Nancy drove up to Pennhurst Mental Hospital with Alicia and Robin in the car. They were all wearing what Nancy deemed "scholarly" to try and appease Dr. Hatch.

Alicia wasn't too bothered by the clothes since her style was usually pretty preppy anyway, but Robin was having a tough time. "Ugh, I can't breath in this thing, and I'm itchy. I'm itching all over," Robin complained through clenched teeth as they walked up to the building. She was sort of embarrassed to be wearing these sort of clothes in front Alicia since it wasn't really her style and she didn't want to look bad.

"It's not all about comfort. Okay? We're academics," Nancy told her.

"Who are evidently coming straight from an Easter brunch," Robin added irritatedly. "Also, this bra that you gave me is really pinching my boobs."

"Okay, could you just let me do the talking? If that's even possible?" Nancy questioned.

"Calm down, Nance, we got this," Alicia told her, only because she didn't like the tone she was using with Robin.

"It's fine because it's not only possible, it's inevitable. Because shortly, I'll be dead from strangulation," Robin said and Nancy sucked in a breath and rolled her eyes, trying not to lash out.

"So let's make this as quick as possible," Alicia said to them both since she didn't really like the idea of lying to this high end person. If he found out they were lying and who she actually was...she could be in danger of being kicked out of college, and she definitely didn't want that.

"3.9 GPAs," Dr. Hatch read aloud as he looked at their papers. The girls were now sitting across from him, where he was sitting behind his desk. "All three of you. Impressive."

"And this is a recommendation from Professor Brantley," Nancy handed the fake recommendation to the doctor.

"Yeah, I know Larry. Quite well, actually," Dr. Hatch said and the girls gave each other a quick glance. "Eh, you know what they say. 'Those who can't do, teach.'"

Robin forced a laugh as Dr. Hatch chuckled before she quickly stopped once Nancy gave her a look. "Uh, yes, yes, that's actually why we're here. I mean, we can only learn so much in a classroom," Nancy brought up.

"Mmm. And I'm sympathetic for your struggle, truly. But there is a protocol to visiting a patient like Victor. You have to put in a request and then you have to undergo a screening process, at which point the board will make a decision," Dr. Hatch said and the girls looked down, clearly not wanting to hear that. "I can see you're disappointed. But I'm more than happy to give you a tour of our facility. Perhaps you can even speak to some patients in our low-security wing."

"And we'd...we would love that. It's just that, um...our thesis is due next month," Nancy slowly said.

"Then you're out of time. Who's fault is that?" Dr. Hatch questioned.

"Ours. Absolutely. And I do apologize—"

"Don't apologize, Ruth. Screw that," Robin cut her off, making Nancy and Alicia both look at her with wide eyes. "The fact of the matter is, we did put in a request months ago and were denied. And then we reapplied and were denied again. And coming here was our last-ditch effort to save our thesis and I really — I can't breathe in this thing."

"Uh, well, Rose, maybe you'd like to go outside and get some air," Nancy told Robin with clenched teeth since she didn't want her to ruin their chances of speaking with Victor.

"Maybe I should, Ruth," Robin said, going to stand up.

"Mhm. Donna, take her," Nancy whispered to Alicia and she nodded, going to get up before she realized Robin was already standing.

"Because I'm starting to think this whole thing is a colossal mistake. I'm breaking out in a rash. My boobs hurt. And I'll you the truth, Anthony. May I call you Anthony? These aren't actually my clothes. I borrowed them because I wanted you to take us seriously. Because nobody takes girls seriously in this field. They just don't. We don't look the part or whatever," Robin finally snapped. "But can I tell you a story? 1978, I was at summer camp. And my counselor, Drew, told me and everyone in Cabin C the true story of the Victor Creel Massacre. And little Petey McHew...You guys know Petey, right, Ruth, Donna?"

"Of — of course," Nancy stammered.

"Yes," Alicia quickly said, although she didn't really know where Robin was going with this. All she knew was that she found Robin's little outburst incredibly attractive for some reason. She guessed she just liked when girls took the initiative instead of the men doing it.

"Yeah. Little Petey McHew started sobbing right there on the spot. Full-on hyperventilating. And all the other campers they couldn't sleep for weeks. And I couldn't sleep either, but not 'cause I was scared. Because I was obsessed with the question, 'What would drive a human being to commit such unimaginable acts?' Other kids wanted to be astronauts, basketball players, rock stars. But I wanted to be you. I wanted to be you," she told him, making his eyebrows raise a bit.

"So forgive me if I'll now try anything in my power, including wearing this ridiculous outfit, if I might get to speak to the man that ignited my passion and learn a little bit more about his twisted, but let's face it, totally fascinating mind works. So, yes, we don't have the official paperwork, but don't tell me that cry-baby Petey McHew wouldn't have gotten an audience with Victor in a matter of moments if he'd ask politely, because you and I both know that he would. So...ten minutes with Victor. That's all I ask."

Dr. Hatch's eyes were narrowed once Robin finished speaking, looking at all the three girls. Nancy had forced a smile on her face, even though she was dying on the inside; Alicia also wore a smile on her face, but it was a genuine one since she liked to see Robin be her true self.

"Ten minutes," Dr. Hatch finally said, making the girls exchange surprised glanced. "That's all you three will get."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Hatch. So sorry if I was rude at all but—"

"No need to apologize. Just make sure to write a good thesis," Dr. Hatch cut Robin off, moving away from his desk to make his way out of his office.

"Yes, of course, Dr. Hatch," Alicia replied since Nancy was too dumbfounded that what Robin said had actually worked. She was starting to have a newfound respect for the girl.

"I'm back in 30," Dr. Hatch told the girls and his secretary as the former walked out behind him.

Robin was in between Nancy and Alicia when the both of them gave her a low high five since she was the reason they were actually going to speak to Victor.

They followed Dr. Hatch outside, where some patients were wandering around and some landscapers were tidying up the place. "These are our gardens. Beautiful, aren't they?" he spoke, but neither of the girls answered. "We allow them two hours of outside time a day," he told them, referring to the patients.

"Can't they just escape?" Robin queried.

"They could. But the vast majority choose to be here. They like it here," he replied, and Robin and Alicia gave each other a glance. He then continued leading them into another part of the building. "This is one of our more popular areas. The listening room." They walked inside, hearing classical music being played. "We found that music has a particularly calming effect on the broken mind. The right song, particularly one which holds some personal meaning, can prove a salient stimulus. But there are those who are...beyond a cure."

The girls each shared the same glance, a little bit creeped out by his words. Nonetheless, Alicia couldn't help but think back to the time where used music on Will to help him remember who they all were. It worked for him, when he was literally possessed by a supernatural being, so why couldn't it work for those who were mentally ill?

The three then followed Dr. Hatch through a hallway which led to a staircase that brought them downstairs. "Uh, Dr. Hatch, do you think it might be possible for us to speak to Victor...alone?" Nancy dared to ask.

Dr. Hatch turned around, as did the security guard who was about to open the door. "Alone?" Dr. Hatch repeated.

"I-I think that we would just love the challenge o-of speaking with Victor without the safety net of an expert such as yourself," Robin described.

Alicia nodded and added, "Yes, if we're going to become a established psychologist, like you, one day, we're going to have to learn how to do professional work, right?"

"Yeah, and then we could really rub it in Professor Bradley's face when we get back to—"

"Professor Bradley? I don't believe I know a Professor Bradley," Dr. Hatch interjected in confusion.

"Brantley!" Nancy quickly corrected. "She...she meant to say Brantley."

Robin began to laugh. "Didn't I say Brantley? What did I say? Sorry, silly me. Words, letters. Guess I'm just nervous. I mean, excited. So excited to speak with Victor," she rambled. "Preferably, as she said, alone?"

Dr Hatch stared at them, considering it with a serious expression on his face. He then began to smile. "Yes. Why not? You've caught me in a rebellious mood." The girls chuckled forcefully. "And there's something rather urgent I need to check on anyway, so...Sure." Their smiles dropped a bit at his change of demeanor once again, watching as he turned to the security guard and said, "Keep a close eye on them." He then looked back at them, giving them a quick grin before he started to make his way up the steps.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Hatch," Robin thanked.

"Thank you," Alicia and Nancy said simultaneously before they each let out a nervous exhale.

The security guard then opened up the door that led to an area that looked very much like a prison. Alicia's stomach dropped, looking at both Robin and Nancy to see if they were just as scared as she was: they were.

"Do not startle him. Do not touch him. Do not pass him anything. Stand five feet away from the bars at all times. Is that clear?" the guard detailed as they walked past a bunch of different cells with creepy looking people.

"Yes, sir," Nancy and Robin said one after the other.

"Crystal," Alicia forced out, sniffing nervously.

The guard then brought a baton out and hit it against the cell bars to alert Victor. "Victor," he drawled. "Today's your lucky day! You got visitors. Real pretty ones." Alicia's nose scrunched slightly at that, disgusted at the man's words. Victor didn't answer and, instead, raked his finger nails along the metal table he was sitting at. "Must be in one of his moods. Have fun." The security guard then walked away, leaving the three of them there.

"Victor," Nancy spoke up once the guard left. "My name is Nancy. Nancy Wheeler. And this is..."

"...Robin Buckley..."

"...and Alicia Sinclair. We have some questions for you," Alicia told him.

"I don't talk to reporters. Hatch knows that," Victor spoke angrily.

"We're not reporters," Nancy told him, stepping towards the cell even though they weren't supposed to. Alicia and Robin looked at one another before they both stepped forward, feeling comfortable with taking the step with each other. "We're here because...we believe you. And because...we need your help."

"Whatever killed your family...we think it's back," Robin revealed.

Victor stopped scraping his finger nails along the table and slowly looked back at the girls, showing them his carved out eyes. Their eyes widened at the sight, their breathing going shallow in shock and disgust.

✦ ✧ ✦

"When he attacks, our friends described it as a trance. Like a waking nightmare. That's why we think he's coming for her next," Nancy finished describing, all of them somehow getting used to the sight in front of them. "Does any of this, anything we've told you, sound like what happened to your family?" she asked, but Victor didn't answer. "Victor. I know this is hard—"

"You don't know anything!" Victor exclaimed, his voice echoing.

"You're right. We don't know. That's why we're here. To learn, to understand," Nancy responded.

"We need to know how you survived that night," Robin added.

Victor let out a sardonic laugh. "Survived? Is that what you call this?" he questioned as he stood up. "Did...I...survive? Hmm, no, I assure you, I am still very much in hell."

The three girls gave each other a glance since he had gotten so close to them, a little uncomfortable but also intrigued at the same time. "If you don't mind..." Alicia began, trying to make her voice as steady as possible, "...would you care to explain?"

Victor seemed to think about it for a moment before he said, "I had been back from the war some fourteen years. Her great-uncle had died, leaving us a small fortune. Enough to buy a new home, a new life." He paused, seeming to reminisce it a bit. "It was a magnificent home. Alice said it looked like it was from a fairy tale."

"Alice. Was this your daughter?" Nancy asked.

"Mm. Yeah. But Henry, my...my boy, he was a sensitive child...and I could see he felt something was wrong. We had one month of peace in that house. And then it began. Dead animals, mutilated, tortured, began to appear near out home. Rabbits, squirrels, chickens, even dogs. The police chief blamed the attacks on a wildcat. This," he laughed, "this was no wildcat. This was an evil. An evil neither animal nor human. This was a spawn of Satan. A demon. And it was even closer than I realized.

"My family began to have encounters conjured by this demon. Nightmares. Waking, living nightmares. This demon, it seemed to take pleasure in tormenting us. Even poor, innocent Alice," he told them. "It wasn't long before I began to have encounters of my own. I suppose all evil must have a home. And though I had not a rational explanation for it, I...I could sense this demon, always close. I became convinced it was hiding, nesting, somewhere within the shadows of our home. It had cursed our town. It had cursed our home. It had cursed us."

He sat down on his bed, his head hung low. "It took Virginia first," he said and Alicia swallowed hard. "I tried to get the children out, to save them! But I was back to France, back in the war. Oh, it was a memory. I had thought German soldiers were inside. I ordered its shelling. I was wrong." He placed a hand over his ears, shaking back and forth. "This demon, it was taunting me. And I was sure it would take me, just as he'd taken my Virginia. But then...I heard...another voice. At first, I believe it was an angel. And I-I followed her, only to find myself...in a nightmare far worse.

"While I was away, the demon took my children. Henry slipped into a coma shortly after that. A week later, he died. I tried to join them. I tried!" he said, bringing his hands up to his eyes as he whimpered. "Hatch stopped the bleeding. He wouldn't let me join them," he cried, laying down on his bed.

"The angel you followed, who was she?" Nancy asked, but all Victor did was hum the tune of Dream a Little Dream of Me. "Victor? Victor."

The doors they came through then opened, Dr. Hatch stepping inside. "Is he everything you hoped he would be?" he questioned in a rather accusing manner, making them all look towards him. "I just had a very interesting conversation with Professor Brantley. Perhaps we should discuss in my office while we wait for the police."

✦ ✧ ✦

"You're not listening. Our friend is in danger!" Nancy told him as they followed Dr. Hatch through the building, the security guards right behind them.

"Do you really expect me to believe anything you have to say at this point?" Dr. Hatch replied.

"It's the truth!" Nancy exclaimed.

"You are free to tell your sob story to the police," he told them.

As they walked, Alicia slowed down a bit and looked at the patients listening to some music with her eyes narrowed. "Move along," the guard said, pushing her forward.

"Hey, don't touch her!" Robin shouted, grabbing Alicia's arm and pulling her away from the man. "We know how to walk."

Alicia blinked at that, not knowing what to say other than, "Thank you." They kept on moving, although the thought of music was still trapped in her mind. "Hey, Robin?" she whispered, not wanting anyone to hear her. Robin got closer to her, which made butterflies swirl in both of their stomachs although they tried to ignore it. "You know how Victor said music was playing when he was somehow back in France?"

"Yeah."

"What if that's the key? Music?" Alicia guessed and Robin furrowed her brows, thinking. "Back before the whole Russian thing happened, our friend Will got possessed by the Mind Flayer. In order to talk to the real Will, his brother played his favorite song so that part of Will could come out again. What if this, like, the same thing but instead of being possessed and then having one part of you come out, music can be played when you're stuck in the trance to pull you out? It's like a lifeline."

"Oh, my God, Alicia, you're a genius," Robin said in awe, wanting nothing more than to just cup her face and kiss her right there on the spot, but she knew that wouldn't end well.

Alicia blinked. "R-Really?" she stammered, even though she was confident in her own theory.

"Yes!" Robin whisper-shouted. "We need to tell Nance." The two quickly sped up to reach Nancy outside, pushing through the door. "We may have something."

"What is it?" Nancy whispered, looking back at the guards to make sure they weren't listening.

"Victor said the night of the attack, everything went on in the house, but he made specific mention of music. He said music was playing. And then, when we asked him about the angel, he started to hum. Say nighty-night and kiss me. Hold me tight and tell me—"

"'Dream a Little Dream of Me'," Nancy realized, cutting Robin off.

"Yeah, Ella Fitzgerald."

"The voice of an angel."

"Yeah. Hatch said that music can reach parts of the brain words can't. So maybe that's the key, a lifeline," Alicia brought up again.

"A lifeline back to reality," Nancy said, her eyes going wide.

"It's worth a shot," Robin shrugged, looking in between the two girls.

Nancy discreetly looked around, seeing how far away they were from the security guards. "I think we can beat them," she voiced.

"What?" Alicia and Robin said.

"To the car," Nancy clarified and Alicia's eyes widened. They were already in enough trouble as it was, and if they got caught trying to escape...that would only make things ten times worse.

"Okay, I'm warning you right now, I have terrible coordination. Like, it took me six months longer to walk than all the other babies," Robin told them.

"Just follow my lead," Nancy said before she began to run without warning.

"No, oh my, God!" Robin shouted before she and Alicia ran after her, trying not to think of the heavy consequences because if they did end up escaping, she wouldn't be in danger of being kicked out college since they didn't even know their real names.

"Hey! Get back here!" the guards shouted after them as Robin kicked her shoes off to be able to run better.

"Cinderella, you dropped your shoe!" a patient called out.

The girls continued to running, hopping down from the ledge to be able to get to the car quicker than the guards behind them. They ran through the archway that led out to where Nancy's car was parked, quickly getting inside.

As soon as the door closed, the guards knocked on the windows to get inside. They all quickly locked their doors, Alicia locking both of the back doors since she was in the backseat.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Robin screamed.

"Stop! Get out of the car!" the guard yelled before Nancy put her key in, revving the engine until she drove off.

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" Robin iterated loudly.

"We really just did that!" Alicia exclaimed in shock, panting heavily.

"You really are a weird runner," Nancy said to Robin with a small, amused smile on her face.