Fading Memories

Chapter Two

Haley... was at a complete loss. She didn't know what to do. She just about tried everything. But Luke... Luke won't... well, he won't 'wake up.'

He's... it was like he was stuck. Buried maybe? Haley didn't really know how to put it. She was only nine years old.

But it all started the day Lukas Pryce died. It was... it was an accident on set. No one expected it. Haley didn't see it happen. They didn't tell her what exactly happened. All she knew was that Luke was with his voice modular and the Snatcher puppet when he had died.

And that it happened right away. That he didn't feel any pain.

As for Haley? Well... she didn't take it well. She went to the funeral. She cried. She drew and drew and drew of all sorts of pictures of Luke. Almost as if she drew enough he would still be alive somehow. She didn't really know.

Haley was only nine after all.

Not long after did things get... weird at the studio. Just stuff like things going missing and reappearing at odd places at first. Then it was hearing stuff move. Seeing them being moved.

It wasn't until the Snatcher puppet began to actually do anything did it click for Haley.

The studio was haunted.

Luke was still with them.

And when the Snatcher puppet began to talk? Oh Haley was ecstatic. Because that meant she could talk to Luke! She had missed him so much!

And then Luke began to move the puppet more... and more... and more... and the puppet began to... grow... and grow... and grow.

It's fabric changed. Started to feel something like fur. Its arms became more... solid if it were. Its eyes and mouth began to glow and it no longer held the shape it had at the mouth for a hand to move it up and down.

And soon it was as if Snatcher was a real creature. One that Luke was no longer puppeteering, but possessing.

Then came the slip ups. It had happened before, back when Luke was alive. It happened sometimes. Accidentally calling your fellow actor by their character name. Haley has done it before too. But Luke began talking about things they never did before. And it would... take a while before he realized that they were talking to him.

Then one day... Luke just. Stole her away. She was confused, rightfully so. It wasn't until he started talking about 'getting back home' did it really hit her.

Luke had forgotten he was Luke. Luke thought he was Snatcher.

And Snatcher thought she was Hat Kid. Who obviously lost her hat.

Obviously.

But there were times Luke was Luke again. And her latest attempt to get back to the theater had failed.

And she was back in her 'room.'

"Listen, kiddo." Snatcher began as he curled around her. It was kind of funny. It was like he was a big fluffy snake. But with arms. "I know this place isn't the best, but until I can find a better run down house, this'll have to do. I mean, just until we get back to Subcon. You know?"

Haley curled into a ball. She... didn't really feel like talking.

Arms wrapped around her. Haley let herself be held. It was rare for Snatcher to show physical affection. It reminded her of the hugs Luke would give her.

"You know... you don't have to leave the planet. When you finish collecting the Time Pieces, I mean." Snatcher went on to say. "I'm... sure the minions would like you to live over at the forest with us... and I would like that too."

Haley felt as her eyebrows knit together. Slowly, she looked up to see a tired look on Snatcher's face.

"What do you mean?" She asked, voice soft.

She watched as Snatcher thought it over, looking for how to phrase whatever he wanted to say next. And then he said, "Hat Kid, I want you to live with me in my forest. I... I want to be your father. This is something that I thought long and hard about, for quite some time now."

A blush of all things dusted his face. "I know I wasn't... the greatest when we first met. But to be fair you did come into my forest. And I don't really like strangers. But... well, you grew on me kiddo. What do you say?"

Haley didn't know what to say. At some point tears began to well up again, as apparently she didn't dry up from her cry from earlier, and they began to fall. She... she really, really wanted to have Luke as a dad. He was. He was just so cool. So nice. So loving. Nothing like her birth dad.

She always wanted Luke to come up to her house and go 'my daughter now' and take her away where they would spend their days as father and daughter somewhere else. While they went on to act for Dead Birds Studios of course. But then Luke died, and that dream along with him.

But now...

Snatcher hugged onto her tighter as her sniffles transformed into sobs.

She wanted Luke to be her dad. Not Snatcher.