CAROLINE WAS WOKEN UP by Jade screaming. It appeared he had finally woken up. The screaming set off RJ which pissed off Caroline to an extreme. Caroline picked up RJ and left her room before heading up the stairs and towards the room Jade was in. Donna was just about to open it when Caroline gave her a pissed off look as she held her crying son. The duo entered the room pissed off

"Anybody fucking- Hey-" Jade was cut off

"Shut the fuck up. I've got a crying infant thanks to you" Caroline spat out as she tried to calm down RJ

"Who the fuck are you two?" Jade asked

"You picked one hell of a time to finally wake up" Donna said

"Hold RJ. I need to check him for a concussion" Caroline said. Donna nodded before she took RJ. Caroline got onto the bed and began looking at Jade's eyes, checking him for a concussion

"Listen. I don't know what's going on here, alright, but you get me outta these fucking straps right fucking now, or I swear to God I'm-" Jade was cut off

"Or what? The fuck do you think you're gonna do?!" Caroline spat as she grabbed his jaw harshly

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Jade asked

"A total fucking dumbass?" Caroline asked

"Excuse me..?" Jade asked

"No concussion. I'll take my son and go back to bed. You ever wake my son up again, and I will leave you to rot outside" Caroline threatened before taking RJ back and leaving the room. She went down the stairs and back to her room. She set him down in the crib and made sure he fell back asleep before she got in her own bed and passed out

☆♡☆

CAROLINE WAS SITTING at the table as Donna tried to explain the situation to Jade. It was going how it always went, which made perfect sense

"So, you're telling me that right now I'm in a town I can't leave, and that every night when the sun goes down, monsters come from the forest to hunt us? Monsters who, incidentally, killed my friend the other night" Jade said

"Yeah" Donna replied. Jade looked at Caroline before turning to look at Ellis

"Yeah.." Caroline and Ellis both said. Jade then looked at Donna and smiled before it dropped

"Fuck off" Jade said before he began laughing. "This is.. this is something. Where did he.. where did he find you?"

"Who?" Donna asked confused

"He thinks we're joking" Caroline clarified

"Are you guys individual hires, or is this one of those traveling companies? 'Cause I mean, you play the whole thing pretty great. I buy it. Her, I really buy it. Not him so much. I just.. I thought you were trying a little bit too hard. But otherwise, I.. Bravo. Oh. Money well spent. So, uh, okay. So, what's next? Is there, uh.. is there, like, some kind of puzzle I have to solve? Mmm. Actually, you know what? Never mind. Don't spoil it for me" Jade said as he got up. Caroline sighed

"Where are you going?" Donna asked

"Well, I'm not gonna solve this puzzle sitting here all day. I'm gonna, you know, check out the town, turn over a few stones. Fuck. Fuckin' Tobey. This must have cost a fortune" Jade said before walking off

"You want me to keep an eye on him?" Ellis asked

"I got it" Caroline said as she got up and followed after Jade. Jade walked out of Colony House and Caroline caught up to him

"Oh, are you following me? You don't have to. I'm sure I can figure it out myself" Jade told her

"Oh, no.. I insist.. I can't wait to see your face when you figure it out" Caroline said making Jade smile

"Very well then" He said as he noticed a contraption. He approached it and stared at it. "It's not quite my Giacometti, but, uh, it'll do. Oh, perfect! Is that for me?"

He really thought the bike was for him

"Excuse me?" Clara asked as she slowed down on her bike

"Hey. Do you, uh.. do you have anything motorized, like a scooter or something?" Jade asked as he got on the bike stealing it from Clara

"What? No" Clara said

"This'll do. Thank you" Jade said as he pedalled away

"No, that's my- uh.." Clara said confused

"Just let him be.. he thinks this is some game set up by his dead friend" Caroline said

"Reality is gonna be a bitch" Clara said

"No kidding" Caroline replied

☆♡☆

CAROLINE WAS AT the Diner with Annie and Victor, along with RJ of course. The four always ate together

"How are your eggs?" Annie asked Victor. He ate a piece and nodded

"Good" Victor said making Annie smile. Caroline ate a piece before she fed RJ a spoonful of smashed up carrots

"He's just so cute. I could squish his little cheeks all day" Annie said

"I.. I don't think he'd like that" Victor said

"Why not?" Annie asked

"Getting pinched hurts.." Victor replied. Caroline smiled at the two older people as they continued their conversation. Jade came in and began laughing

"Good morning, everybody. What's cooking today, huh?" Jade asked as he laughed. Everyone stared at him. "Is this where I find my next clue? Is this where the, uh.. is this where the monsters jump from the shadows? Uh, 'Oh, what wonders will avail themselves in the quaint little roadside diner in which my guard hath fallen?' Huh? I did some summer stock back in the day. Not bad, right? Oh, thank you. I'm starving. What've we got?"

"Hey. There's a line" Mabel said but Jade wasn't listening. Caroline sighed and shook her head before she continued feeding RJ

"Look. I'm all for authenticity, but I'm also really hungry and since y'all basically work for me anyways, it's kind of okay" Jade said. Tian-Chen came out and whacked Jade with a mixer stick. "Ow. What the-"

Tian-Chen began telling him off in Chinese making Jade laugh. She threatened to whack him with the whisker

"All right. Jeez. People really take all this seriously" Jade said making Caroline sighed. Kenny walked in and got his food

"Well, me and Victor better be off.. have a good day, darling" Annie said softly as she got up. Victor followed after her. The duo left the diner and Kenny was quick to take their seat

"How are you doing Kenny?" Caroline asked the man

"I feel like shit if I'm being honest" Kenny replied. Caroline knew that Kenny was struggling and grieving. Seeing his father like that was something no one should see

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" Caroline asked causing Kenny to nod in response

"Oh, goodie. Hey, I really love what you guys are doing here. It's like, the ultimate escape room" Jade said as he sat down next to Kenny forcing the deputy to scoot over reluctantly. "I mean, seriously, I don't know how he pulled all this together. So, um, I'm thinking maybe there's a clue in each one of these buildings. Hmm? Am I getting warmer? 'Cause I mean, usually, you know, you have some type of prompt that lets you know which direction to go. But this is, uh.. This is just some next-level shit"

"Has, uh.. Has anyone talked to you yet?" Kenny asked

"Me, Donna and Ellis did.. he thinks Tobey set this up.. it's some game to him apparently" Caroline said

"You guys didn't give me any hints about where I'm supposed to go next. Here's the thing, though. Like, as thorough as all this feels, there's a couple flaws in the logic. I'm sitting here eating eggs in a diner in a place that's supposed to be, what, some kind of mystical nightmare? I mean, I don't know about you, but my nightmares don't usually serve breakfast. I suppose you're gonna tell me you've got chickens roaming around in the big bad forest" Jade continued. Caroline concluded this guy was a yapper. All he did was talk

"Yeah, but the chickens, the cows? We don't really know where they came from" Kenny said

"Mmm. That's actually not bad for a nightmare breakfast. I should probably get going" Jade said and then looked at Caroline and Kenny as if expecting a hint. Caroline just scoffed as she finished feeding RJ. "Am I supposed to get anything from you two?"

"What?" Kenny asked

"Remember he thinks this is a game" Caroline chuckled

"You know what? Never mind. I'll figure it out" Jade said before he got up and left

"I so cannot wait until he realizes this is his new reality" Caroline said

"He's an asshole" Kenny replied

"Aren't we all?" Caroline asked with a smile before she picked up RJ and got out of the booth. She saw Kristi and grinned. "Well I'm off. Have fun with your bae"

Kenny scoffed with a small smile as Caroline walked out of the Diner

☆♡☆

IT WAS TIME for the choosing ceremony. The Matthews family and Jade would now choose where to live. Donna being the leader of Colony House and Boyd running the town

"Thank you all for coming. Today, our newcomers will choose where they would like to spend their days with us. Should you choose to spend your time with the people of the town to live by our rules for the good of the community until we find our way back home, you will select the rock. Should you choose to join with the people of Colony House to live for today because tomorrow is not guaranteed, you will select the flower. Now, once you have chosen, this choice will be final. Like many of us here-" Father Khatri was cut off by Boyd

"Father Khatri? Uh, sorry. Do you mind if I, uh-" Boyd cut himself off as he approached Khatri

"Uh, yeah. Sure" Father Khatri said

"Since we're all gathered here, figure I might as well address the elephant in the room. Been a lot of questions today about Frank, the box, the rules. There is a fine line between savagery and consequence. And if we're not willing.." Boyd trailed off as Frank approached with a talisman. Caroline bounced RJ up and down in her arms gently. "Frank?"

"I'd like to say a few things, if that's all right" Frank said which Boyd obliged. "You know what I've been thinking about these last couple of days, sitting in my cell? Christmas. The last one me and Lauren and Meagan had before we.. I was a good dad, you know? I mean, I wasn't perfect, but I wasn't like this. That last Christmas, we got Meagan her first dollhouse. And when she saw it, the look on her face.. I let this town, those things in the woods, I let them get to my head, and.. I forgot what really mattered. I.. forgot that if I'd just been a little stronger.. there might have still been a Christmas morning waiting for us all when we got home. Don't let this place take that away from you. Okay? You look after each other. You take care of each other. Remember what you're living for"

Frank then held out his rock for Boyd to take. Caroline couldn't help but tear up

"I appreciate everything you're trying to do for me, Sheriff. No, I do. I really do. But the only two things that I love in this world are gone. And I just want to see my girls again" Frank said

"Wait! No! Don't go, Frank" Jade said before he began laughing. Caroline turned and looked at him with a dirty glare. How dare he? Caroline handed Kristi RJ before she approached Jade. It was fun at first but how dare he? Not now. Caroline then socked Jade in the face causing him to fall on the ground

"You're a fucking prick.." Caroline spat out. Jade glared at her as he got up

"I'm gonna fucking sue you!" Jade yelled

"Talisman or a flower?" Caroline spat out as she grabbed Jade by the shirt and dragged him over to the large rock before twisting his arm behind his back

"I'll pick the talisman! Ow! Okay. All right. Okay. All right. All right?" Jade yelled as he held a talisman with his freehand. She then dragged him down the hill. "Ow. Damn it! Ow! Damn! Ah!"

Caroline shoved him off allowing Kenny to approach. Jade looked around before sending another glare towards Caroline who was looking at him with murderous look

"Oh, you have no idea how badly you just fucked up, okay? All right? No idea" Jade declared

"You want another fist to your fucking face?! Huh?!" Caroline yelled causing Jade to flinch back slightly

"I am gonna. I'm gonna fucking ruin you. All right, I'm gonna fucking ruin all of you!" Jade yelled

"Try me you fucking cunt!" Caroline yelled going to go in for another hit but Boyd held her back. She struggled against him.

"Care.. relax.. it's not worth it.." Boyd hushed to her which allowed her to stop struggling

"Jade, let me show you something. Come on" Kenny said as Boyd let Caroline go. Caroline leaned into Boyd as she wanted to scream. Boyd just wrapped his arms around her and hugged

"Frank, you don't have to do this. You shouldn't be making decisions like this when you're hurting" Mabel said

"No. Look. I'm the most clear-minded I've been in a long time. Trust me" Frank said. Caroline and Boyd broke apart and Boyd continued things

"Let's get this done. Are you living in town or Colony House?" Boyd asked the Matthews

"Town" Jim said

"Sorry. You each have to say it" Boyd said

"Oh, yeah. Town" Tabitha said

"Ethan" Boyd said to the young boy

"Town" Ethan replied

"Julie" Boyd said

"Colony House" Julie said causing her family to look at her shocked

"What? No, no" Tabitha said shaking her head

"No. She doesn't mean that" Jim said

"Girl made her choice" Donna said

"Hold on a second" Boyd said

"It's done. Ceremony is over" Donna replied

"No, no, no I'm sorry. She can't make that decision. She's underage" Tabitha said

"Mom, it's fine" Julie said

"No, it's not fine. Come and stay with your family" Tabitha said

"You don't have to do that, Julie. The only person here who can't decide for themselves is RJ because he can't talk" Donna said

"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to my daughter" Tabitha said

"Now, there's no way anyone's gonna expect us to- Are you gonna say something?" Jim asked Boyd

"I live at Colony House. She'll be in good care" Caroline tried to butt in

"Take a breath. Ju- Julie, Julie. Do you want to live in Colony House?" Boyd asked

"Yeah" She said

"Why are you doing this?" Tabitha yelled as Julie began walking off and towards Fatima

"She chose. Your rules, Boyd, not mine" Donna said

"No, you know what? It's okay. I change my mind. I go. I choose Colony House" Tabitha said

"Tabitha, just-" Jim was cut off

"What? I'm not standing here, knowing that my daughter is in that fucking house" Tabitha said. Jim and Tabitha began fighting

"We're gonna fix this" Boyd said

"There is nothing to fix" Donna said

"Will you shut the fuck up?!" Boyd yelled at Donna causing it to go deadly silent. "Please, please, don't do this now, right here. My son will be up there. I promise you she will be looked after" Boyd said

"All right. Uh, everybody, the sun will be going down soon. So, uh, thank you for coming" Father Khatri said dismissing everyone. Caroline took RJ back from Kristi

(2643 words)
11/05/24