"Okay, now you can open your eyes," Bear whispered into her ear, removing his hands from her eyes.

"Surprise!" Charlie and Teresa shrieked.

"What are you guys doing here?" Skylar gaped at them. Bear grinned at her side, an arm around her shoulder.

"Bear told us he was bringing you to the carnival," Teresa offered. Her arms were laden with balloons and boxes.

"And we brought gifts!" Charlie held up her own box in shiny, silver wrapping paper with a large, purple bow atop. 

"Uh--" Skylar gave Bear a nervous glance. "I didn't know you guys were going to get me gifts. I haven't--"

"Don't!" Charlie shut her up. "Not another word! You don't need to get us anything."

Teresa pushed the box into her arms and nodded vehemently. "Seriously, you've been through a lot this year, and we're just happy we got to know you. Mine is better."

Charlie snorted. "Whatever, mine was more expensive."

"Well mine came from the heart." Teresa smirked, miming a microphone dropping from her hand.

"Please, she is going to take one look at the trash you picked up and balk at it. Mine--she'll get more use out of it." Charlie's wink unnerved her.

"Oh God, what did you do?"

"Open it!" Charlie urged her excitedly.

Skylar took a deep breath and undid the purple bow and string. Tearing the silver paper, she furrowed her brow at what lay beneath. "Is this a--"

"Oh yes," Charlie sang, wagging her brows.

"What is it?" Bear asked, leaning to get a good look.

"Nothing!" Skylar pulled the wrapping paper back down. "Uh, maybe you can put this in your car so I can get it later?"

"Absolutely." Charlie winked again, taking the box of lingerie.

Teresa had handed her three small boxes. "Open them in this order." She placed them in a stack.

The first was smaller than the rest. The packaging was less flashy than Charlie's, but it was very Teresa. Matte black unadorned paper tore away from the gift. "A journal?" She checked happily. She pulled out the vintage leather journal. Tied with a small leather strap was a gold fountain pen. "This is beautiful," she told her friend sincerely.

Teresa grinned, flushing slightly at the praise. She waved her hand at the other two gifts, her eyes glancing away at Charlie for a moment. Skylar didn't miss the smug air about her, and she found herself smiling as she opened the next gift. Another book, though this one significantly heavier. The gold leafed pages was the first thing she saw until she slid the paper farther back to reveal the title. "Histories of the Ancient World," she read aloud. "This is amazing! How did you know?" She was beaming at the short haired girl.

Teresa lifted her pink brows in subdued pride. "Bear filled me in on how much you enjoy history. Open the last one," she urged impatiently.

Skylar wasted no time in ripping it open to see another book. "Teresa, seriously, you nailed it." She held up the enormous mythology book. Depictions of Egyptian, Norse, Greek, and Roman deities decorated the thick, glossy black cover. 

"I know," she said happily. Skylar wrapped her arms around the girl.

"What about the--"

"No, no," Skylar reached over and pinched Charlie's lips shut. "We don't need to discuss your gift."

Charlie huffed and held the box tighter in her arms. "I'll go put this in the car," she grumbled, walking away.

"Hey, did you know your parents are here?" Teresa said, still crushed by the embrace.

"They said they were going to be here." Skylar followed her friend's gaze and grimaced. "They do that sometimes," she grumbled at the sight of them kissing. 

"That's the most adorable thing I've ever heard." Teresa's starry eyes batted in their direction. "Hey, I'm going to put these away with Charlie. I just wanted to make sure you got them. My family takes us on vacation every year instead of doing some gross family dinner with people we hate, so I'm leaving in two days."

"Where are you going this time?" 

"My dad is flying us to Phoenix for a week. He can't stand Massachusetts winters."

"Arizona is beautiful this time of year," Bear agreed with her.

"You've been?" Teresa queried.

"A few times. I've travelled for work, never leisure, but it is nice there." His hands slid into his pockets. "There's a little shop in the airport that makes an amazing breakfast."

"Duly noted," Teresa said with a contemplative nod. "Alright," she pulled Skylar in for a hug, "I'm going to catch up to her, and get these out of here," she took the books, "I'll find you guys later. Have fun!" She jogged away, arms full of history books.

"I like that one," Bear noted. "She's less obnoxious than Charlotte."

Skylar scoffed playfully and beamed up at him. A coy smile toyed at his pink lips. "Charlie is not obnoxious," she said, pursing her lips. Bear cocked a brow. "Okay, a little. But she means well."

He laughed lightly and his breath misted in the air. He pulled her closer and slipped an arm around her shoulder. "What do you want to do first?" he asked, walking her through the large balloon arch lit with soft fairy lights. "Rides or games?"

"I don't know. I've never been to a carnival."

Bear skidded to a halt. "Never?" Skylar shook her head, a sheepish giggle loosing from her. "I'll have you know that Roman Ridge spares no expense. We have the most trustworthy of ex-cons running the rides," he declared, waving a hand towards the toothless ferris wheel operator, "and all of the games are rigged with extra virgin olive oil, not that canola shit."

Skylar's laughter bubbled up musically and he grinned. "You make it sound so promising. How could I ever turn down rides ran by criminals?" Bear's hand encased hers, his warmth travelling through her and blocking out the cold. His skin was like the air around a fire--warm and glowing. For a moment she lost herself in the way he felt--the way his skin blazed to her very marrow. It felt perfect, like a puzzle piece finally clicking into place.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" Bear's free hand raised to push her hair gently behind her ear, lingering on her temple as his knuckles brushed down her cheek. Warmth rose to her cheeks and his thumb stroked over the reddening flesh as a smile tugged at him. "Especially when you blush," he added and she burned under his stare.

"Let's do rides first," Skylar said, clearing her throat. Bear grinned wolfishly and she wished desperately that there was an off switch to her blushing. 

"Rides it is," Bear conceded, walking her back to the ferris wheel. 

They rode it three times just so Skylar could witness the view. It was one thing to see Roman Ridge in pictures on postcards, or Google maps, but to see it from the top of the ferris wheel was incredible. Twinkling lights on the hillside marked the town's vastness, but it was the CDC building aglow with bright white lights that caught her attention and held it.

Bear used the aerial advantage to plot out their next rides and spot the games with the shortest lines. Not that lines mattered to him. Every time they'd get in one, people would part like the sea to allow the prince of gore through. It was difficult to completely block out the whispers and stares she received from her classmates, but the adults were harder to ignore. 

Condescending, disgusted, and judgmental.

"Hungry?" Bear checked when the bar was lifted from their laps. Her hair felt wild from being blown this way and that on the roller coaster. 

"What kind of food do they serve?" She used her fingers to smooth down the waves that had begun to kink and curl in the cold humidity.

"Basic carnival food. Corndogs, elephant ears, cotton candy, deep fried stuff, burgers." He shifted. "But if you want something else I can just make a phone call and get whatever you want delivered."

"I'm not that high maintenance," she giggled, "cotton candy sounds good." Her arm weaved into his as he pulled her along the walkway. A flash went off and he glared at a man in a baggy, blue sweater with a large camera around his neck. "No wonder people are afraid of you," she commented.

His eyes softened when he looked back at her. "Why do you say that?"

"You look murderous when you glare at people."

Something like relief flickered over his face as he smiled, guiding her towards an empty bench nestled between two game booths. "I most certainly do not," he protested playfully. Glancing around he frowned. "I don't see a cotton candy vendor around, they might be farther down. Do you want to wait here and I'll run look?" 

"Sure," she said. "I'll text Charlie and see where they're at."

"Okay," Bear kissed her forehead, "I'll be right back."

She watched his lithe body disappear into the crowd. Only the top of his dark blond head was visible over the sea of people. A few couples stared at her alone on the bench and mumbled to each other. She bit her lip, gnawing and chewing as she sent a quick message to Charlie. 

Be there in a sec.

She tapped her fingernails against the case, her knee bouncing to pass the time. She couldn't see Bear anymore, his head whisked around the corner and out of view. Her eyes scanned the crowd for a sign of pink eyebrows and an overly energetic girl. She finally glimpsed them walking towards her from a few dozen yards away. Teresa caught sight of her first, waving with a big grin.

A few people crossed in front of them, blocking them from her view. Skylar waited on the bench, tapping tapping.

"All alone?" She flinched.

"Viktor," she gasped, "sorry, you scared me." Her hands stopped fidgeting, acutely aware of his eyes on her.

A wide smile overtook him and he sat beside her. "Apologies. No boyfriend tonight?"

"Uh," she fumbled, "he went to get cotton candy."

Viktor's legs folded over one another as he leaned back casually and sighed out, "And he left you here, all alone?"

"My friends are coming," she clarified, gesturing to a frustrated looking Charlie as another person blocked her way.

"I see." He made himself comfortable before staring into her eyes. "You have very unique eyes. Has anyone ever told you that?"

She blinked, glancing away from his penetrative stare. "I've heard it before."

He grunted a forced laugh. "You know, Skylar, a girl like you shouldn't be alone in Roman Ridge. Did you hear on the news that two bodies were just discovered? A lot of strange things going on," he said in a deceptively light tone.

The bodies. Those men. She blanched as his words settled in--their meaning, their message. "You," she breathed.

"Me what?" he challenged, and she could have sworn his eyes flashed like lightning.

Her breaths became shaky, uneven. Viktor looked at her like cornered prey. "The men they found..."

"What about them?" His tongue slid over his porcelain teeth, glinting in the moonlight. 

The cold night betrayed her, giving away her frantic breaths with puffs of white, opaque mist. "They were--you didn't--"

"Trouble with your words tonight, Skylar?" Viktor's brow quirked up. Her gut clenched. 

He did it. He did it. Those men from the alley. She couldn't steady her breathing despite her conscious efforts to keep her chest rising and falling at an inconspicuous rate. "Are you cold? You're shivering," he noted and shed his jacket to reveal the gray short sleeve beneath. 

With a disarming smile, he draped it around her shoulders. "Th-thanks," she said, swallowing hard. 

"My pleasure," he purred. His hands folded back into his lap and she watched his fingers steeple. 

Her heart skipped a beat. She forgot how to breathe--to speak. She opened her mouth and closed it. Words crumbled on her tongue before they could break through. Her teeth threatened to shatter as they clicked together and she couldn't tell if it was the cold or--

"Interesting tattoo," she managed to say clearly. Viktor glanced down at his forearm and looked back at her with an off-putting grin. "What happened?" she asked, nodding her head towards a scar marring the blue black swirls.

"This is most unfortunate," he said at length. Her mouth flung open to scream, but he clapped a hand over her and pulled her farther into the darkness behind the booths. To the darkness of the parking lot. To the darkness in her mind.