[✓] 𝑀𝑂𝑂𝑁𝐿𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇 | 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐰𝐨. ℎ𝑎𝑧𝑒𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎-𝑐ℎ𝑎

Word count: 1756

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐖 dark out, and the moon had hardly any ability to shine with the grey clouds that crowded the night sky. 

It had begun to rain nearly twenty minutes before, and it showed no signs of stopping anytime soon as it hammered onto the pavement. The parking lot they had just entered was empty, the yellow lines and handicapped parking symbols being lit by the few street lamps that glowed dimly.

In front of Elizabeth and Five was a tall building, where bright red letters spelled out: The Gimble Brothers. It seemed that this was the department store whose address Five had gotten from the man at Griddy's Doughnuts.

"Remind me again why we're here?" Elizabeth questioned as they approached the entrance, using her hands to shield her face from the streaming rain that was drenching her hair and uniform.

"I'm here to see an old friend," Five said distantly.

She frowned, though she didn't press. 

They approached the window, where the inside of the shop greeted them with only darkness. Obviously, the store was long past closed.

But before Elizabeth could suggest that they just go home and come back tomorrow, Five grabbed her hand and teleported both of them inside the shop. 

Everything inside was barely visible, but a radiance of deep blue cascaded around them, coming from a mannequin stand that rested in the middle of the store.

"Are you sure your friend is here?" Elizabeth questioned as she furrowed her eyebrows. She looked around, her eyes squinting. "I don't think anyone is here."

Five didn't respond, instead walking over to a shelf of random products and pulling out a flashlight. He clicked it on, using it to guide them toward wherever they were going.

Elizabeth followed tentatively as Five walked, him shining his light over the many racks of clothing. He shone it over each face of the mannequins they passed, inspecting them closely.

After a couple of minutes, he stopped in one of the men's aisles. His flashlight was directed at a few mannequins, all of whom were posing in their given clothes. 

A small smile crept onto his face as he stared at the mannequin in the middle, who was wearing a beige sweater vest and golfing hat.

Slowly, Five walked up to the mannequin, his eyes trained on it.

"Dennis," he breathed out.

Elizabeth's eyes widened.

No way.

No fucking way.

Five had befriended a mannequin?

To be fair, he had been by himself for quite some time. If she had had access to mannequins in that portal, she probably would've done the same thing.

Five continued, "It's good to see you, old friend. I've missed you, obviously. Well, I . . . It's been a rough couple of days."

As he continued to speak lowly to his inanimate friend, Elizabeth noticed something creeping behind the mannequins. 

Not something, she quickly realized. Rather, someone. Even more than that, two someones.

Elizabeth's eyes grew. Those two someones had guns. One seemed to be wearing a cartoonish, bear-like mask, while the other wore one that resembled a dog. 

Whoever they were, they were not friendly, that was for sure.

"Five!" she whispered, nodding towards the two hidden figures.