Chapter Text
Sierra sighed contentedly, basking in the warmth of the sun on her face as she sat on her front porch. For the first time in a while, she had slept great. No eight hours, but still enough to clear her head and give her the much-needed focus and energy back.
The midday air was surprisingly crisp, and the town was pretty quiet. Earlier today, she saw Jade and Rosa walking around together. These two were like two peas in a pod, yet they both acted so differently in public. Rosa always appeared social, elegant, and almost stuck-up, whereas Jade seemed arrogant and like he couldn’t care less what people thought of him with his messy appearance.
People-watching had always been a favorite pastime of hers, even back home. She used to sit in crowded cafés or on park benches for hours, quietly analyzing strangers and guessing their stories and personalities based on the smallest details. The current situation hadn’t changed that, but she noticed that she should do it more often to calm her mind.
She hadn’t seen too much of them together, but it was fascinating to watch Jade and Rosa's contrasting ways of dealing with the stress of the town. Rosa always maintained her composure as if a neat appearance could protect her from reality, while Jade completely abandoned any pretense of social etiquette, letting his frustration show in every loud, dramatic speech and unwashed shirt. They were both scared, they just showed it in opposite ways.
She took one last deep breath of fresh air. Fun time was over. Today was the day for answers. She’d promised Dara the truth, and to get it, she needed to put the pieces together first and have some hard conversations.
After Sierra walked inside the church, she stood there alone. No priest in sight. She walked to the basement door, loudly knocking. She could hear rustling and then steps drawing nearer before the door opened, revealing a stressed Father Khatri.
“Oh, it’s just you,” he said, his voice dropping into a relieved sigh as he rubbed a hand over his face.
“Good to see you, too. Can I join you downstairs?”
Khatri hesitated, looking down the dark stairwell behind him before stepping back to give her room. “Of course. Come on down.”
Sierra went down the creaking wooden steps, the damp air of the basement pressing against her skin. The space was dim, smelling of old stone and candle wax. Lately, it felt less like a church basement and more like a makeshift prison cell, which was definitely due to the fact that a young woman was held hostage down there.
When they reached the bottom, Sierra’s eyes immediately adjusted to the shadows, finding Sara sitting quietly on a cot in the corner. She looked small, her knees pulled up to her chest, her haunted eyes tracking Sierra’s movements but saying nothing. Despite knowing what she did, Sierra felt so guilty.
"I had a visit from your sister yesterday," he said quietly. "She’s a smart girl. She knows you're carrying a heavy burden, and she’s trying to help you carry it."
"I know," Sierra said, leaning against the wooden railing. "And I promised her I’d give her the truth today. Which means we need to stop hiding this situation,” Sierra gestured wildly at the young woman in the corner. “We can't keep Sara a secret anymore. Also, she looks fucking miserable here." She glanced directly at Sara, adding a softer, "No offense."
Khatri let out a long, slow breath, his shoulders dropping. He looked at her with genuine pleading in his eyes. "Sierra, if the town finds out what Sara did, the anger will take over. People are terrified, and fear makes people act out. I’m just trying to prevent an unnecessary massacre."
"I'm not saying we tell the whole town," Sierra countered, her voice softening as she recognized his genuine concern. "But you have to tell Boyd. He deserves to know what's happening under his watch, and keeping him in the dark isn't protecting him — it might put his position in danger as well, because how come the sheriff doesn’t know what his trusted friend is hiding? If you don't tell him today, I will."
Khatri stared at her for a long moment, seeing the quiet determination in her eyes. He realized she wasn't doing this to be reckless; she just knew they were running out of time.
"Alright," he said softly, giving her a small, defeated nod. "But let me be the one to break it to him. He’s carrying enough as it is."
“Okay, perfect.” She shifted her gaze over to the corner of the basement. “Did you find out anything important? About the voices, I mean?”
“I will go into detail when we get Boyd in here, but the voices made Sara draw something, something that only I could recognize. I don’t know how they know, but they do.”
Sierra paused and thought back to her conversation through the window two nights ago. “The creatures also know our names. Maybe they’re always listening from somewhere, and that’s why?”
“No,” Khatri said, his voice dropping into an uneasy whisper. “What Sara drew didn’t have anything to do with this town. This happened on the outside. There is no way they could have known about it unless they can suddenly read minds.”
The implication hung heavily in the air between them. Sierra felt a cold knot form in her stomach. It was one thing for the monsters to spy on them at night, mimicking human speech and emotions, and remembering names. It was an entirely different nightmare if whatever ran this place could dig into their pasts, pulling out the secrets they had left behind in the real world.
"If they know things from the outside..." Sierra started, her voice trailing off as she tried to process the sheer scope of it. "Then none of us are safe. Not even in our own heads."
"Which is why Boyd needs to know now. I understand," Khatri said, his tone resolute now, the last of his hesitation fading. "We can't afford to wait. Stay upstairs, I'll go find him.”
Sierra nodded slowly as she stood up, anchoring her hands in her purple hoodie. "Alright, I’ll wait upstairs. The longer we sit on this, the worse it's going to get."
The transition from the damp cellar to the main sanctuary felt less like stepping into a church and more like entering an interrogation room.
It hadn’t taken long for Khatri to find Boyd. When the sheriff walked through the front doors, his face was already set in that hard, exhausted scowl he wore whenever he knew he was being summoned for bad news. He crossed his arms, looking between Khatri and Sierra, his eyes lingering on Sierra with a mix of mild surprise and confusion.
"Father Khatri," Boyd said, his voice a tired rumble as he walked up the aisle. "What's going on? And why is Sierra here?"
Sierra leaned on the altar, her hands anchored deep inside the pockets of her hoodie to hide her nervousness. She forced a smile, but didn't say a word, leaving the floor to the priest.
Khatri didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached toward the altar, picking up a dirty burlap bag Sierra hadn't noticed before, and placed it onto a pew right in front of the sheriff. "Look inside."
Sighing, Boyd reached down and pulled open the twine, carefully dumping the contents onto the wood. A dusty, half-empty bottle of cheap alcohol rolled out, alongside a blood-stained clerical collar and a crumpled candy bar wrapper. Boyd stared at the items, his confusion quickly turning to annoyance. "What the hell is this? What is going on?"
"We’ve never discussed who we were before we got here," Khatri said softly, his voice dropping in tone as he stared at the candy wrapper.
Sierra stood perfectly still, watching the usually composed priest completely unravel as he forced Boyd to listen. He spoke of the quiet boy in his congregation back home, the abusive father, and the candy bar he had handed the child just hours before the boy was beaten to death by said father. Khatri's voice trembled with a raw, agonizing guilt as he explained how he had lost his mind, beaten the father with his bare hands, and was ready to end his own life before the voice of God told him to get back in the car.
Sierra’s heart ached for him. He was carrying the crushing weight of a little boy who had begged for sanctuary, only to be sent away with a piece of chocolate. He couldn't let history repeat itself. This wasn't just about theology for Khatri anymore; it was his second chance to save a young life. He was willing to risk everything to save Sara from the town's wrath, because in his mind, saving her was the only way to earn his own salvation.
"I failed that boy, Boyd," Khatri whispered, tears threatening to spill as he looked up. "But I am not going to fail again. I'm telling you all of this because... I have Sara tied up in the basement."
The sanctuary went dead silent. The confession about his past was shocking enough, but the name Sara made Boyd freeze entirely.
"What did you just say?" Boyd asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
"She’s downstairs," Khatri repeated, stepping closer. "The voices drove her to it, Boyd. They told her everyone could go home. And they made her try to kill little Ethan."
Boyd’s face went completely blank as the sheer weight of the betrayal hit him. Then, slowly, his gaze snapped over to Sierra. The dots connected in his mind — the way she had been acting, the guilt in her face when he had asked her what she saw. He had assumed that it was because she couldn’t save Nathan and didn’t see where Sara went. But she knew.
"You," Boyd said, his look of profound disappointment cutting straight through her. "When I asked you if you’d seen where she went... you looked me straight in the eye and said no. You knew about this?"
“Yes, I knew. I’m sorry,” Sierra said, refusing to flinch, though the weight of his stare was suffocating. “
"You’re sorry," Boyd repeated mockingly, a terrifying rage finally breaking through his stillness. “Right, that’s going to fix it.”
His jaw was clenched so tight his muscles were shaking. "You hid a murderer in the church! Both of you! A girl who cut her own brother's throat! You know what the rules are. Tell me you're joking right now before I lock you both up."
"Boyd, leave her be. She's here because I forced her hand," Khatri interrupted, stepping between them. “She told me to tell you the truth. There’s a reason we’re all trapped in here. That girl may be the reason we all get to go home. You need to listen to me—”
With a metallic click, Boyd drew his pistol, aiming it directly at Khatri's chest.
"No, you listen to me!" Boyd roared. "You stood right next to me and insisted Frank go in the Box! You watched his family cry, you watched me lock the door, and you told me it was the law! And the whole time, you had a killer hiding right beneath our feet?!"
Sierra didn't think. She stepped directly into Boyd's line of sight, blocking his shot at the priest, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Get out of the way, Sierra," Boyd growled, his gun hand rigid, his eyes burning with frustration.
"No," she countered, refusing to shrink under his gaze. "Look, I hate what she did, obviously. She tried to kill Ethan, she killed her own brother. But pulling that trigger right now isn’t justice. It’s revenge. Whatever is talking to her, it made her draw a secret from Khatri's past. Something only he could recognize. It shows that whatever we’re dealing with is bigger than monsters in the fucking woods. If you shoot him and put Sara in the Box just to keep up appearances, they get what they want. Chaos. Us turning against one another."
Boyd glared at Sierra, his breath coming in hot, angry rags. He looked from her fierce, unyielding eyes back to the blood-stained collar on the pew. Slowly, the absolute certainty in his gaze began to crack under the weight of her words. He lowered the pistol, though he didn't holster it.
"Show me the drawing," Boyd muttered.
They walked back down to the basement in silence. At the bottom, Sara shrank back against the stone wall, her eyes wide with terror as the sheriff approached. Boyd couldn’t even look at her. His eyes were locked on the small wooden table where Khatri had spread out the pieces of paper.
Khatri reached down and slid a specific page across the wood toward Boyd. Sierra leaned in over the sheriff's shoulder, inspecting the dark, jagged strokes depicting the unmistakable logo of the candy bar that was crumpled up above.
"This doesn't prove anything, Khatri," Boyd tried to rationalize, though his voice lacked its usual strength. "It's a candy bar. She probably saw the wrapper."
"Listen, I was skeptical, just like you. But no one brought that wrapper here," Khatri insisted "I buried that bag the exact day I arrived. Nobody knew about it. There is absolutely no way she could have known that story unless the things talking to her pulled it right out of my head. Something was watching me that day. The same thing that told Sara—"
Boyd shook his head, pacing a tight circle in the cramped space, desperately clinging to his skepticism. "And you think that thing is trying to help us? If whatever is talking to her is trying to help us, why did it order her to go after Ethan? It's playing with her. It's playing with us."
"Sara's connection makes her valuable," Khatri argued, stepping into Boyd's path to force him to stop walking. "Look at the timing, Boyd. You've been talking about going out into that forest soon, trying to find a way out. And suddenly this connection is revealed? You think that's a coincidence? I'm suggesting that she and I accompany you into those woods. We use her connection to guide us to the right path."
Boyd let out a harsh, incredulous breath, rubbing a hand over his face. "You're a madman. You want me to take a compromised killer into the deep woods where we have zero protection?"
"I don’t know if the voice is trying to help us, but I think we're past the point of safe choices," Sierra countered, stepping up beside Khatri. "If the forest is a maze, she’s the only one hearing the person or thing who is a part of whatever is going on. We don't have to trust her, Boyd. We just have to use her. Let me come with you."
Boyd stopped dead, turning an uncompromising glare onto Sierra. "Absolutely not."
"Boyd—"
"I said no, Sierra!" Boyd barked, the authority of the badge returning to his voice. "If Khatri and I are going into those woods, this town is going to need more leadership. I know you’ve got it in you. Kenny trusts you, and he cannot run this place alone. He is drowning in grief, and he's going to need people to keep him steady. Kristi needs support at the clinic, and think of your sister. We don't know what's out there, or if we're even coming back. You’d be the only one left who knows about the voices. You need to stay here, keep everyone in check, and help Kenny and Kristi."
Sierra clenched her jaw, hating that his logic made sense, but the thought of being sidelined while they chased answers in the dark made her stomach turn.
Boyd's expression softened just a fraction as he looked at her. He placed a grounding hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Look at me. Going out past those trees is a suicide mission. You have a sister here. Dara needs you alive, and she needs you safe inside these borders. I can only go out there and search for a way out for all of us if I know the town isn't burning down behind me. Can you do that for me?"
Sierra looked at his hand, then back up into his tired, pleading eyes. She thought of Kenny, of Kristi, and then of the promise she had made just hours ago.
"I'll stay," Sierra said, her voice steadying. "But you need to know something. I already told Dara about the voices. I promised her the truth today, and I'm not going to lie to her. She won't say anything to the rest of the town, Boyd. She knows what's at stake. But I am telling her what's going on."
Boyd stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tightening as he weighed the risk. He didn't like information leaking, but looking at the stubborn determination in Sierra's eyes, he knew he wasn't going to win this argument.
Slowly, he nodded. "Alright. If you trust her, I trust you. Just make sure it stays between the two of you."
"It will," Sierra whispered, giving a slow nod. "I'll stay and help."
"Good," Boyd said, turning back to the stairs, his demeanor turning clinical. "Khatri, she stays locked down here until the exact minute we leave. We map out the supply lines upstairs. Let's get to work."
Leaving the heavy church behind, Sierra stepped out into the sun and made her way toward the diner. The bell above the door jingled softly as she entered, the familiar chatter of people filling the room.
Tian-Chen was behind the counter, wiping down the surface with practiced efficiency. She looked up, her expression softening into a warm smile the moment she saw Sierra.
"Sierra," Tian-Chen said, setting her rag down. "You look tired. Sit, sit."
Sierra walked over, offering a small smile. "Hey, Mrs. Liu. Do I really look tired? This is the most I’ve slept since I’ve been here,” she chuckled. "Do you need any help back there? I can wash dishes or prep something if you need an extra pair of hands."
Tian-Chen waved her hands dismissively, shooing the offer away with absolute authority. "No, no help. You work too hard. Today, you sit."
She turned around to the big stove behind her, lifting the lid off a large pot that filled the air with a rich, savory aroma. She ladled a generous portion into a ceramic bowl and set it down on the counter in front of Sierra.
"Soup is good for days like this," Tian-Chen said gently, tapping the edge of the bowl. "When everything sad, hot soup gives you love. It shows you are taken care of. Go enjoy."
"Thank you. It smells amazing," Sierra said, climbing onto the stool and wrapping her hands around the warm bowl.
Tian-Chen gave her an approving nod before grabbing some dirty dishes and heading into the back kitchen, leaving Sierra alone at the counter.
She had only taken a few spoonfuls when the front door jingled again. She turned her head to see Kenny walking in. He was wearing his usual deputy uniform, the short-sleeved button-down tugged neatly into his dark pants with a black belt to finish off the look. Her gaze flickered to his face. He looked a bit exhausted, but his eyes lit up a fraction when he spotted her.
"Hey, good to see my favorite neighbor," Kenny said with a faint smile, sliding onto the stool right next to her. "How are you? How did you sleep?"
“I actually slept surprisingly well, thank you for asking,” she smiled back, leaning her chin on her hand. “What about you? You look tired.”
“Yeah, I am,” Kenny admitted, resting his elbows on the counter. “I guess your insomnia transferred to me for the night.”
“Hm, what kept you up?”
“I was actually thinking about our conversation…”
“Aw, you were thinking about me at night? I feel honored.”
Kenny chuckled, a slight flush hitting his cheeks before he turned serious again. “No, I mean... about the creatures. And Kristi. I was just wondering if you talked to them again last night. I was hoping you didn’t. And I actually talked to Kristi earlier. You know... about feelings and stuff.”
Sierra tilted her head, watching him closely. “Okay, and? What did she say?”
“She told me that I make her feel safe,” Kenny said. He should have sounded happy about it, but his tone was flat.
Sierra watched him closely. "Okay… that sounds like a good thing."
"I thought it was too," Kenny admitted, letting out a heavy breath. "But then she said... she thinks she's been leaning on me for the wrong reasons. She told me she still loves her fiancée, and that this place just gets so lonely and overwhelming that she got confused. She said she cares about me too much to let me wait around for something she can't give me… that I deserve to be someone's first choice."
Sierra felt a wave of sympathy for him. While Kristi had packaged the truth much more gently for Kenny, the core of it was exactly what she’d confessed in the clinic the day before.
"I'm sorry, Kenny," Sierra said gently, placing a hand briefly over his forearm. "That’s a really tough thing to hear. But it takes a lot of guts for her to be that honest with you instead of leading you on."
"Yeah," Kenny nodded slowly, giving a breathless chuckle. "Yeah, I know. It's better this way. Just hurts to get the door shut completely, I guess. I really thought maybe..." He trailed off, shaking his head as if to clear the thoughts.
Sierra nudged her bowl toward him slightly. “Want some soup? I can ask for another spoon.”
“What?”
“Your mom said hot soup gives you comfort when you’re sad.”
"No, you eat. My mom will kill me if I steal your food," Kenny chuckled weakly, resting his elbows on the counter and looking at her.
Right on cue, Tian-Chen walked back out from the kitchen area, a stack of clean dishes in her hands. The rhythmic clatter of her working in the back had quieted down over the last few minutes, and the protective softness in her eyes made it clear she had caught the drift of their conversation. She didn't bring up Kristi, but as she passed Kenny, she reached out and gently stroked his back, letting her hand linger for a comforting moment.
"He is right," Tian-Chen said, looking at Sierra but meaning every word for her son. "I make enough for whole town. Kenny gets his own. You eat."
The sweet moment was interrupted by a sudden burst of laughter as the diner door swung open. Dara and Julie walked in together, their heads bent close as they talked. Dara instantly scanned the room until she found her sister, her expression shifting into a playful grin when she saw how close Kenny and Sierra were sitting.
"There you are," Dara said, walking over and leaning her weight against Sierra's shoulder, wrapping an arm loosely around her neck. She looked between them, her eyes dancing. "Are you two having lunch together? Sisi, did you properly thank him for that present yesterday? Because it seems like you guys are getting pretty close."
Kenny cleared his throat, glancing between the sisters. "We were just... talking about the soup," he muttered defensively.
Sierra rolled her eyes affectionately, though she couldn't help the slight smile tugging at her lips as she nudged her sister away. "Drop it. What are you two even up to?"
Dara shifted her weight, looking slightly hesitant as she glanced at Julie, then back to Sierra. "So... tomorrow is Fatima’s anniversary. Colony House is throwing a big celebration for her. Julie and I were talking, and... is it okay if I go? Donna said I could stay the night up there so that I don’t have to leave early."
Sierra looked at her younger sister. Her first instinct was to say no and keep her at home where she knew she was safe. But looking at the genuine excitement on her face and Julie's hopeful look, Sierra swallowed her anxiety.
"Of course you can go," Sierra said, her voice softening. "You should absolutely celebrate with them. Just... promise me you'll be safe. Don’t drink too much. I’m sure they have some of Tom’s moonshine over there."
"I promise," Dara said, a relieved smile breaking across her face. "Thank you, you’re the best sister."
Julie nudged Dara’s shoulder with a grin. "Come on, let's go find something to wear before Trudy gets the good stuff."
As the two girls hurried off, Sierra turned back to her soup. Kenny let out a soft huff of a laugh and looked back at Sierra.
"Your sister is a menace," he murmured, though there was a small, genuine spark of life back in his eyes.
Sierra chuckled, picking up her spoon again. "Tell me about it." She took another sip of the warm broth, grateful that for the next few minutes, she could just sit here with him and pretend things were normal.