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"Sunny?"
The sound of a familiar voice echoed in Sydney's mind. Her eyes snapped open, only to see that she was downstairs, in her basement. She was sat on one of the cushions in her and Betty's den, and she had her walkman sat next to her as she pained on a pair of light blue jeans, music sounding calmly in her ears.
She looked up, a wide grin forming at her lips when she saw Betty, who came over at sat in front of her. "Hey, you okay?"
Sydney furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
Why wouldn't she be okay?
That's when everything came back to her, washing over her mind like a wave.
What the hell happened after those lights?
"Oh, god, Betty..." She whispered, Betty shaking her head with a warm smile.
"Don't worry, Sunny, we'll take good care of you."
Sydney stood up carefully, ducking out of the den without taking her eyes of her sister.
"Sunny." Suddenly, Betty's expression and voice was much more stern.
But Sydney knew, this wasn't her sister. It was that stupid fucking clown.
"I've been waiting for you, Sunny." She smiled, taking a step forward as Sydney took a step back towards the stairs, prepared to run if needed. "Waiting so very long."
Suddenly, Betty changed. Her clothes were the same as when she had gone missing, but they were dirty, her hair was messed up, and she had blood dripping from the bottom of her shirt.
"You know," Betty took another step forward, stroking Sydneys cheek. "I think there's a part of you, buried somewhere deep inside, that wanted me to die that day. That was maybe even relieved."
Sydney shook her head vigorously.
That was the most bullshit she had ever heard.
"Happy." She carried on.
"Really? Betty, you know that's not true."
"That's why you didn't come with me that day, isn't it, Syd? It's okay, Sunny, you can admit it now. No more lies. No more hiding." She taunted, Sydney placing a shaky hand on the wooden banister on her right.
"Bets, that's not true, and you know it." She insisted, not a shake in her tone.
Because she was telling the whole truth.
"That's why you feel such guilt." Betty stepped forwards, Sydney taking one back and onto the first step. "Why you hide from your friends. Why you hide from the world."
"No."
"And why, late at night, you have sometimes wished to follow me." She jumped when she heard someone yell her name, taking another step up the stairs. It sounded like Bill, but she couldn't think straight enough to work it out. "Follow me into death. That is why I am here, Sunny."
