Part Three

After 30 minutes of driving, they were finally in their hometown. Clover pulled into a gas station. They sat silently for a few minutes in the car. Clover looked over at her and just let her be. Clover turned the car off and left to fuel it. When he looked through the window he saw that she started crying. Snow began to fall. The gas station was a fairly old one and not many people go to it. The door's bell jingled when Clover stepped inside the store part of the station.

"Hello there!" the old man who's running the register said.

"Hey." Clover responded with a fake smile

"You sound tired, young man. Long day?" the old man commented

"You could say that." Clover said, "We are trying to get home. It's been a crazy day."

"We?" the old man asked out of curiosity

"Yeah, I'm taking a friend home." Clover said as he pointed at his car.

"Yeah...sure." the old man said with a puzzled look on his face, "Whatever you say."

Clover walks around the store. The store's shelves are bare. The snow and wind rattle against the windows. The lights flicker and squeak. Clover remembers the flashlight and starts to cry. Kat, Ken, Alice, John, and Dave run through his mind. He can't stop picturing them. Clover hurries to the bathroom. The lights in the bathroom are brighter than the lights in the store. The lights are still and never flicker or dim. The mirror looks strangely clean for a public gas station bathroom. Clover runs the water and cups his hands. He begins to wash his face. "It's fine. I'm fine." Clover says to himself, "We are out of that nightmare. She doesn't want to go back. But I have to… no I must!. I can't leave them stuck in that never ending hallway. Especially with that man in the fedora." Clover hears whispering on the other side of the door. The whispering gets louder and louder. Clover covers his ears and curls onto the floor. The only thing he could make out from the whispering was "Come home. Come home." Clover starts to scream. The whispering stops when he hears the old man ask "Are you alright, kid?"

"Sorry… I'm sorry." Clover reponds, "I thought I saw a spider."

The footsteps of the old man get quieter. Clover washes his face again. The creek of the door can be heard from the other side of the store. As Clover walked back he grabbed two candy bars. The old man stares at him. Awkwardly Clover stared back. The old man rings him up. Each scan is followed by an annoying beep.

"That will be $3.41, kid." the old man said

"Thanks." Clover grabbed the bag with the candy, "Have a go-"

The door's bell rings. Clover quickly turns around thinking it's Kat. A tall slender man wearing a fedora enters the building. The man is covered in snow. There is no other car in the parking lot or fueling stations. Clover looks out the window and follows a set of footprints in the snow from the door to the woods they were just driving out of. The tall slender man brushes off his shoulders and takes off his fedora to shake it off. The slender man glances at Clover and a grin molds on his pale face. The slender man puts his fedora back on and continues walking around the store. Clover rushes out of the store and gets the car ready to leave. Before Clover drives away he looks back into the store and sees the tall slender man waving his fedora at him.

"Kat...that's him…" Clover says while shaking in fear, "from the orphanage."

"What?" she looks around and says, "Where? I don't see him."

Clover looks back into the store and he's gone. The snow stopped falling. The sun pierced through the thick clouds above. Clover hands her the candy bar and starts the car.

Clover looks in the rearview mirror and sees him. The tall slender man wearing a fedora. The man takes off his hat and waves 'goodbye'. Clover begins to speed up and hurry to her home.

"Slow down, Clover. It's giving me a headache." Kat complains

"Sorry." Clover responded.

"Thanks for the candy." Kat said.

"Yeah." Clover said, "We are almost there. Do you still live alone?"

"No, I live with Murphy," she says jokingly, "my cat."

"Oh yeah. How could I forget about that bundle of joy." he says sarcastically.

Clover pulls into her driveway and parks the car. They sit silently for a few minutes. Clover looks at her newly snow painted house. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Clover looks over at her.

"I'm going back." he said

"You shouldn't." she responds

"Why?" Clover asked

"We found our way out. They will find theirs."

"I have to show them before they are lost."

"They are already lost. They ran the wrong way. Besides, that man may kill you." K

"It doesn't matter what you say. I can't just leave them there. I'm bringing the police too." C

"That's good. You won't be arrested for trespassing."

"It's better than me going on my own."

"No, the police won't let you in. They will get lost too." she hands Clover her pocket knife, "Make marks on the walls so you know what way is out."

"Thank you."

Clover accepts the pocket knife and waits in his car till she enters her home. Clover pulls out of the driveway and drives back to the orphanage. He passes the police station on his way. He notices a small black passenger car that begins to follow him. The windows are completely stained and it seems light may even have trouble getting through. As Clover gets closer to the orphanage he realizes that the other cars are gone. Clover reaches the orphanage and the passenger car parks next to him. Clover looks over and the passenger car's window begins to roll down. Clover's heart begins to race. Clover's eyes widen when he sees who's behind the wheel.