one felt heavier than wading through water. Yet I kept moving, not stopping as my walking moved to sprinting. I dodged burning haystacks and rushed through smoke until I reached my destination. The window was wide enough for me to squeeze out of and the smoke should've worked as camouflage.

I muttered a goodbye before leaving them to burn.