Just me and my serial killers

Prologue

Hey, Puppeteer.

It's Helen.

It's been a month or two since we've last spoken, right? It's been a while. I'm sorry for the way we left things. Sometimes I do wish I had gone on that boat with you and escaped to another country. Sometimes I'm glad I didn't. Either way, I'm sorry. We should have had a goodbye, at the very least. We deserved that much.

Currently, I'm sitting at the new dining room table. It's a dark brown, polished on the top with grooves on the side. Newly-made. Big enough for everyone here. His new house is bigger than his older one. To my right is Jeff, in the kitchen with Sally. He's started to teach her how to cook, apparently. There's this barbie movie humming on her new phone - I should mention, she had an old phone and dropped it while they were moving. Sans just bought her a new one. It has unicorns on the back and her background is some picture I drew. It's kind of a funny story. Sally had run up to me with this glint in her eye and demanded I draw Sans as a character from one show because Sans had told her I drew him before. I did, because why not? I thought she'd hate it but she loved it so much it's the only thing on the walls of her new room. They're going to have to take it down to paint her walls pink later. Right now they're a weird brown. Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm a bit... excited, I guess. It's weird. It's a new start for me here, I never thought it would be that way.

It's funny, you not being here. I kept turning to tell you something during the first few weeks here, and you weren't there. I'm kind of glad you aren't, though. At first, it was terrifying, admittedly. It was always so easy to hide from things when you were around. I'm happy you did your best to protect me, and you always will be my friend, but I think distance has done me some good. It forced me to talk to people I normally would have avoided. I've been doing... decent here. Other than the concussion that clown gave me, that is. Had to wear sunglasses for a few weeks.

I'll admit I was distant at first. I honestly didn't think I'd fit in here, wouldn't belong. Sometimes I still think that. Depression is hard to get over and even now I can feel it creeping up in my mind. Especially when I was in a new environment away from my only friend.

Honestly, I owe it to Toby and Clockwork. I was considering running away when I first got here. I didn't want to be here, or with you, or anywhere. Thought it'd be best if I went somewhere alone to not burden anyone. But then they dragged me down to the living room at 2 AM with some cups of coffee. Did you know they remembered I like mine with the peppermint creamer? I didn't think they did. But there it had been, and I could smell it on the way to the kitchen. Could smell that creamer. That damn creamer. I think that's when it hit me that I wasn't in a strange place surrounded by strangers. That this might be a home, in a weird and stupid way.

We talked a lot that night. Guess the coffee helped keep us awake. Eyeless Jack - he sort of became my doctor for the time being, by the way - came down and tore them new asses for keeping me up that late.

But, anyways, we talked a lot. They not only avoided me but one another. Judge Angels was the glue who held us all together, so it wasn't really me when she died. The loss sort of broke us all, I guess. We talked a lot, and I think I cried a few times.

So we're friends again. It's weird. Everything here is weird.

Sans and I spoke again. He's still upset I put his daughter in danger, and I don't blame him. A month or two ago I would have cried at that, but I think I'm doing better.

Yeah, I'm in therapy now. Weird, right? I never thought I could, considering my - uh, old hobbies. Apparently, Smile Dog is really good at creating false papers, enough for a clinician to see me. And they said since I sort of went into hiding after Judge Angels passed, I can go in person.