"OH, CAROLINE LOOK at what Victor made for you" Annie said as she entered the kitchen with a drawing. Caroline turned to see Annie. She took the picture from Annie and looked at it. It was a drawing of Caroline holding RJ. She smiled

"I love it so much" Caroline said as she kept staring at the picture

"You know he adores you both right.. he just has a hard time showing it" Annie said

"I know. I'll have to thank him when I see him next" Caroline said. Annie gave Caroline a quick kiss on the forehead before wandering off. Annie was like a second Mom. It only made her miss her Mom even more. They were similar in so many ways. Caroline wondered if she'd ever go home and see Randall again

☆♡☆

CAROLINE WAS AT THE Diner by herself eating. Fatima insisted on hanging with RJ and who was Caroline to deny her. Tian-Chen always made such good food. Caroline noticed Victor walk in and start talking to Ethan. It was rare he was so talkative to strangers but Caroline didn't see an issue with it. Victor was quite literally harmless, so she kept eating. A couple minutes later, Jim came by and noticed the scene

"Hey. Hey!" Jim said. Caroline put down her utensils

"It's okay, Dad" Ethan said. Victor began putting his drawing away but Jim yanked it away

"Let me see that" Jim said

"I'm sorry" Victor said

"Hold on" Jim said. Victor wanted to leave

"I wasn't-" Victor was cut off

"Hold on. What is this? What're you doing?" Jim asked

"Excuse me" Victor said as he got up, holding his lunch box. Jim grabbed Victor harshly by the shirt, causing Caroline to get up and shove Jim off

"Don't you dare put your hands on him" Caroline threatened as she got in between them. Jim glared at her before looking back at Victor

"You stay away from him. Don't talk to my son. Do you understand me? Stay the fuck away from my son" Jim asked as he tried to get around Caroline but she kept pushing him back

"Victor just go. It's okay. Go find Annie" Caroline said as she kept Jim back

"W-Why the fuck are you defending him?!" Jim yelled as Victor quickly left

"Because he's harmless.. He meant no harm. The next time you put your hands on him, we will have issues. Use your words instead of being a fucking prick" Caroline spat out before leaving the Diner, not even finishing her food and going after Victor. "Victor! Victor!"

Victor turned and looked at Caroline before he kept walking. Caroline caught up to him and saw him holding his lunchbox tightly

"Hey, it's okay" Caroline said

"I-I didn't mean.." Victor said

"I know.. I know.. Jim doesn't get that.. he's a little amped up right now.. it's not your fault" Caroline said

"I was telling Ethan.. a-about the trees.." Victor said which Caroline nodded in response

"Were the trees moving again?" Caroline asked

"4 inches.." Victor responded

☆♡☆

CAROLINE ENTERED THE Sheriff's Station to see Kenny and Jade. He had a nice black eye from her punch the other day

"How's your eye?" Caroline asked

"Hurts like a bitch" Jade replied saltily

"Sorry.. but you were being a dick" Caroline said before she handed him the water bottle in her hand. He gave her a look. "It's cold. Use it for your eye"

Jade nodded and put it on his eye. He then looked at the map behind Kenny. That map had a thumbtack where each person came from. Grand Rapids, Michigan had one and that was where she came from

"What the fuck is that?" Jade asked referring to the map

"This, near as we could guess, is where you and your friend were driving when you reached the tree. But the RV that the family came in? They were driving here" Kenny explained as he pointed to the map

"Okay" Jade replied

"Me and my parents, we were in Austin, Texas. Kristi, the medic? She was in Detroit" Kenny explained

"I was in Grand Rapids" Caroline said

"Every single one of these pins is a different resident who drove in from a different location. Yet somehow we all ended up here" Kenny said. Jade nodded

"That is fucking impossible" Jade said

"No way" Caroline said sarcastically. Jade began laughing

"Okay. All right. Well, see? That's the difference between you guys and me. I don't do impossible" Jade said

"Right" Kenny said as he crossed his arms. Caroline couldn't help but shake her head amused at this dumbass

"I don't just sit around accepting the world as it is! Someone is doing this, and I'm not gonna rest until I figure out how" Jade said

"Good luck losing your mind to insanity" Caroline said pointing a thumbs up

"You have to adapt. You need to bend or else you're gonna break. Jade, look, every new person who comes here just assumes that it's just the monsters they have to be afraid of, but that's not the hardest part. It's what this place does to you, what it makes you think and feel, what it makes you question about every single thing that you think you know and-and if you can't if you-" Kenny was cut off when the radio started going off. That caught Jade's attention. "It does that sometimes. Look, I'm just trying to tell you, if-if you can't understand that.."

Jade rushed over and grabbed the radio and picked it up

"Now he's stealing things" Caroline pointed out as he began leaving

"Wait, where are you going? Jade!" Kenny yelled but Jade didn't respond as he left the building

"Assholes will be assholes.. but honestly I'm starting to like this guy" Caroline said

"There's no way" Kenny replied

☆♡☆

"AND SO, my first prom was a mess. I mean, I ended up spilling punch all over my dress and my date he just left me by myself.. I truly believed my life was over.. turns out it was just getting started" Annie said as she walked alongside Caroline in the town. Annie was holding onto Caroline's arm

"I went to prom with my now husband.. he was such an ass.. but he always made me feel loved. I wore this hideous dress my mom had gotten me and I mean it was ugly.. he pointed out that dress was extremely ugly.. but, you wanna know what he told me?" Caroline asked with a wide smile

"What did he tell you, darling?" Annie asked

"He told me that I was still the prettiest woman in that room despite that ugly ass dress I was wearing" Caroline laughed

"Sounds like a keeper" Annie giggled

"Annie, can you come here a second?" Boyd asked. Caroline looked over to see Jim talking to the sheriff. The duo approached

"Yes, Boyd?" Annie asked

"I'd appreciate it if you had a talk with Victor.. apparently he took Ethan out into the woods" Boyd said. Annie was confused

"Oh, he was probably showing him the far away tree.." Annie said

"I don't care what he's showing him.. I want him to leave my son alone" Jim said causing Annie to frown

"Well, he means no harm.. and I'm sorry he did that. He's not the best with people but I'll make sure to talk to him" Annie said

"Do you know he carries a gun in his lunchbox?" Jim asked

"Jesus" Boyd said. Annie seemed to be aware of it but she said nothing

"You may wanna mention that to her" Jim said

"Yeah" Boyd replied

☆♡☆

CAROLINE WAS IN Colony House feeding RJ so mashed up peas when she noticed a commotion outside. Caroline quickly picked up RJ and walked outside to see everyone on the porch staring at the something. She looked and saw Victor digging holes. Donna and Annie both came out and rushed over to Victor

"Victor! Victor! What the hell are you doing? You're freaking people out!" Donna yelled causing Victor to stop and turn

"Is everything okay?" Annie asked concerned for Victor

"I was just trying to get a head start this time" Victor replied before he went back to digging. There were six holes, almost like graves. That made Caroline nervous. Would there be six more deaths? Would one of them be her?

(1401 words)
11/05/24