"What took you so long?"

Fancy asked as mike finally opened the door to the pizzeria. "You look like you've been sleeping." She added and Mike sighed. "I was." "Shame shame Michael." She scolded him teasingly as she followed him once again back to his office. "Sleeping on the job that's a big no no." She added. Mike rolled his eyes.

"So barbie-" "It's Fancy." "Well you look like a barbie." "What is that supposed to mean?" Fancy countered, taking the comment as an insult when it obviously was far from it. "Have you seen a barbie?" "Yes they're dull and plastic." "Not the ones my sister used to play with." "then indulge me, Mike, what kind of barbies did your sister play with?" "Well, for starters, Abby- that's my sister- was always gentle with her barbies. She never played rough with them. They all had soft neatly brushed hair, well put together outfits, they were just pretty. I dunno." "So I'm confused Mike, are you trying to compliment me or-?" "Compliment..." Mike admitted sheepishly, his hand going to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah... compliment. Sorry." "It's fine." Fancy said with a smile. "It's sweet." She added and began to unpack her bag.

Mike's eyes widened when she pulled out a flashlight with something taped over the light's lens.

"What all did you pack in there?" He asked "And what's that for?" He asked, pointing to the seemingly incapacitated flashlight.

"Oh," She said, "I forgot to ask you, is it alright if I have a look around?" "... Why?" "to look for clues." She said and pulled a baggie of q tips from her bag.

"I know it's been nearly twenty years since the original crime and the crime scene is practically contaminated but I'd like to take a look around if that's alright." "Yeah that's fine just let me come with you." "Why? Can't you just watch me on the cameras?" "I'd rather go with you. Just in case." Fancy shrugged. "Suit yourself."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

"So what's with the flashlight?" He asked, pointing to the large silver cylinder with a candy wrapped tapped to the end. "Black light." She said as she flipped it on and shined it on the ground. "Whats the point of that?" Mike asked. "Haven't you ever seen on the news where they go investigate how clean hotels really are and they use a blacklight?" Mike shook his head and Fancy sighed.

"Black light shows body fluids. It shows you how well your sheets at Motel 8 really are or in our case, shows us a trance of blood that our killer left behind." "Will it still work if that blood trail is 20 years old?" "I honestly have no idea." She admitted as they walked. "But it's worth a try." She added.

Mike led her down a dimly lit corridor until that corridor expanded into a much larger room. There, standing frozen in time, were the animatronics. Four of them to be exact.

"So those are the animatronics."

Fancy said as she took in the sight of them. "Yeah." Mike said. "And they still work too." Fancy looked at him, brows knit together and nose scrunched up in distaste. She had never been a fan of big furry suits with fake painted on smiles. Ever since she was a kid they rubbed her the wrong way.

She never analyzed the fear to truly understand it but she knew what was at the root of the fear, costumes with painted on smiles, bright kind eyes, and furry welcoming skin were fake. You never knew what was truly inside. Or better yet, who was really inside. People could be the same way, she supposed.

Kind, warm, and welcoming on the outside but a cold and cruel monster on the inside. Was that what he was like? The man who took her so long ago? She shivered as she remembered the cold feeling of being stuffed in a trunk in complete darkness. The only thing she could feel was the hum of the car as it traveling to god knows where and the thumping of her terrified heart, preparing to take that final breath before he finally had his way with her.

"So what exactly are you looking for?" Mike pulled her from her thoughts. "Hm? Oh." Fancy said. "Anything, really."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

She flicked the flashlight on, blue ivory light flooded the room.

"Hey Mike," She called to the security guard. "Is part of your job keeping this place clean?" "Yeah." Mike said. "So it's safe to assume that's been within the job description of every employee before you since 1983?" "Yeah I guess so." Fancy groaned. "What?" "That just made this infinitely harder." She told him.

"Oh... because the crime scene has been cleaned probably a million times?" "Yeah." She said and turned to him with a small grin. "Now you're thinking like a criminal justice major." She teased and nudged him with her elbow. Mike chuckled.

"Is that what you are?" "Yeah." Fancy said. "Criminal justice and Prelaw." She told him as she scoured the hopeless scene for anything, any sign of well, anything really. "What do you plan on doing with that when you.. Uh.. get out." "You mean graduate?" Mike gave a nervous sniff. "Uh. yeah. School was never really my thing." "It's not for everyone." She said with a sympathetic smile.

"I plan on working at a law firm." "You wanna be a lawyer?" "Yeah. maybe. Or a private investigator but layer is my first choice. And its good money." "Yeah... I bet you'll make a good one. And I could use one of those right now." Fancy froze, she turned to look at him. "How so?" "Oh I'm not like a criminal or something like that." He put his hands up defensively. "It's for the custody battle over my little sister." "Oh.. yeah that's right with both of your parents out of the picture and you being of legal age, you would become the legal guardian of your siblings." Fancy recited.

"Family law. That can get messy. How old's your sister?" "Six." Mike said. "Her name's abby. Shes really the only family I've got." "Do you have a lawyer?" "...no." "Will you be going to court?" "God I hope not." "Who's challenging you for custody?" "My aunt. She's awful. Abby and I both hate her." "But according the eyes of the law she's a much more fitting choice for a legal guardian than you?" "Yeah." Mike admitted.

"And if she gets the chance to take me to court she will because she knows she will win." "Not necessarily." Fancy replied. "A judge decides who gets custody over a child via the child's best interest. And that does include fit living situations but also the relationship the child has with both parties. You have that over your aunt, an advantage." "oh."

"hey Mike?" "Yeah?" "When's the last time these animatronics have been cleaned?" "I don't know, why?" "They stink." She said, choosing not to mention the traces of blood and other bodily fluids remaining on the fursuits.