"You mean nothing to me, you know?" The room you were in was frigid, not to mention pitch black. You tried to reach your hands out to the sides to grasp onto something, anything, but your grasp found no resolve. There seemed to be a lack of oxygen, as every breath you took felt incredibly finite. You gasped once more, willing your lungs to capture enough breath to speak, but you were again met with ineffable silence. Useless.
      The figure, indiscernible at best, moved closer to your position on the floor, leaning over you with a wayward authority. They grasped your flailing wrists, holding them above your head in the air and rendering you immobile.
     "Your existence-" The figure grasped your wrists tighter, digging the tips of their fingernails into your skin, drawing blood. They lowered their face to yours, presenting you with an amalgamation of features you could not comprehend.
      "is equivalent to a piece of trash on the sidewalk." They let go, causing your limp arms to come to a screeching halt near your sides. You willed your body to do anything, run, move, something, but nothing happened. Fear grew inside of you once more, much too similar to the one felt on your kitchen floor that previous night where Wally found you. You wanted- no, you needed to run, to escape.

      Wally. Where had he gone? Surely he would not have left you here in this desolate room, in the care of a stranger that thought nothing of your life, would he? It occurred to you that you did not know the puppet man very well, and that may indeed align with his actions. But why would he have been so kind to you, so doting and caring, if he planned to toss you aside to a malevolent stranger?
      "He will never love you. Not the way I do." The figure crouches down to your height one more, their features suddenly not as indiscernible as they first seemed. Their eyes were cold and calculating, their frigid smile upturned in a malicious grin.

     Your ex-husband.

     You could not remember the last time you had the displeasure of gazing upon his wretched face, though you guessed it was sometime around your divorce proceedings. But yet, here he stood, towering over you with the same feigned authority that had always left a sour taste in your mouth. He grinned as recognition flashed over your face, trying to exude some vein of charm, though his attempt was futile. Finding a newfound strength within your body, you pulled away from his wicked grin. He only inched closer, suffocating you just as he always had.
     "I'll find you, you know. You can't hide." He was now annoyingly close to your face, leaving no room for misinterpretation of his words.
       "He can't save you." He raised his fist, eyes flashing with fury. In a panic, you yelled-

     "WALLY!"
      You sprung up in terror, hurriedly glancing around you before your eyes settled on Wally's familiar face. In no time, he had made his way over to you from his position across the room.
      "(Y/N)? What's the matter?" His face was etched with concern, though the only way you could discern this was from the constriction of his pupils and the downturned corners of his mouth. Terrified, you grasped onto his sweater, pulling his rather small, and now limp, body into your embrace.
     "Bad dream." You mumbled into his chest, hiding as if you were a scorned child. To Wally, this was quite an upsetting sight, as he understood the effect nightmares often had on a person. From his position beside you, he wrapped his hands around your waist, allowing you to take refuge in his plush exterior. One of his hands moved up and through your hair, raking through it in slow, melodic motions.
     "Shh, shhh, shhh. It'll be alright. I'm not going anywhere, neighbor." His soft voice cooed. You berated yourself for being such an emotional mess, though there seemed to be no stopping the terror that had flown through your body. And so, you sat encapsulated in his embrace, listening to his soft humming as the morning light streamed in through your blinds.

     It was quite a while before you sat up again, though when you did, you were greeted by a jovial smile. Despite the disturbance of his plans, Wally had remained by your side the entire morning, not daring to coax you from your hiding spot. He was rather content with you in his arms, as that seemed to be exactly where you were supposed to be. His smile faltered as he noticed that the vibrancy that he could've sworn returned to you that sunrise was now gone, erased by the fear of this nightmare.
     "I'm sorry." It was the only apology you could offer, much too disturbed from your dream to muster up another one. Wally let out a small laugh, and although it was monotonous in nature, it was warm in intent. He noticed the light return to your eyes as you gazed up at him, involuntarily entering yourself into an impromptu staring match.
     "Don't be silly! You don't have to be sorry." Sincerity flooded his voice, allowing you some reprieve from the anxiety that bubbled inside of you. His goofy grin cheered you up in no time, allowing you a distraction from the truth that knawed at the back of your mind: your ex-husband was still out there, and he was hell-bent on finding you.
      "I know, I just..." You paused for a moment, your lips folding into a thin smile.
      "I really appreciate you, Wally."

     From then on, it was no secret that Wally adored you. He never let you spend a night alone, that was unless you wanted to. He accompanied you on your daily mundane tasks, turning the daunting and unfamiliar chores into things you looked forward to. He had helped you introduce yourself to the remaining neighbors, though he was careful to never leave you alone with them, lest you grow anxious. Bit by bit and day by day, Wally watched as your color returned. He saw it first in the vibrancy of your hair, its glowing sheen a stark contradiction to its former state. It then became apparent in your eyes, which gleamed with the curiosity of a world that you were learning not to fear. Then to your skin, lips, and clothes; which now matched the vibrant colors of the neighbors. It was magnificent, really, to see someone change so much in such little time. And he loved you for it.

     You were in Poppy's kitchen listening to her instructions on how to make some obscure cake when Wally came up from behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and planting his face into your back. He attempted to say something, though it was muffled by your back, and so you turned around in an attempt to pry him off of you. Rather than letting go, however, he simply swiveled alongside you, his face now buried just underneath your chin.
      "What I said was-" he began, staring endearingly at your face.
      "WE SHOULD HAVE A DANCE!!!" Julie burst into the room, seemingly stealing Wally's thunder. His eyes narrowed as his neck snapped around in her direction, though his smile never faltered (you could've sworn, however, that he muttered 'bitch' under his breath). You watched as the other neighbors in the room turn their attention to the bubbly blonde, a few of them murmuring small agreements. Except for Frank, Frank did absolutely not want to have a dance (unless Eddie was his date).
      "That's a wonderful idea, Julie! I say we hold it tonight!" Poppy echoed, seemingly even more excited about this than her baking. And so, the residents of the neighborhood set their minds to work. They had decided to hold it in the middle of a clearing near the forest, hanging up a variety of streamers and lights to set the mood. Although none of the neighbors would've dared to be out in the midst of the night, none were opposed to staying up a little later in favor of this impromptu dance. You watched as the residents buzzed around the town, their excitement palpable in the air. Howdy had helped to carry tables and chairs, Poppy prepared deserts, Sally set up the dance floor, Barnaby prepared jokes, Julie and Frank prepared a music lineup for the evening, and Eddie helped you and Wally hang up the decorations. It was truly a perfect evening.

     "Darling? Are you ready?" Wally's voice echoed throughout your house, the smell of hairspray and apples accompanying him. You sat in your room, clothes splayed out in the bed as you willed yourself to choose an outfit. Wally had provided you with many options for tonight, all of which complimented the cherry red suit that was quite flattering on him. But yet, here you sat, unsure if you could force yourself into any of them. You were uncomfortable with your body, a fact that resulted from the constant beratings you had endured during your previous marriage, which made it almost impossible to feel beautiful in anything. You forced one of the outfits on, glancing in the mirror repulsively as the clothes seemed to seep into your skin. They poisoned you, and you absolutely had to rid yourself of them now. This continued on for a few outfits, or at least until Wally got tired of waiting on you.

     You were pulled from your beratings by a knock on your bedroom door, forcing you to jump up and pull a blanket up over your bare skin. Wally did not wait for approval this time, rather, he sauntered in of his own accord, as he was rather used to being in your home. Upon seeing your sheet-covered form, he stopped, staring at you inquisitively. This man had no shame.
     "Why are you not dressed, darling? The dance starts soon..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the discarded clothes on the floor.
     "Oh." Wally did not wait for a response. He moved throughout your room, picking up parts and pieces of outfits in an attempt to create something to your taste. You stared at him cautiously, careful to never take your eyes off the scrambling little puppet. Eventually, he presented you with an outfit that... didn't look half bad? Pushing him out of the room, you pulled the clothes onto your body. Sure, you may not have felt the best, but somehow this outfit had brought out the best of your features. You opened the door once more, coming face to face with your patiently waiting counterpart.
     "How do I look?" You asked with a grin. Wally stared at you for a moment, his eyes slowly scanning your entire body. His eyes met your own, and you could see the adoration spread across his face. He grabbed your hand in his own, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss.
      "Absolutely divine."

     The dance had been planned perfectly, with the quiet hum of the evening complimenting the bright pastels decorating the clearing. Soft and slow music emanated from the record player stationed on one of the tables, and neighbors mulled about the desert table as they praised Poppy's cooking ability. You sat alongside Wally on one of the benches, watching your friends as a smile spread across your face. Your hands lay intertwined on your lap as his thumb slowly traced circles over your hand. Never once did his attention stray from you, and he once again attempted to commit every detail of you to memory, if only out of fear that this moment would be ripped away from him at any instant. He studied the glint of your eyes as you watched your neighbors, the soft pull of your smile as he squeezed your hand, and your vibrant hair as it blew in the wind. It was perfect; you were perfect.

      As a familiar song floated throughout the air, you turned your attention towards Wally. You grinned as he pulled you up from your spot on the bench, leading you to the dance floor alongside the other neighbors. Many of them simply swayed, though Eddie and Frank found themselves slow dancing despite their awkwardness. You had never danced with Wally before, though his ease as he placed your hands in their correct positions soothed you. Despite his stature, he took the lead, swaying with you from side to side as the two of you held eye contact. You pondered slightly on how you had gotten to this moment, and how thankful you were that you were here. As the song came to its end, Wally dipped you ever so slightly, or rather, as much as he could. He leaned over you, looking upon you as if you were the world and he would stop at nothing to protect it. The hand that was not supporting your back moved to cup your chin as his lips moved towards yours, the two of you immersed in a plane of your own indulgence. Suddenly, his hand slipped, leaving the two of you crashing into each other on the floor and descending into a fit of giggles

    Ring! Ring! Ring!

     The piercing sound of Wally's phone rang through Home's walls, echoing through the dark corridors and disturbing him as he lay holding you. Swiftly moving his arms from your waist, he pulled himself from the bed and made his way down the hall. The phone continued as he entered the living room, and Wally pondered on who would be calling him at such an untimely hour. He picked up the phone.
     "Hello?" He questioned. There was a brief moment of silence before the voice on the other end answered.
     "Who is this?" The voice was blunt and gruff, seemingly unaware of the late hour. Wally sighed,
      "It's awfully late, neighbor." The puppet's voice teemed with insincerity.
      "Where are they?" The voice demanded as the blunt animosity turned into anger. Wally's grip tightened on the phone as he sat down in his plush armchair.
       "My, my. So many questions, and not nearly enough answers." Wally responded, his voice taking on its dangerous sing-songy tone.
        "Tell me where they are you useless sack of-" The voice was cut off. The man began to gasp for air, and Wally could hear his nails scratching at his neck.
         "If you even so much as think about coming near them..." The monotone inflection of Wally's tone became dangerous, laced with a wave of red-hot anger.
        "I will kill you." Wally slammed the phone back in its place.