Chapter Text
One month. One month since he'd slipped away into a different world, far, far away from his brother's torment and sisters protection.
The house was quieter than usual. When he was here, the building would be full of a screaming child and laughing boy, or a yelling little girl and angry father. It hadn't been this quiet it a long, long time. Not since Michael was a little boy and his brother was a toddler, waddling around the house, crying his head off.
He missed this; these memories of his baby brother as a little boy, smiling with crooked teeth and clutching his golden bear stuffed animal. He'd smile and giggle when their mother would tap his nose lightly. That was before he needed to carry the bear everywhere- he only hugged it to his chest lightly while the family crowded around him, the youngest boy. When he was a baby, he was cute, his hair was curly and his face was soft. And since the first time Michael saw him, he loved his little brother. Even if it didn't seem like it.
He remembered the times they'd go to the beach and build massive sand castles with the help of the tide. Michael's brother jumped to his wobbly feet and cried, "It's bigger than me!" Before running towards his big sister and father to show them. Michael was so proud of his brother and his tall castle.
And he remembered when they'd swim together, in a pool or the ocean, splashing one another and laughing so hard their stomachs hurt. They'd go out for ice cream. He'd always get chocolate. Michael would get mint chocolate chip. Elizabeth got birthday cake or strawberry. They'd sit on the bench and look at the sun's reflection in the water. Michael would say, "Do you think the seagulls will come and poop on our heads?" Liz and his brother giggled so hard they felt sick.
Or the first time they went to a zoo. Their father brought a massive, chunky camera to take photos of the animals. Michael loved the leopard he saw. Elizabeth loved the pandas and her brother liked meerkats. He said, "I think they're shy." And Michael thought it was silly, but cute. Liz rushed ahead to see the giraffes, leaving the brothers behind. His brother pointed straight ahead at them and gasped at their massive necks. They stared in awe for a little while, then Michael picked him up and held him on his shoulders.
"You're as tall as them now," He said. Evan cheered and their father snapped a photo.
Or Elizabeth's tenth birthday. A milestone; a celebration to show ten years of life. She kicked her legs under the table so hard she smacked Michael's leg about ten times. He yelled at her to knock it off, but she was too excited. The little boy took a tiny slice of cake last. "I don't really like cake." He said.
Mike took this chance- he shoved his brothers face into the cake. He started to cry and Michael felt bad, but only for a moment. Liz started crying, too, because her party was ruined, but Michael laughed. And he got a lecture from his father in a dark corner tucked away from the party.
But this couldn't happen anymore. He was gone. And he'd been gone for a month. Michael felt more guilty every day- after all, he was the one who'd killed his baby brother. The same brother he'd loved since a baby. The same brother he ate ice cream with and built sand castles with. The same little boy he held on his shoulders to see the top of the world.
Michael shut the world out after that day at the hospital. He didn't want to see his sister or his father or his friends... They were a constant reminder of what he'd done.
He'd been hiding away since then. He was locked in his room, no way in and no way out. Elizabeth would stand at his door and beg for him to come out, but he wouldn't.
Today's knocking was soft and weak. Michael muttered, "Go away, Liz." But the door creaked open.
He hid under his thick quilt and tucked his face away. "Liz... Leave me alone."
But the next voice that spoke wasn't Liz. It was a boy. A familiar voice, one that he'd nearly forgotten. "Mikey... Help... I can't sleep."
His heart stopped and he felt his lungs nearly collapse. "What?"
The voice was his baby brother, so weak and shy. He stood at the door, hugging his Fredbear plush tightly and crying. "Can I sleep with you?"
He didn't know what to say. "How are you here?" He cried. Tears flooded his eyes.
"'Cause my head hurts..." He sniffled and rubbed his nose.
Michael began to cry. He covered his mouth to contain the sobs. "I'm- I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you." He slid out from under his blanket and rolled out of bed, slowly slithering closer to his brother at the door.
"Mikey." Evan whined. "Mikey. Stop."
"I was just messing around. I didn't mean to hurt you," he cried. "I love you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Mikey, my head hurts." Evan went to rub his head, then suddenly he began to bleed. His entire face was gushing with blood that covered his features. "My head hurts, Mikey." His voice was warped. He didn't sound like himself anymore.
Michael's eyes widened and he jumped back, screaming. "Go away- Go away! I'm sorry!" He cried, tears running down his face and running into his bed. He fell backwards onto his mattress and rolled into his sheets.
He cried, "Please help me, Mikey... It hurts... What did you do?"
There was no where he could go. Michael could only cry and curl into a ball and cover his ears, blocking out the odd sound of his dead brother's voice.
"Go away..." he cried, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. But he didn't go away. In fact, he got closer. "Stop! I didn't mean to-"
"No, Mikey, you did! I know you did!" He yelled through tears. "Because- you were the one who put me up there. It was supposed to be a good day."
Michael closed his eyes and tucked his face in between his knees. "I didn't mean to."
"Yes you did. Because... Even if you didn't mean to, you still killed me."
Michael stared back at him with wide, tearful eyes. They looked at each other for a long time before his dead brother faded away.