[Was he really still trying to convince her that he wasn't here for his own selfish reasons? That he hadn't dismissed their deaths ENTIRELY, preventing them receiving a semblance of justice? They were stuck here because of people like Steven -- greedy people who preferred their jobs over guaranteeing the safety of kids. Freddy's was a sick, twisted joke, and she was fucking stuck here.]
[Though...she hated to admit it, but Steven had a bit of a point. He wouldn't be stuck here with them if he was doing it exclusively for selfish reasons. She was pretty sure that if he was as self-serving as she assumed, then he wouldn't have bothered.]
[...Didn't mean that he WASN'T doing this because he was a self-absorbed prick, of course. He just might actually have a modicum of interest in helping them move on, and if he proved to be as dedicated to that cause as he wanted her to believe, then maybe he could. That didn't make her any less frustrated about it, though. The last thing she wanted to do was trust an employee of this Hellhole.]
❝ Newsflash: that doesn't make you any less selfish. If you really, one hundred percent, wanted to help us, then you could have done it anytime you wanted. ❞ [Cassidy folded her arms over her chest, sending another scathing look in Steven's direction.] ❝ Y'know, we were THERE when you were talking to the police. We were THERE when the night guards listened to your annoying calls. You pretended that we didn't exist. You never even bothered to look for us. You even told our families that our deaths weren't connected to Freddy's. So, no- I don't think I've "got it all wrong." ❞
[Shit. She'd mentioned her suitmate without even realizing it, and Steven had caught on like a match. God, this suit was going to be crowded. Luckily for her, though, Sammy typically hid ( she'd never asked where ) whenever she got ready to kill. He didn't appreciate the carnage the way she did.]
❝ Uh- no. He'll probably come around when he realizes that we're done killing you. I call him "crybaby" for a reason, y'know. ❞
[Cassidy harrumphed at Steven's reaction; she'd gotten that same reaction from Sammy, too. Granted, he was the only one of them that HADN'T been violently murdered by their purple culprit, so he got a pass for that. Steven, however, did not.]
❝ Ugh, I told you! Purple. You can ask the others later, too. They'll all tell you the same thing. ❞
[Just as she braced herself for another "that's not a clue," she heard the newcomer mumble to himself. She quirked a brow at the sudden dip in conversation. Then --]
[Then he gave her a name. Mr. Afton.]
[She should have been happy, THRILLED, but she froze instead. A pit formed in her stomach. She had a name. This "useless" newbie had given her her first clue in years. He- he would know what the guy looked like, where he might be- this was her first glimmer of hope in years. So why did she feel sick to her nonexistent stomach?]
[Deep down, she knew. It was one thing to train yourself to be "strong" in the face of danger, and another thing entirely to use that strength in practice. This meant that she might wind up facing her killer again soon, and- and she was gut-wrenchingly nervous. Terrified. She felt the same horror, the same helplessness, from when she'd died. Trapped. Suffocated. Drowning.]
❝ Wh- ❞ [Her initial reaction came out as a whimper, which she quickly muffled by covering her mouth. She shuddered. Each unnecessary breath was shaky and shallow.]
[Steven had verified the identity of their killer -- the man in purple. The memory felt so vivid now. What had once been a series of blurs became almost crystal clear. She saw the name -- "Afton" -- branded on his name tag. It was darkened with something red. And his shirt...]
[It was blue, but covered -- drenched in blood. And when those colors mixed...]
[Steven apologized frantically, but she couldn't even muster the anger to lash out at him for it. They were both sharing a moment of dread and confusion.]
❝ Y-You... ❞ [When her reply sounded like another wounded cry, she covered her mouth again; the end result was a muffled sob. Shut up. Shut up. You're supposed to be the tough one. Stop crying!] ❝ God, i-it -- it doesn't matter anymore! I- I don't care about your s-stupid regrets. You just gave us a NAME. ❞
❝ That's - that's the biggest clue we've ever had. Afton. It was him. We finally...we know who we're looking for. ❞ [She forcefully swallowed back her fear. Her eyes went wide, but her expression was almost blank. Dissociative.] ❝ It was him. ❞
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