Chapter Text
Wallter walked on over to the elevator that had appeared in the large flat grass. The atmosphere was still the same. Diverse riders, conversations, and other silly shenanigans. But, today, it felt rather odd, to say the least. It felt like something or someone was missing.
Wallter kept their mouth shut for a while before turning to Bive. "Hey... my paranoid pal." Bive quickly turned her head to stare at Wallter with her white glasses. "No." She responded."I haven't seen that... living mannequin... maybe the CLOWN MILITARY got their hands on him!" Wallter sighed at that rather foolish theory of the self-proclaimed "detective's."
They then turned to Poob, "Have you seen him?" Poob shook their head, "nuh uh." Wallter took another long sigh.
The regretevator eventually stopped at Rokea, where Lampert boarded. He was on good terms with both Wallter and Mark, knowing Wallter before he met Mark. Surely Lampert would know about Mark's whereabouts. And so, for the third time, Wallter asked.
"Lampert." Wallter said, Lampert turned his head to face Wallter and made a "hm?" Sound. "I was just wondering, uhhh... have you seen Mark recently?"
"I'm afraid not, Wallter." Lampert responded, "And to be fair, I haven't heard from them for a while now." He looked at Wallter. "Why did you ask?"
Wallter was rather taken aback by that question, "Ah! Nothing, my friend. I was just curious, that's all." In reality, Wallter was a bit nervous about Mark. She was also worried that it might have had something to do with the argument they had a while back...
...
Mark had boarded the regretevator, Wallter looked at him, and scoffed, dreading whatever he had to say. But Mark said nothing to them. She just stared at them with these sorrowful eyes.
"It's rude to stare, you know." Wallter commented. Mark did not say anything and just looked away. Wallter also looked away, wondering what is up with that mannequin today.
The two were silent for a while. Until Wallter noticed Mark staring again, he was starting to get pissed now.
"Mark. If you are going to say something, just say it."
Mark still remained silent and looked away from Wallter again. This set Wallter off again.
"Mark." They said, "You are really pushing my buttons today. Like I said, if you have something to say, spit it out." In response, Mark just turned his body away from Wallter.
Wallter took a long, stressed sigh. This angered Mark, making him hit the regretevator wall with his elbow. "Oh m' GOD, brick boy, would ya just GET OFF M' FUCKING ASS!?"
Wallter took offence to this outburst, causing them to outburst, "Well you're the one who keeps starting at me, like you wanna say something! So go on, spit it out. We're all waiting." They said, lifting her arms up when saying "all", the other passengers, Pest and Spud, squirmed in uncomfortableness.
Mark sighed.
"Ya really wanna know t' truth?"
Wallter firmly nodded.
The mannequin took a deep breath before finally speaking.
"Wallter, hon." Wallters mouth was left a small agape at the pet name, which he had not heard from Mark in a very long time. Mark continued, "Y'know, I... I still love ya. I never stopped loving ya, even after we divorced. I wish we could just... go back to the way things we're. I miss ya... I miss... us..."
There was an uncomfortable silence in the regretevator before Wallter finally opened her mouth.
"Mark, I am sorry, but we are too far gone! There is no way we will be able to get back together.."
Mark's face expression quickly changed to a soul-crushed look. His eyes filled up with tears. When the regretevator finally got to Mark's destination, they quickly dashed out the door in tears.
Wallter sighed, seeming almost... disappointed in herself.
---
...
"Wallter!"
Lampert yelled, Wallter flinched at the yell, he had zoned out for a while. They both paused for a while.
"I think- I think it would be appropriate to... go check on him." Wallter insisted, walking up to the buttons and entering the floor that would get them to Jim's place, where Mark resided.
"Jim is out of town." Lampert informed Wallter, "He's been assigned to work on a big woodwork project. But I have a copy of the keys to his cabin." He handed a pair of keys to Wallter.
"Ah! Thank you very much, my bright friend!" Wallter thanked.
The metal doors opened to the woods, and Wallter waved goodbye to Lampert as she stepped off. Wallter followed a long a trail, that led to the cabin. He unlocked the door, humming a tune while doing so. Thee door creaked open in a very unsettling fashion.
The cabin had all the lights turned off and was very dark, only the glass windows giving the place a dim of light. "Mark!" Wallter yelled out, receiving no answer, so again he called out the mannequins name, "Mark!" Again, not an answer.
Wallter decided to just go see Mark for themselves. He searched around the cabins rooms, the living room, kitchen, bathroom, Jim's bedroom, Mark's bedroom, no sign of the mannequin. Wallter just thought he probably just went out, and was about to leave, when it clicked. There was a room they forgot to check. A room and him and his friend used for their woodwork.
Wallter walked down the hall to the room, the wooden floorboards creaked, the ambience became louder, and the hall growing darker and darker, he approached the door. They're heart was racing, but there was no going back now..
Wallter gently opened the door.
The room was pitch black, the smell of sawdust filling their senses, and also another smell, a nostalgic and pleasant smell, it smelt like pine. It was the smell of Mark. Finally, Wallter had found Mark!
"There you are, Mark." Wallter said, switching on the light.
Only to be met by a unpleasant sight.
...
"M-M-Mark!?"
...
"No..."
...
"Please don't be..."