CHAPTER THREE:
BUNDLE OF JOY AND POSITIVITY

⠀⠀You found Ziggy carrying a can of pain and bringing it on top of a table. You quietly entered and looked around to see artworks from the kids of Sunnyvale and Shadyside. Ziggy lifted her head when she heard your footsteps. "What the hell are you doing here, stalker?"

⠀⠀"I just wanted to check on you." You admitted as you walked towards her. "I know you and Nurse Lane were close. Must have been hard to see her being strapped and unco—"

⠀⠀Ziggy instantly slammed her hands on the table causing you to flinch. She heavily sighed. "Look, if you're here to pity me and make me feel worse, you are free to go. I don't want to talk about Nurse Lane."

⠀⠀You nodded silently as your eyes landed on the big can of red paint while Ziggy looked for something. "What, uh, are you going to do with the paint?"

⠀⠀Ziggy glanced at you. "None of your business. Besides, you will be furious if you find out."

⠀⠀A smile formed on your lips as you hopped up and sat on the table just beside the can of paint. "You're going to have revenge on my stepsister, Sheila, yeah?"

⠀⠀Ziggy turned around with wide eyes before rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You're a smartass." She eventually found a hammer and approached the can of paint. Ziggy raised her arm to hammer the lid until she paused when she saw you watching her while your legs swung back and front. "Um..."

⠀⠀"What?" You asked.

⠀⠀"Aren't you like... going to stop me or something?" Ziggy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Sheila is your sister after all."

⠀⠀You stuck your tongue out in disgust. "Stepsister to be exact. I hate her guts just as you hate hers."

⠀⠀Ziggy blinked in surprise. "Aren't Sunnyvalers supposed to be like the perfect people? Loving their family, care for each other, and more good stuff?"

⠀⠀You cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really? You still believe that bullshit?" Ziggy's eyes slightly widened when you swore but you continued. "With one observation around Sunnyvale, they're bullies and douches around Shadyside. We're not perfect. Sheila thinks she is but she isn't."

⠀⠀Ziggy set her hammer down and placed her arms on her. hips. "Alright, Roberts, what's the big deal?"

⠀⠀"Huh?"

⠀⠀"Siding with me, helping me, saving me, and even hanging out with me. Me! The weird and psycho girl from Shadyside." Ziggy exclaimed. "Why are you doing this?"

⠀⠀You shrugged. "I don't see anything wrong with what I'm doing."

⠀⠀"I think you're forgetting you're a Sunnyvale, missy," Ziggy replied. "Shadysiders and Sunnyvalers don't get along, may I remind you of that."

⠀⠀You shrugged once again. "I don't see any difference between a Sunnyvaler and a Shadysider. We're just people."

⠀⠀"People who are cursed to be enemies. One town thrives while the other one dies. If you don't see that then you're blind and dumb."

⠀⠀"You honestly believe that?"

⠀⠀"It's probably going to take decades or centuries until Shadyside will be wiped out clean by a serial killer who was just a normal person until they become a murderous psychopath."

⠀⠀You frowned as you watched Ziggy hitting her hammer against the can of paint. "You're a bundle of joy and positivity, huh?" You said in sarcasm.

⠀⠀"Always have been." She replied with sarcasm until she smiled at you. "If you're gonna hang out with me all day, you have to get used to my bright and sunny mood."

⠀⠀You smiled back. "Nah, I'm used to it."

⠀⠀The door opened causing you and Ziggy to turn your heads to see Cindy Berman. Cindy's eyes widened slightly in surprise when she saw you with her sister. "(Y/n)."

⠀⠀"Cindy." You greeted back.

⠀⠀Cindy looked over to Ziggy who was continuing her work. "What are you doing?" Cindy asked, a question specifically for Ziggy.

⠀⠀Ziggy rolled her eyes in irritation. "Art project." She answered.

⠀⠀Cindy made her way towards her sister while you scratched the back of your head, not knowing what to do. "I need to talk to you," Cindy told Ziggy.

⠀⠀"I'm not in the mood."

⠀⠀"Earlier, you said Mary was upset."

⠀⠀Ziggy turned around and started to laugh at her sister. "Oh, so now you care!"

⠀⠀"Ziggy, this is serious."

⠀⠀"Yeah, well, it was serious earlier, and you didn't give a shit."

⠀⠀"Should I...?" You asked the sisters if you should leave but Ziggy shook her head. "No, you come with me."

⠀⠀Ziggy grabbed the can of paint and a bucket before making her way out while you and Cindy followed her. "Come on, you were the last person to see her before she snapped," Cindy stated. "What about drugs? Did you see any around?"

⠀⠀"She's a nurse, so yup."

⠀⠀You realized Ziggy was heading towards cabin five, where she was staying.

⠀⠀"Well, did she mention anything or..."

⠀⠀"Nope."

⠀⠀"Ziggy, I'm just... I'm just trying to understand what happened today."

⠀⠀"Who cares? It's over."

⠀⠀"Not for Tommy. He's still freaked out and acting weird and... it's just a big joke to everyone. They kept on saying that Mary was possessed by the witch."

⠀⠀"Maybe it was the witch."

⠀⠀"Ziggy!" Cindy scolded.

⠀⠀"What? That doesn't fit your carefully constructed bullshit view of the world?"

⠀⠀"Why are you being like this?"

⠀⠀"I don't know. Maybe because Nurse Lane was the only person who was nice to me, and now her life is over because bad things always happen to Shadyside."

⠀⠀You frowned while Cindy glanced at you before furrowing her eyebrows to Ziggy. "Nothing just happens. There's always a reason."

⠀⠀Ziggy stopped just right in front of her door while you stand just behind Cindy, not daring to intervene with their talk. "Not always a rational one. Deep down, you feel it, don't you? Shadyside, there's always something here. It's just holding us down, cursing us."

⠀⠀"Ziggy, that's enough," Cindy warned.

⠀⠀"You're too scared to admit it. When things go bad, you wanna explain it away."

⠀⠀"I'm sorry. I'm not going to blame everything on some fairy tale. Life sucks sometimes, I get that. I mean, God knows it's been hard since..." Cindy hesitated to finish her sentence as her throat swelled up while remembering the past.

⠀⠀"Since what?" Ziggy questioned. "See, you can't even say it! Since Dad left. Since Mom started drinking. Since we're going to lose the house. And it's not gonna magically get better."

⠀⠀Ziggy softly scoffed before grabbing her sister's collar for a brief moment. "And saving up all summer to buy a super cute polo shirt can't hide that. Trying to explain why nice old Nurse Lane almost lost it today can't either. We're all cursed. For Mary, it was today. But someday, it'll be you. And this whole fake bullshit life of yours, it's gonna come crashing down."

⠀⠀You looked down as shivers came to you with Ziggy's words. You never knew why she was like this and the people in Shadyside have to suffer in such a fate that they believe that they are cursed because of numerous murders and killings in the history of the place.

⠀⠀You looked up at Cindy whose eyes were welled up in tears. "That's a horrible thing to say."

⠀⠀Ziggy shook her head. "It's not horrible if it's true."

⠀⠀"I don't know who you are anymore, but..." Cindy shook her head as she stared at Ziggy. "But you're not my sister."

⠀⠀"Then who am I?" Ziggy asked.

⠀⠀"A monster."

⠀⠀Ziggy sneered before approaching her door and opening it to show her sister, and probably you, her room. "That's what they say."

⠀⠀You and Cindy stepped forward to see her room completely in mess and her walls were covered in graffitis. Most of them were profanities and Ziggy being called a witch and a monster. Ziggy turned to you and raised her eyebrows. "Are you still coming or not?"

⠀⠀You flinched in surprise before excusing yourself from Cindy and entering the Cabin. Ziggy glared at Cindy and slammed her door right in front of her face. Ziggy turned around to you who was flabbergasted with the words on her walls. You turned to her with a concerned expression while Ziggy dropped the can of paint and bucket. "Still think I'm a bundle of joy and positivity, Roberts?"