The world had never been so beautiful as it was that next morning. Everything felt so new, so fresh. I was starting to think of island living and cramped and dull, not anymore. The clouds had lifted, and a new day was beginning.

For the first time in my life I rushed to work. I was eager to see Andie, and to kiss her, and to look longingly across the store towards her. Vance and Hayden had left without me, which should have been a warning but I thought nothing about it that beautiful morning. Even if Hayden had come in late.

I skipped across town. Crews were already putting up decorations for tomorrow. Streamers, and bunting were hung with care. Ribbons were being wrapped around street lights, and sign posts. Later tonight the trollies would be fixed with big ribbons, and the fare would be free all day long.

I was actually going to be early. If I kept this up they really were going to make me manager.

If I could just get past Cyrus.

The jerk spotted me across the street and crossed to road to confront me. Man, I hadn't been late for something because of him since high school. "Hey we agreed no fights until the festival." I said, readying myself just in case.

"As if." Kat rolled her eyes and put her hand her hip. Carter made a similar show of peace.

So I was in the uncomfortable liminal space of actually talking to Cyrus. He looked at me with a sneer. "Just wanted to let you know that we're in."

"On?"

"Your little monster hunt." He looked away, was he embarrassed? "Not that I believe you, but there is something weird going on around town. Did you see they closed the tunnels?"

"No." A lot of the buildings in the commerce area were connected to an underground tunnel system, so pedestrians didn't have to worry about trains and trollies when crossing the road. There was a whole food court down there, best pizza beagles on the islands. "People see monsters down there too?"

He huffed, the conversation was already going longer than he was able to tolerate. "That's what they say. Anyway." He stepped in the street and started to walk away. "Tell Blondie we'll be there."

I couldn't help but smile at him, not that he saw. Hayden had taken what I said to heart, and was actually trying to get everyone together to find the monster. Not only that but Cyrus despite all our difference was going to help. In just a few days we'd all gone and grew up. "Hey Cyrus do you want to hang out some time?" He couldn't see the smile on my face, so I made sure he could hear it in my voice.

He paused and looked over his shoulder. There was a train coming in the distance but he just stood on the line, knowing for certain it would stop for him. "Tell ya what." He said, coolly. "Don't go soft on me tomorrow, and I'll let you buy me a drink."

"Same goes for you!"

I swear I saw him smile. He gave me a bored backwards wave, and stepped off the tracks. "Later loser."

The train passed a moment later, and that was that. Peace between the slackers, a new age really was upon the island. I had to tell Hayden the good news, and get the details on his monster hunt. Joining up would require a lot less courage from me, knowing that the monster had been dealt with by this point.

"You're early." Nathan beamed as I entered the store. I was actually three minutes late, but that was pretty early for me.

"New day, new me Nathan." I said with a brave nod.

He beamed, prouder of me than I was of Cyrus and Hayden combined. "That's the Twilight Tools spirit!" He put his hands on his hips a gesture universal to all managers. "Hayden got here early too, we're all eager to get started today. The festival must have moral higher than ever." He jerked his head to the side. "Hey speak of the devil."

Hayden my dearest and oldest friend was heading towards us at a heroic pace. Hid face was all business, like something serious was on his mind. I stepped towards him and raised my hand in greeting. "Hey, I just saw Cyrus. He said,"

Then he punched me, very hard in the jaw. It was one of the better blows I've ever taken. My body kept going forward, while my head flew backwards. I was on my back a moment later, and the world spun around me.

"I'm taking the day off." Hayden growled, and walked out of the store.

"Wow." All Nathan could do was look down at me, as pain started to radiant into the rest of my body.

"Yorick!" Andie rushed over. "Are you okay?" Oh god, did she really have to see that?

I wheezed out a pained noise, and tried to still my ping-ponging brain long enough to gather a single thought. All I could think was, 'I guess his conversation with Victoria didn't go well.' I slowly rose to my feet, Andie put her hand under my armpit to help me up.

Nathan leaned in. "Yorick I do have to inform you that since that was an instance of employee on employee violence, our insurance won't cover any medical bills, or time off you may need to deal with your injury." He looked genuinely regretful, until a smile broke out on his face. "But I can offer you an extra fifteen minute break, and access to one of our first aid kits."

"I'll take that break." I said, turning on my heels and heading out the door. Hayden hadn't made it far and was stomping down the side walk. I ran to catch up with him, even now I couldn't tell you if I planned to talk or fight with him. "You're just going to sucker punch me?" I yelled.

He wheeled around, fists clenched. That was all the answer I needed. "Thought I'd save us both some time."

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I grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him up to meet me. "What's your problem?"

He glared at me. His eyes were red on a normal day, but especially so then. "Victoria won't say a word to me, even when I told her what you said."

"How's that my fault?"

"Because you lied." He kneed me hard in the stomach. I let go of his shirt and doubled over. "My two closest friends and you're both up to something. Behind my back, thinking I'm an idiot?"

Damn Victoria. I know I shouldn't blame her, but why couldn't she just tell him the truth, or at last as much of it as I had let slip? What was she thinking? "I'm not lying, you just refuse to believe me. Even Cyrus said he's seen a monster."

"Whatever." He turned his back on me and kept on walking. "Don't come back to the apartment tonight. You're out."

"Hey." I shouted, and tried to get up. "You can't just do that. I pay rent too!" I might as well have been yelling at the walls, the road, the trollies. I had a better chance of convincing them.

No one but Victoria was going to change his mind. If only I knew what was going through her's.

----

"I didn't even know you two were fighting." Andie said trying to tend to my wounded ego. Nathan had at least been generous enough to put me on a cash register. I might have thrown up if I had to unload a truck. Her, me, and Vance were gathered around trying to look busy.

"He thinks something happened between me and Victoria. I don't know what, but it must be pretty bad if he's this upset." I looked at Vance suspiciously. "These are your sister and roommate we're talking about. Do you know anything?"

Vance just chuckled and shrugged. "I stay out of ya'lls drama. That's why everyone likes me." He had a point, but I also knew everyone vented to him about everything. I guess you don't keep that kind of reputation if you go off blabbing everyone's secrets.

"What a bummer." I groaned and rubbed my jaw.

"Maybe," Andie started. "You'll both figure it out in the ring. You know, like guys do. Just punch each other until you come to an understanding. Sweaty glistening bodies leaned up against each other in exhaustion, panting." I guess she was more excited for the fights than I realized.

Vance just laughed. "They've been fighting with Cyrus since they were all kids. If what you're talking about is possible, you're dealing with a group of slow learners."

The joke was on him, I had a date with Cyrus the next day. "We'll figure it out, I'm just worried about where I'll sleep tonight. Vance you won't let him keep me out will you?"

He threw his hands up. "I already said It I'm staying out of this."

I grunted with frustration. "Yes, but you're ceding control over to unreasonable people when you do that."

"Not my problem."

What friends!

Andie shrank a little. "And I'm not sure with my dad..."

"Oh that's fine." I waved her off. Living with Andie was my surest bet at ruining everything with her. "I'll just sleep in the backroom."

"Wow." A new voice joined the conversation. Ian our mysterious handyman strolled up with a cart full of supplies. "And you were calling me homeless yesterday."

I shrugged. "A lot can happen in one day."

"Island life moves fast." Ian smiled. Vance and Andie started helping him unload his cart while I scanned everything. Three employees to a customer? Nathan would have blushed. "I can always find a sleeping bag for you up at the mansion."

"Wait." Vance paused. "You're the plantation guy!"

Ian smiled. "Guilty as charged. We're restoring it, or thinking of restoring it." Ian looked to Andie. "Andie here tried to convince my boss to look elsewhere, and put me out of a job."

"Unsuccessfully." Andie added. "By the way, Yorick and I went to Twilight Tower after we left, and I was right." She beamed at me. "that's where the magic happens."

"What?" Vance's eyes were wide. "You two?" Finally?

I glared at him. "I wouldn't say finally."

He braced himself against the counter. "Someone stop the world it's moving too fast." He took a few dramatic deep breath, making sure to capture all our attention. "The plantation, it's really haunted right?"

"Oh yeah." Ian nodded, and looked almost proud of the fact. He must have been having a fun summer in his creepy little house. I found myself wondering how much he got paid, maybe working with him, or for Hart could be my new start. Construction, that was an adult job.

"We're going." Vance push his hand on mine. "Haunted sleepover." So much for being adults.

"I'm not sleeping in that place." I said. "You didn't smell it last night." My lungs were bleeding just from the memory.

"You have somewhere better to sleep?"

"The hideout has a futon."

He glared at me. "I'll tell Nathan about it."

A threat? I was aghast. "You wouldn't. If you do that we all lose." The hideout was the most sacred spot on the entire island. A paradise in the middle of retail hell.

Vance leaned forward now, more menacing than any monster I'd faced. "Try me." I told you he was a hard boiled detective when it came to this stuff.

"Fine." I turned to Ian, who was lapping up the show. "Ian is it really alright?"

"Sure, Hart's all about talking to the locals."

"Speaking of which." Andie nudged her way back into the conversation. "Will we see you at the festival tomorrow? Yorick's going to be in the Brave Fight."

"I've been wondering about all the decorations." Ian laughed. "Why not? Sounds like fun. What kind of fight is it?"

I raised an eyebrow. He didn't already know? The Festival happened every year, on every island.

Andie didn't notice how strange that was and kept talking. "The kind where the guys rip off their shirts, dip their hands in dye, and fingerpaint each other's naked bodies."

"There's a little more to it than that." I had to defend my sport, but yeah she was basically right about all of that.

"I'm impressed." Ian crossed his arms, and had a wide grin on. "I'm a fighter too, I knew we had a connection."

"Really." Andie beamed, no doubt imaging the two of us shirtless together. "Are you competing? I don't think I've ever seen you."

The dark haired man laughed and shook his head. "No, no I just stick to my gym."

"Well there's a big difference between fighting at your gym, and at competition." Andie said. I loved it. My girlfriend was gassing me up. Someone was proud of me. It was an amazing feeling, but I couldn't let myself be distracted from this strange feeling in my gut.

"What gym?" I asked.

Ian laughed nervously, cool as ever. "Okay, you caught me. It's mostly just my garage. But I have a punching bag."

He was lying.

My mouth nearly fell open as the realization was coming onto me. Was he...?

"Vance..." I gently tapped my friend on the shoulder. "Tell him about The Ghost Train we saw the other day."

Andie gave me a confused look. "That's random."

"What train?" Ian suddenly snapped to attention.

I got him!

Vance has happy to jump in. "Oh, right! This was great, so we were..."

I watched carefully as Ian listened with strained ease. The ghost train interested him, and not like it would an islander hearing it for the first time. This was a man who was listening for crucial details of something of which he was well familiar. He called us locals, he didn't know about the festival, and the dozen other tiny oddities about him. It was a ridiclious and outlandish idea, but now that It was on me I couldn't escape it.

Ian wasn't from this world.