It had been 3 long months.

The grand opening of the second location was a success, Michael enjoyed volunteering there, Tristen stayed quiet at home, and everything was going according to the business plan. But Afton himself was miserable.

The defense systems of the new location were impenetrable. The bands kept children from leaving. The Security Puppet kept him from entering the back way. And the building's layout had fewer corners to hide behind. He'd began to settle with the fact that he may not get any more remnant for a long time.

Afton lay there in his bed face up, uneaten meals on the floor and table beside him. He'd become thin. Sickly thin. Paler.

Just then, Tristen knocked on the door. After no answer, he decided to walk in. Afton turned away from him.

"Dad?" Tristen called to Afton, but there was no response. The months of worry showed on young Tristen's face as he backed out of the room to leave his father in his misery.

*****

The sun shone onto Henry's face as he was greeted with the sound of morning birds outside. He began getting ready for the day.

His wife woke up to the sound of him shaving. Charlotte ran into the room with vigor.

"Charlie!" Mrs. Emily exclaimed as she opened her arms to hug her daughter. Henry came from the bathroom and hugged her as well.

"Can you take me to the restaurant today, Daddy?" Charlotte pleaded. "Please?"

Henry smiled. "Anything for your special day, Charlie!" He picked her up and swung her around. "I'll invite all your friends! Even those boys that you keep talking about."

"Daddyyy, I told you that they're bullies", she sniffed a bit.

"Sometimes bullies just need to be treated okay and they'll turn right around!"

Mrs. Emily giggled at Charlotte's reaction. "Go get dressed, Charlie, then we'll make sure this day is the best day ever!"

Charlie ran out of the room. Mrs. Emily thought to herself, What would ever bring that child down?

*****

William.

He shot up.

William.

The voice called his name again. He began to look around the room.

Save them, William. Save my sons.

Mrs. Afton materialized from thin air at the foot of his bed.

You didn't save me or Elizabeth. Save them.

Afton asked, "But aren't you alive?"

I was dead to you.

"I loved you. I've never forgotten you. I think about you every day!" Afton cried out. His wife began to twitch around.

Save them, before it's too late.

Just then, Michael walked into the room. "Dad, are you okay?"

Afton turned to look at him. "Yes I was just talking with your mother." He motioned to the foot of his bed.

Michael gave him an odd look. "Uh...yeah, you do you, Dad." He walked out.

Afton turned back to the foot of the bed to see that his wife was gone. He put his face in his hands and sobbed.

*****

The Emily family entered the restaurant with flamboyant attitudes and some of their better clothes. Nearly 50 school-age children poured through the doors to wish Charlotte a happy birthday. Even her bullies softened up and made nice. It was a great day.

Charlotte's eyes lit up when the Security Puppet showed its face. She had seen it a few times before, but every time it would come out of its box to redirect children amazed her. She even ignored the person dressed as Freddy handing out pieces of cake.

She attempted to inch towards the back door to see what the Security Puppet would do if she got close. When she was a few feet away, it came out of its box and moved towards her, speaking in a robotic voice, "Please return to the main area. Leaving the building is not safe." She giggled as she went back to the main area to play with her friends.

Michael and Tristen had also decided to attend the party since their father was otherwise preoccupied. Tristen was having fun running around with the other kids, but Michael hung back and watched. He'd become much quieter in the recent months. Always watching his surroundings, and his brother. He saw Charlotte playing with the Security Puppet. Henry serving cake in his Freddy suit. Everything.

*****

Afton continued staring at the ceiling, fear in his eyes. A vision had been shown to him. His remnant would save his family. It had to.

He began writing his notes again, research on his remnant experiments. He thought about the party that the rest of the house went to and decided that maybe it was time to fellowship again. He got dressed beneath the dark light of the afternoon and took his new car with a purple paint job.

He drove through the town and arrived at the restaurant. When he walked through the doors, people started parting a path for him. He brushed his oily hair out of his face and made his way up to Henry.

Henry, still in the Freddy suit, turned, "Afton....is that you? You look...you look great let's just say that." Henry took him to the side and said, "Hey, you're scaring these kids. When's the last time you took a shower?"

Afton looked down at his plain indigo tee. "I don't see your point."

"Maybe...it's best if you go home and change."

Afton nodded and strolled out with a false sense of dignity.

He returned to his car and drove through the alley and saw Charlotte standing outside.

*****

The bullies stacked boxes on top of the Security Puppet box.

Charlie inched near the door again expecting that the Puppet would tell her to go back, but it didn't. Just then, the boys began to force her out and locked her outside. She was shivering and wet.

After about 10 minutes, she saw headlights coming down the alleyway. She covered her eyes as the car moved closer. It was Mr. Afton's car. But what was he doing here so late to the party?

The car pulled up beside her and Afton proceeded to step out. A long object glinted in his hand.

"Mr. Afton?" Charlie called out warily as he continued walking towards her silently. The blank emotion on his face terrified her. She began to back away, but he was too fast.

She quieted herself and prepared for the next minute of her future.

*****

An alarm on the control panel for the security system rang out and prompted Henry to check what had happened. A stack of supply boxes was knocked over beside the Puppet's box, but the Puppet was nowhere to be found.

He ran outside and saw his daughter lying face down in a puddle with a stab wound in her back.

"Charlie?!" he cried out as he ran over to her body. He turned her over and a large chunk of her chest was missing where her heart would be.

"Noo!" he sobbed and yelled.

"Charlotte!!"