"I can't believe this. Julie is so.. nice, she couldn't do such a thing. Here, we'll ask her about it when she comes out of Poppy's." I said, looking away from him and towards the front door of the barn.
Wally opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but was cut off by the swing door creaking open. I watched Julie walk down the porch with a new bracelet and her tray of cookies. She waltzed over to us and frowned a bit as she caught sight of the fallen cookie.
"Awh, I'm sorry. It must've been blown out of your hand. Here, have another one! There's plenty." She said happily, holding the tray out again.
Wally held his hand out in front of me and gently pushed the tray back, causing Julie's eyebrows to furrow in confusion.
"Julie, where were you last night?" Wally said, keeping a monotone voice.
Julie rolled her eyes and began to walk down the path. Wally and I scurried behind her, trying our best to keep pace with her.
"What is this? An interrogation? Don't I need a lawyer." She said, not daring to look back at the two of us.
"Julie, please! We just need to ask you a few more questions. It's important." I said, trying to be polite.
Wally became fed up. He reached his hand out and yanked Julie back, causing her cookie tray to go flying towards the ground. Julie gasped as she watched her beautifully iced cookies pile onto the yellow path. She ripped her arm out of Wally's hand and turned around. It was safe to say she was beyond mad.
"What is wrong with you??" She shouted, looking close to tears.
"Julie- I'm sorry, Wally didn't mean to do that-" I tried consoling, only to be cut off by a very angry Julie.
"Shut up! I was with Sally last night. We were trying to find ways for me and Frank to become friends again. You both are letting this stupid mystery go to your heads!" She yelled, a single tear dripping down from her left eye.
I glanced over at Wally, now noticing how.. empty his eyes looked. I turned back to Julie and slowly made my way to her, reaching out and wiping away the tear that had sprung from her eye.
"I'm truly sorry, Julie. Last night something strange happened and it scared Wally. He thought it was you. Is there anyway we can make this up?" I pleaded, glancing towards the fallen cookies and taking her hand in mine.
Julie looked from Wally to me, squeezing my hand in hers and smiling slowly. She brought it up to her face and rested my hand on her cheek, practically smiling into it.
"Well, there is something you could do." She started, looking up at me lovingly. "Could you accompany me as I fix things with Frank? I get nervous with confrontation." She whispered.
I smiled and nodded, slowly removing my hand and watching Julie's smile fade a bit as I did so. Julie turned away and began to walk along the path much slower this time. I turned back to Wally and motioned for him to come along, he took a few moments of hesitation before following behind me. We walked in awkward silence until we reached the empty walkway of Frank's home. Julie hesitantly made her way onto the porch and up towards the door, tensing as she raised her hand to knock. I made my way up and stood next to her, giving her a comforting smile. Julie smiled back and sighed, finally knocking four times on the door. The door swung open right away, showing all of Frank as he stared down at Julie.
"Julie? What are you doing he-" Frank started, being cut off by Julie hugging him.
"I'm sorry, Frank! I don't want to keep fighting with you. I hate having secrets between us but I should've just talked to you like a normal person about it. Can you please forgive me?" Julie said, sniffling.
Frank sighed and pat Julie's head, a small hint of a smile could be seen pricking the corners of his lips. Julie let go and took a few steps back.
"It's alright, Julie. I forgive you. I'm sorry too - I should've just told you. I was just.. embarrassed." Frank said, a slight blush on his cheeks.
"Embarrassed? About what?" She said, titling her head to the side.
Frank invited Julie in, acting as if we didn't exist. Wally and I watched from the door as the two made their way down the hall and to the mysterious pink door Julie warned us about in her first interview. Frank opened it and Julie gasped loudly, a huge smile on her face.
"YOU HAVE A PINK BEDROOM? HOW CUTE!" She shouted, announcing to anyone who was in earshot.
Frank turned red with embarrassment and shut the door immediately. Julie giggled and hugged Frank again, trying her best to make him feel comfortable. Wally and I watched the entire interaction. I sighed and pulled out my notepad, flipping back to the Frank conspiracy and crossing it out. Another false lead. I turned back to Wally and noticed he had been watching me the entire time.
"Let's go, Wally. They need their space." I said, biting on the end of my pen.
Wally didn't reply, he just waited for me to walk along the path and slid in next to me.
"Wally.. if it wasn't Julie, who did you really see that night in the bedroom?" I asked, glancing over at him and clicking my pen.
"I- uhm.. I don't know. I can't remember." Wally whispered, clearly getting lost in his head.
"What do you mean you can't remember? You said it was someone in red and yellow so who else could it be.." I groaned, my voice trailing off.
I continued to walk, lost in thought until I noticed Wally had stopped a few feet away on the path. Wally was staring emptily at the ground.
"Wally? Hello?" I said, walking back over and waving my hand in front of his eyes.
—————-
Wally's Flashback;
—————
I entered Home, setting down my heavy grocery bags I had gotten from Howdy's store. I removed my sweater and excitedly made my way to my paint room. I had been motivated to move my easel outside and paint the beautiful sunset scenery on the way back home. As I swung the door open, I saw a woman in a yellow and red trench coat taking what seemed to be notes on a clipboard.
"Hello! Who are you?" I said curiously, taking a few steps in.
The woman stopped writing and looked my way, reflective glasses shielded her eyes from me. She grimaced in disgust.
"Home, I thought I told you to get your pet out of here. It can't see such things. Make sure it says quiet, we can't have it worrying the other subjects." The woman said, turning back to her clipboard.
I looked down as I felt the floor rumble beneath me. Black liquid had began to drip and pool at my feet from the ceiling. When I looked up, a dark void was dripping down the wall hungrily, seemingly staring back at me.
"Home?" I whispered, my body stiffening in fear as the liquid climbed up my body and wrapped tightly around my limbs.
I started to struggled against it, but it had covered my mouth before I could scream for help.
Within a few moments, I was whipped into the drowning darkness in the wall - the woman being the last person I saw.
——————
"Wally!" I shouted, shaking him one final time.
Wally gasped and snapped out of the trance he was in with the ground, looking over at me.
"Are you okay? What happened?" I said, moving my hands to cup his face.
"She doesn't want me to remember."