The second thing Tyler did after waking up was look over at his nightstand and notice a note sitting upon it, written in a messier version of Donna's handwriting. The first thing he had down, however, was look over beside his better and realize that Donna was nowhere to be found.

Even his barely awake mind managed to make the connection that the note would obviously tell him where she'd headed off to and everything. She wouldn't have left unless she really felt that she had to (but with the way he'd been acting as of late, he didn't always trust her sensabilities. Then again, she'd made the decision to come to him the previous night when everything had been falling apart.

Perhaps he shouldn't try to put too much thought into the current mental condition of Donna when he didn't have any way of knowing precisely what she was up to at the moment. After all, she wasn't exactly sleeping beside his bed at the moment. He breathed in simply so that he could release it all out in an enormous sigh.

God. He'd only been awake for about five minutes and he already started to miss her presence in the room. All he had was a hastily written letter explaining where she'd headed off to, and he was glad for that. At least there was an explanation for everything - but he wanted to know how everything had turned out.

Despite making up with Donna about the Ben problem, Tyler still didn't enjoy the thought of it. There just seemed to be too much of it that was simply melodramatic. He knew Donna wasn't actively trying to get attention from it, but it didn't seem totally plausible. While yes, he did believe that Ben was her father, there were other parts that truly didn't compute with him.

Donna had done her best not to force too much of the information on him after she'd spewed out all the truths about her parenthood - he was pleased with her for that. He was also happy because they'd shared a kiss, something that seemed to simultaneously come from nowhere and feel planned for ages at the same time.

Tyler didn't just want to speak to Donna, he needed to speak to her and find out more about what was happening to her. He needed all of the details about the previous night and what happened once she'd crept away from his room. He needed to know if that kiss had been just something that happened because they'd been in a tired stupor.

Now that he had that thought in his mind, it didn't seem like he'd ever be able to escape from it. How had something so simple and more or less innocent ended up making him feel so obssessed? As much as he wanted to know how Donna's endeavors had turned out, he cared more about what directly involved him.

Tyler now felt himself almost desperate to figure out exactly what was going on, but he tried to keep himself from getting too worked up over it at this point in the morning. He'd gone to sleep late and then woke up very early.

There was a chance she'd sent him a text - it did seem a bit out there for her to say something right after she'd been through the experience of getting herself rid of her demon dad. He laughed slightly to himself, repeating those thoughts over again. Demon Dad. He'd have to use that more often.

He was awake, yes, but he certainly didn't feel like going to school. He'd been through enough by hearing from Donna the previous night, and now he just wanted to get in touch with her in one way or another. If everything came together properly, he'd be able to fake being sick. His parents would head off to work and Jon and Tim would head off to school.

Then he'd be able to invite Donna over (she wouldn't be going to school either, he assumed) and they'd be able to figure something out together. Maybe they'd end up working out a relationship, something he'd much rather do in person. With this thought in his head, he settled further into bed and leaned his head back. He had nothing more to do when it came to school.

Now all he really had to do was get in touch with Donna and inform her of his intentions - of course, he'd also want to find out what had hapepned the previous night after she'd escaped from the house to begin with. He couldn't deny his curiosity over it all, even though he knew how dangerous it could be.

Tyler let out a sigh as he plucked his cell phone from off the counter, turning it around several times in his hands. He checked the current status of the battery just to find that it was dead. Well, he wouldn't be finding out if she'd managed to send him a text or not. Tyler immediately tossed it aside, rolling his eyes towards it. He should've seen it coming. It was just his luck that it wouldn't end up coming out the way he wanted it to.

His wishes of sending out a quick text in order to get a quick text in response were immediately crushed. He fumbled around for a charger and then jammed it into the wall, missing the phone the first few times he tried to connect it. With a sigh, he realized his only decent option would be to pick up his laptop and try to contact her through some program on there.

Whether it be a social networking site or ooVoo, Tyler knew he could send a message to her somehow. It wouldn't be quite as simple and sure as anything involving a phone, but he knew he could make it work. The laptop took an awful lot time to load up - another issue that he wouldn't have been forced to go through with the cell phone. When it finally let him log in, he found his mind blanking out as if it were right on cue.

Tyler stared down at the screen in front of him, unsure of what to do. He opened up ooVoo to find that he was the only one on. He hadn't been expecting anything less, though - it was still very early in the morning, and most people would be preparing for school. They'd all be rushing to scribble down their homework answers or pulling on an outfit while stifling on a yawn.

As a matter of fact, he knew he should be doing that exact same thing rather than staring at his laptop hopefully. He wouldn't be able to get anything out of it, after all. All he could really do was stare and stare and stare. His mind power all went towards trying to will it further into having someone, anyone come on. But most of all, he wanted Donna to pop on if only for a few minutes.

Nothing happened. Tyler hadn't exactly been expecting anything more, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He craved a conversation with Donna after just how few words had been exchanged between them in the previous twelve hours. He'd learned so much about Ben and how he connected to Donna, but there was so much more to be known.

With a sigh, he began to turn away from the laptop, already starting to close the top down. If he couldn't find her online, then there was no point in sitting there waiting. But then, he saw as a green circle appeared next to Donna's picture. She was on!

Tyler didn't waste another minute to start a chat with her - it was almost as if she'd known he was on and had gotten on even at this ungodly hour of the morning just so they could pseak. It was perfect, all too perfect, and he loved it.

Donna, you're on! So, everything is okay with Ben?

Everything is fine. Everything is just fine.

Tyler could hear her words in his head, and it filled him with relief. He allowed himself to release a large amount of air he didn't even realize he'd been holding in until that point.

"Well, care to tell me what happened?" he typed in. He knew he would be prying, but he didn't feel as if he could stand the wait to find out what had occurred.

You'll find out soon, Tylo.

Oh, what is that supposed to mean? Are you coming over?

He was sort of flirting with her, sort of not. He just wanted to keep the mood bright and cheery, as he knew that Donna was probably not in the best mental position at the moment. He'd seen the way she'd weeped over Ben and how traumatized she'd been when she'd come over the previous night and told him about the truth.

You'll see.

You're kind of scaring me.

There was a pause in the conversation, one that felt like the entire world was paused. Everything just seemed too silent - Tyler could swear there weren't even any birds singing despite them always being chatty in the morning hours. Then Tyler saw that Donna was typing again. Soon her message popped up, and it was a strange one.

You're making me laugh.

That's great, Tyler replied, unsure of how he was supposed to respond to that.

I can't stop laughing, Tylo!

Just take a breath. You can do it. I know you can. I've seen you do it for years now.

Okay. I did it. I took a breath. I'm still giggling, though.

I'm sure you are.

Tyler couldn't help but smile, thinking of just how gleeful Donna must look at the moment. He knew the way her eyes lit up when she couldn't stop laughing. He'd been the one to cause her to start laughing half of the time, too. Most of the time, he just found that it came naturally. The two had always shared such a bond in that manner.

But God - her eyes glowing as if they belonged with the stars up in the night sky.

Her eyes were just the beginning of her overall beauty, Tyler thought. She was just such a fascinating person and that illuminated her from the inside out in his opinion. God, it seemed so cliche to say that her personality just made her better in general, but he couldn't deny it.

But of course, he couldn't just ignore the fact she was lovely enough to be a model. Even if her mother thought she might be better off by dying her hair blonde, Tyler found Donna's dark waves lovely, as if they were something that seemed to come out of a fairytale.

She wore makeup and all, but he'd seen enough early morning versions of her while she was lit up by the flames of competition during a particularly intense Super Smash Bros battle without anything to improve her looks. And she'd looked just as good, if slightly more frightening due to her fury.

How had he not realized how gorgeous she was until the previous night? How could he not have seen just how well they could be together in a relationship? And why did he forget to ask her out despite the fact they'd been kissing? Maybe he'd just have to do it now - but typing it out just didn't seem right.

No, he needed something far more personal - he knew he could figure out a better way to explain what was within his head. After all, he was planning to invite Donna over. Tyler felt he could do that very thing better if he were to use his true voice and not just type up some unfeeling letters and ask the same thing.

He wanted to call her and tell her what he felt. That particular thought made him panic a little - it sounded like he was trying to give her an explanation of his deepest, darkest emotions. The only thing they'd been through were a few words and a kiss - it wasn't that big of a deal. Or perhaps it was...he needed some way to be sure, he needed to hear the words from Donna's lips.

Of course, he didn't just want to stop their conversation right in the middle of it all and call her. He didn't want to end up scaring her with the loud noise (she had seemed rather jumpy over the last few days).

So what would you say if I tried to call you right now?

I would like that. A lot. But can't you just call me on ooVoo?

I don't want to deal with the call cutting out. Tyler felt himself beginning to crack a smile once again.

I'll be hearing you soon, then?

Yeah, maybe...I want it to be a surprise.

I love surprises.

The two carried on their meaningless typing for a while longer, Tyler trying to work up his will to just go ahead and call her. He was starting to shy away from it now that he'd actually told her he would do it. It just seemed so out there.

He would do it - he would call her on the phone and explain to her everything that just wouldn't properly be expressed through a bunch of typed words on a screen. If Tyler was lucky, then he'd convince her to come over and be able to explain it all face to face.

He just about marched out of his room and went downstairs to find the house phone. But the very moment he picked it up, it began to ring. It was almost eerie to think of how well it had been timed.

Tyler's immediate reaction was to frown at the phone. It wasn't Donna, so he couldn't think of anyone else who would be calling him at this time in the morning. Pretty much everyone he knew should be getting ready for school - or better yet, in his opinion, sleeping.

He connected to the call to find that it was Reese, and her voice sounded shaken and panicked. "Tyler. Get off of your computer and go turn on the news, now."

"I'm chatting with-"

"No, go now. You need to see this."

With a roll of his eyes, Tyler finally submitted to his friend's wish and started making his way to the entertainment room where the TV sat, He couldn't see what could possibly be so important, and Reese had a bit of a tendency to go off the chain about silly things. It was just the way she was, and everyone had gotten used to it.

"You know, I have better things to do in my life than watch the news," he said.

"Tyler, please," Reese said, a pleading tone entering her voice. "I know you don't want to hear this, but this is really important. You have to see this."

"God, you sound like Donna did for the last few days," Tyler scoffed.

"Tyler..."

"I'm turning on the TV right now, Reese, get off my case!"

"You might want to put the phone down..." Reese said, her voice turning down in volume. "But I'll be here for you."

"Yeah, great. Thanks, Reese."

He flung the phone off to the side as soon as he began turning on the television. Tyler ended up rolling his eyes when he realized that he had to manually get to the right news channel - he almost picked up the phone again just to ask Reese what channel it was supposed to be on. But eventually he found it by himself - he knew it when he saw it.

Tyler froze as he read the title of the news story, his blood suddenly dropping dramatically in temperature.

"Teenage girl drowns in lake."

"No," he whispered. "No. It's impossible." But now his attention was caught. It was impossible for him to tear his eyes away from the television, he had to see every last sentence and every single detail no matter how tiny. At this point in time, there was a possibility it might just be a coincidence with everything Donna had been through, surely there were other girls in Addleton who might end up drowning themselves for whatever reason.

Just because Donna's father had been the boy who drowned in the lake seventeen years ago didn't mean it would run in the family and she would do it to. Tyler wanted to deny any part of him that believed it was Donna who had drowned, but he needed to watch the TV and face the facts - this wasn't just some bizarre nightmare.

"The girl has been identified by her mother as Donna Bell, and was seventeen years old before her death. It is unclear how this drowning occurred, although it does not appear to be an accident. An investigation has been launched in order to find out precisely what occurred."

"No. Damn it," Tyler hissed towards the television as his insides felt like they'd disappeared completely from his body. He felt empty, completely empty. His only salvation was that they didn't show her drowned body on the screen - then he might've burst out into hysterics.

"Allison Bell was the first to discover her daughter at the scene earlier this morning and immediately alerted the police about this occurrence. By this point, she knew that her daughter was not alive and there was nothing more to be done. Here is what she has to say on the matter," the reporter continued, as professional as always.

Donna's mother appeared on the screen, her blonde hair frizzy and her makeup smudged in every way possible. Her eyes were swollen and red from previous tears and seemed to be glimmering just enough to show more were coming.

"I knew that Donna was upset, I just didn't realize she was that upset," Allison Bell sniffled. "It's really difficult to feel like this isn't my fault. We...we'd been having a fight earlier that night. I was so wrapped up in myself to realize what was going on."

She rubbed her eyes before continuing with her shaking voice, saying, "I was the one who realized she was missing, and we'd been talking about a subject related to the nearby lake. It seemed insane that she might be there, but then..."

Tyler couldn't take any more of it - he already felt as if he'd been through hell hearing about it from Allison's point of view. He retrieved the phone and sure enough Reese had kept to her promise and was still on the other end.

"Donna drowned," he mumbled.

"Drowning is a horrible way to die," Reese murmured into his ear. "Horrible and painful to the last moment. I can't believe Donna would let herself go through that."

"Neither can I..." Tyler said, the emotion slipping away from his voice. "Listen, Reese, I have to go."

"I don't blame you," Reese said. Without another word, she hung up and let Tyler go on his way. He immediately dived towards his laptop, desperate to pick out some sort of answers about what was going on.

Donna, you're dead.

I thought you already knew.

How are you talking to me right now if you're dead?

I learned from my father. He helped me. I did what he told me to do.

Tyler's stomached lurched - this was so wrong, in so many ways. He felt a sudden desire to crush his laptop and stop talking to her...but he needed to know more.

You hated him so much when you were alive. What changed?

I died. That's what changed.

So you just became a sadistic psycho bitch because you died?

You wouldn't understand. You haven't seen it happen.

Tyler scowled down at his computer as he continued to type, unable to resist being forceful in his words. He didn't want to believe this was actually Donna's spirit speaking to him, typing these horrible messages. A part of him denied everything he knew, and drove him to anger.

But I did see you go completely insane.

Tylo, Tylo, Tylo. You never could figure anything out.

She would've been smiling, if she were still alive. She used to have a pretty smile, but this one would've seemed a lot closer to a smirk, Tyler was sure of it. Somehow he thought that she wouldn't look as pretty with that sort of look on her face.

Oh, resorting to teasing me now, are you?

I asked you a question.

I couldn't give a shit about your questions.

No, you will answer me. I won't let you leave until you answer me.

I'm leaving the computer.

No, you're not. I won't let you.

Tyler sat there in a moment of absolute silence, trying to think through his options. He missed Donna already, and yet here he was, talking to someone who at least claimed to be her. There was something horribly familiar about every word that appeared beside her name as she continued to type. It felt like she was really behind a computer, tapping out each letter.

What do you want? He finally decided to just come forwards with what was on his mind to avoid any further problems.

Where will you be in seventeen years? What will you be doing?

Hell if I know! I don't plan this crap out, Donna.

I'll be there.

What?

I'll be there in seventeen years.

You won't be anywhere except for in the ground. You're dead.

But I'm here now. So how could I not be there in seventeen years?

As much as Tyler hated to admit it, this was actually sound logic. Even though he knew Donna was dead, it truly felt as if he were speaking to her at that very moment. She'd always been plenty smart, and this would make just as much sense as anything.

But...

Will seventeen years be enough time for you to forget me?

I could never forget you, Donna.

I think seventeen years is the perfect amount of time. You're just barely remembered, mostly forgotten...so it contiues.

What do you mean, it continues?

Haven't you noticed the patterns?

I have no idea what you're talking about. It was true. Tyler was tired and clueless, two things he loathed experiencing.

The patterns. The patterns in the numbers.

You're talking more nonsense than when you were alive.

In all sincerity, Tyler didn't want to resort to being cruel in order to deal with Donna - but at the same time, he wasn't about to let himself get pushed around - which would be precisely what would happen if he carried forwards without using any force.

Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen. Seventeen.

Okay, you've just gone batshit crazy. Let me go. I told you what I was doing in seventeen years.

For a moment, Tyler considered simply giving another sarcastic reply. But then he had a revelation, immediately typing it out for Donna to see.

Seventeen years old. Ben was seventeen years old when he drowned.

Keep going. She prompted him to go further, even though he truly didn't want to.

You were seventeen years old when you drowned. Now Tyler was using everything related to Donna in past tense - it made him feel horribly uncomfortable.

**And?

And what? There is nothing else.

There's one more thing. Several more, actually, but mostly one.

That makes no sense.

Figure it out, Tylo.

...seventeen years since Ben drowned. That was when you drowned.

And seventeen years more until the next person will drown.

Tyler couldn't figure out what Donna was really saying, even though he'd been able to decipher a bit so far - he couldn't make the thoughts link up the way he knew they needed to be.

Don't you see? Wherever you'll be in seventeen years, I'll be there too.

I'm not going to drown myself, whatever you say to me.

Oh, of course not. You won't drown yourself.

But I thought you said someone else would drown in seventeen years and it'd all be tied up with you and your father. Tyler felt desperate to find a loophole in this situation, and he immediately leaped towards any opportunity he could find. This behavior was not what he was used to when it came to Donna at all, but somehow it seemed to fit her perfectly as he read through it.

I'll be there with you. Ben'll be there with you. And you won't drown. But in seventeen years, you'll have kids.

Tyler began typing a response to this, trying to tell her off for this or that. He ended up stopping himself mid-keystroke, the chains linking together in his mind and causing his eyes to pop open. Of course, she'd manage to find a way to anything and everything he would care about in seventeen years.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified. Mortified. What had happened to his gorgeous Donna, the one he'd been angry at because she'd been so obsessed with a game full of weird glitches and a boy who'd died seventeen years ago?

He wouldn't give into her, not this Donna who only craved to manipulate and frighten. Even if all he had was his words, he felt as if he'd be able to continue standing strong if only for a bit longer.

Maybe I won't live in Addleton then. Maybe I won't be anywhere near it, and I won't visit with my kids.

Seventeen years is a long time. It's long enough for my father's death to be covered up, and it'll be just long enough for you to come back. And don't forget - all of this happened to me in three days.

So you're going to haunt my kids through a Majora's Mask game cartridge?

I'll do whatever I have to do - it would be fascinating to use Majora's Mask again and follow in my father's footsteps. But I probably won't.

Good to know.

Tyler finally realized how Donna must've been feeling during the entirety of her descent into insanity - trying to remain strong by using sarcasm and wit but ultimately feeling as if you were entirely exposed. He felt himself becoming more and more unstable with each word he read from her. Dead Donna, drowned Donna - it shouldn't be possible.

He started scribbling down notes about every last thing Donna was saying, promising himself that he'd manage to remember it for the next seventeen years and avoid having anyone else get hurt - let alone his future children. Then he took a screenshot of the conversation, making sure he had a document of what he'd exchanged with Donna. She then started typing up a new message to him, making him shake his head.

Oh, Tyler. Silly, silly Tylo.

What the hell are you on about now?

You shouldn't have done that.

A/N I did it. That is all.