Despite my excitement, this new development shocked me so much that the rest of my timer ran out, and I was forced back to the present when I felt the unbearable heat again. I slipped back into the house, hearing quiet whispers that Killie didn’t react to. I noticed my sanity start to shiver, so I quickly drank some more milk and rushed out of the house. It wouldn’t do me any good to lose all my sanity because of daytime whispers.

I did not waste my ten minutes. I went harder and faster than ever, chopping down trees until my stamina ran out. I ate a bowl of soup and watched my stamina go not quite halfway. I was still pretty stoked about that added bar, though. That’d be nice.

Milk was running out. It was the only thing I found that beat the heat. I checked the calendar on the way to get some milk. This was the only different weather day until they came again.

I drank my milk and hurried out the door. There wasn’t much milk left. I grabbed the axe, turning all the logs into boards before lifting them into the chicken coop. It took two more cups of milk that left a small inch of milk on the bottom of the container, but all the boards were done, and the sun was setting. I checked my list, trying to remember what I was even doing. Boards weren’t even on the list.

Right. Getting to level five to get another article of clothing for building.

I sighed, resting my head on the chipped bricks of the house. This was fine. I still had four more days until they came again, and I already had a good leap on my to-do list. Tomorrow would be better, because I wouldn’t have to use the rest of my milk. I was a bit worried when it ran out, though. I had 21/100 boards done in the chicken coup, which made me almost reach level six in building. If I really could get some cows, it would take forever to get them.

I had to trust the process, even though nothing made sense. Instead, I bought my reflective vest for my second article of clothing for building.

Two things were done on my to-do list, which felt good. I wasn’t entirely sure how I could finish the rest of it, but I needed to worry about it tomorrow.

I got into my nightgown, because I was curious to try this out. Once that was done, I watched the last of the red light disappear, then glanced at Killie.

“Wanna keep me company for an hour?”

The kitten that was starting to not look like a kitten anymore walked up to me, rubbing her body against my legs. I leaned down and gave her a pet, then left the bedroom. I sat in the recliner chair and rocked, waiting for the pull to go to bed. I took another small bright pink candy from the candy bowl, and I tried not to feel like a twenty-year-old grandma rocking in my chair with my cat. I refused to wait outside in the dark. Not with that wolf creature.

The shadows started to move and dance. I closed my eyes tight, hoping that they were just a figment of my imagination. Or a figment of my slivered sanity. Killie wasn’t reacting to any shadows, instead she was curled on my lap, purring as I kept a hold of her. The hour stretched on, and I refused to open my eyes. Killie stayed in my lap, which was the only indication that she wasn’t startled by anything she saw.

A child laughing made my eyes pop open. It was somewhere on the second floor, and it made my stomach clench. Killie opened one eye to glanced at the ceiling before she closed her eyes again. My sanity shivered as I tried to calm my breathing. Was it just in my head? Killie looked at the ceiling when the child laughed. Did that mean she heard, too, and wasn’t threatened?

I didn’t care. Children laughing in the dark was all sorts of creepy, and I hated it.

The instant I felt the pull to go to bed, I scooped Killie up and bolted for the bedroom. I mentally chose to sleep as soon as my body hit the bed.

And woke up with fifty percent sanity. I stared at it, confused. A part of me thought it worked, because I dropped below twenty-five percent. Which meant there was a possibility that sleeping in my nightgown would give me more stamina.

I got out of bed and headed toward the back door, checking the phone on the way out. No messages. As I walked out, I mentally chose both articles of clothing for building. Once they were on my body, I chose my farming overalls, too, because I still needed to do my morning routine.

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I saw the numbers shifting, specifically around the broken bits of fence. I saw something appear near the hole.

0/3 boards

0/5 firewood

I was able to repair the fence. Good.

As the day was a lot nicer, I was able to whack a few more trees down easily enough with my bigger stamina bar.

Once the fence was repaired, the numbers shifted and changed again.

0/20 bricks

0/20 stones

I sighed. Sure, I didn’t know how to make bricks yet, but I had a feeling this was going to take the longest time. Carrying stones and clay was the most monotonous.

I would need more stones, too, with the axe costing a bit more to upgrade. I went down to the riverbed again, gathering stones and clay in piles. Killie followed me like she knew I was about to do something mind-numbingly dull and meowed.

“Hey, girl,” I said, giving her a scratch on top of her head. “I’m glad you’re here.

I grabbed another stone and started to move it when something vibrated underneath. I stood up, backing away as another white orb appeared. I stilled my breath as Killie ignored the orb. I needed this. Of anything, this orb gave me answers.

With a shaking hand, I reached out and touched the orb. Everything around me went black.

***

The door to Brenda and Doug’s house burst open and Quinn walked through, a large smile on her face.

“Helloooooo!” Quinn shouted.

Quinn was missing a few of her teeth, proof some time had passed. Doug smiled as he walked in.

“Looking for someone in particular, Quinn?” Doug asked.

“Anything changed since I was here last?” Quinn asked, walking further into the house.

“Oh, people come and go. Felicity went back home and is thriving,” Doug said.

“Yay! Will she come back?” Quinn asked, looking around the house.

“Things seemed pretty settled,” Doug said.

“You said the same thing about me, but look at me! Back here too!” Quinn said.

A sad smile flickered across Doug’s face. “That we did.”

“What about the snacks? Are they where they’re supposed to be?” Quinn asked.

“Let me show you,” Doug said.

They entered the kitchen, Quinn almost skipping. Doug patted the cart next to the fridge, a smile on his face. “When Brenda heard you were discovered asking the workers at McDonald’s for food, she went out and bought a huge container of cheese-its.”

“Yes, please!” Quinn said, walking over to the cart and plucking a bag. She tore it open and popped some in her mouth. “Why is it so quiet here?”

“Well, everyone’s at school,” Doug said.

“Oh, right. I haven’t been to school in ages,” Quinn said. “Mama didn’t tell me when the bus would come pick me up. She kept telling me different times, and even when I waited outside when the bus was supposed to pick me up, apparently she didn’t even call the bus people to tell them I was supposed to start school in the fall. It was all very confusing.”

“I bet it was. You did a brave thing trying to get to school,” Doug said.

“Do I need to set up school for here?” Quinn asked.

“We’ve got everything set up.”

“But how do you do it? Just in case mama doesn’t remember when I go back to her. That way I can just do it myself,” Quinn said.

“Oh, well, you kind of need an adult to sign you up for school,” Doug said.

Quinn sighed. “Well, at least everything is set up here.”

Doug nodded. “Brenda will even wake you up on time to make sure you make it to the bus.”

“Yes! I get to go to school!” Quinn said.

Doug smiled, ruffling her hair. “You keep remembering this feeling of wanting to go to school, okay Quinn?”

Quinn snickered, then glanced at the fridge. The fridge itself wasn’t visible, just Quinn’s reaction to it. “Oh, is Theo still here?”

“Yes.” The quieter change of tone in Doug’s voice went unnoticed by the little girl. “Yes, Theo will stay with us for a while.”

“Does he talk yet?” Quinn asked.

“We’re starting to get single words out of him a few times a week,” Doug said.

“Oh, goodie! I see he draws for Ms. Nichole,” Quinn said.

“Yes. Yes, he does. Though, that’s not from therapy, that was one of his drawings at school,” Doug said.

Quinn lifted the picture, her nose crinkling. “Kinda scary, don’t you think?”

“He does like to draw scarier things. He is rather talented for an almost seven-year-old, though. Look at the detail on that fur!” Doug said.

Quinn still kept her nose crinkled. “You said I’m rather talented when I was last here.”

“And I’d love to see how your talents have developed since you were last here,” Doug said.

Quinn dropped the page. “Alright, where’s your paper and crayons!”

“Quinn, it’s not a competition,” Doug said.

“I know. But you want to see how my skills are progressing, right?” Quinn asked.

Doug smiled, then gestured for her to follow. “Come on. To the arts and crafts room.”

The two of them left, but the room remained empty. The page fluttered on the fridge before righting itself again. Enough to see a picture of a wolf. Its claws were extended, blood dripping from its jaw, looking like it just finished a kill. But the odd thing about it was that the wolf was standing on its hind legs.