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”Hey, wake up Garnold!”
”Huh…?” I said, opening my eyes.
I saw my best friends, Clukr, Raddy, and OWAKCX… wait… aren’t they supposed to be dead…? I'd seen their bodies, and it had not been pretty.
”B-but… y-you…how are you here...?” I stuttered.
I thought I saw them die…
”What are you talking about?” Clukr said.
"You...you died..."
”What? Nah, I think you just had a nightmare again.” OWAKCX said.
"B-but..."
"I think we'd remember dying."
”I… I…”
I stood up and hugged them, crying happily. I couldn’t believe it…
”Garnold…? Garnold?”
I snapped back into reality, looked up, and found myself hugging Gray.
I looked out the window, the sky is still red, and the clouds were still black with eyes… and my friends were not there anymore…
”Garnold, are you ok?” Gray asked.
“My friends… I-I saw them…” I said, sadly.
”…Garnold, I think you’re hallucinating.” He said.
”S-so they’re… still gone…?” I said, starting to cry.
”Yes…” Gray said, sadly.
”No… no…”
You failed them.
You’re not enough.
Kill yourself.
”Garnold?!” Gray said, really worried.
I felt myself begin to hyperventilate. God, I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop myself. I felt Gray hug me, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I had failed and that I needed to die.
“I… I didn’t even get to tell him how much I loved him…”
"I'm sorry, Garnold. I'm sure he loved you as much as you love him." Gray said.
I sobbed silently.
”I can’t do this anymore…!” I said.
Gray held me tightly as I tried to pull away.
”I need to kill myself!” I said.
"No! Stay here, I've got you." Gray said.
“I need to see them again!” I said, still crying.
"They wouldn't want you to die like that. They'd want you to keep on living." Gray said.
“I know, but… I just… I can’t live without them… e-especially… Clukr…”
I started to cry even harder. I couldn't help it, even as Gray offered as much support as he could.
"I'm sorry." Gray said softly.
“I… I love him so much…” I said.
"I know, and he wouldn't want you to die." Gray said.
”I…”
”You’ll be fine Garnold.”
”But…”
”I’ll be right back, I gotta check on my cousin. Promise you'll be fine?”
I didn’t say anything, I just had to get this over with. As soon as Gray left, I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote a note for him, my children, and my sister. It would be better like this, and I knew it wholeheartedly. I grabbed a knife, feeling the cool, hard handle. The blade had been sharpened recently, too. Perfect. I took a deep breath before I drove it through my chest, and everything went black.
~~~~~~
I had just finished what I'd needed to do, and I was going back to Garnold's room to make sure he was doing okay. He hadn't been okay, and the only reason I'd left in the first place was because I'd needed to. I didn't think I'd find what I did, but when I entered the room, I saw Garnold lying on his bed. His eyes were empty and lifeless, and they stared blankly ahead. Worst of all, there was a knife through his chest with his hand still on it.
He was dead.
I approached quietly, feeling something heavy in my chest. He was really gone, and I couldn't do anything about it. I noticed a note clenched in his other hand, and I took it gently, even if he was gone. The note had shaky handwriting, I noted. It was almost as shaky as the smile still on his lifeless face, and the streaks the tears had left on his face even after death.
Take care of my sister and children, okay?
"I will. I promise. I-I'll take c-care of them."
But I knew he'd never respond.
~~~~~~
I rang the doorbell to Anna’s house. After a few seconds, she opened the door.
”Hi, Gray! How’s Garnold?” she asked, sounding happy as usual despite the horrors going on.
”…I need to tell you guys something.” I said.
They were not gonna like this…
“Alright, come in!” she said, happily.
I followed her through the door, closing it.
”Oh hey, Gray! How are you?” Fun Bot said, while Mr. Fun Computer was waving at me.
“I’m not the best...” I said, going over to sit on the couch.
“How’s Papa?” Mr. Fun Computer asked.
“Guys…you might wanna sit down...”
They looked at me, a little bit confused. I took a deep breath before I sighed.
”Garnold killed himself…” I finally said.
I could see their moods instantly shift, and Anna let out a noise I didn't even know someone could make.
"No...no...y-you have to be lying..." she whispered.
"I'm so, so sorry." I said, feeling my voice crack.
”M-my brother…” she said, tearing up.
"NOOOO!!!"
I turned around, and Fun Bot was screaming. He was also starting to cry, so I pulled him into a hug.
"He can't be...he has to be...*hic*...he has to be okay...he *hic* can't be dead...Dad's...Dad's already *hic* dead, Papa c-can't be, *hic* too!" Fun Bot sobbed.
"I shouldn't have left him alone. It's my fault." I said.
Fun Bot screamed into my shirt, and I understood. He'd lost both of his parents in less than a month.
”PAPA!!!”
I looked over at Mr. Fun Computer, who was also crying.
"Daddy's gone, Papa's gone, where *hic* do we go?!?" Mr. Fun Computer sobbed.
"Your papa asked me to take care of you." I said solemnly.
”R-really?” Fun Bot asked.
"Really." I said.
”T-thanks Gray… it means a lot to us…” Fun Bot said, wiping their eyes.
"I'm sorry about what happened. I'm here for you. What time do you usually go to bed?" I asked softly.
"10. Papa and Dad always sing to us." Fun Bot said.
I checked the time, and it was almost 11.
"Let's get you two to bed. Some sleep will do you good after what happened." I said.
“O-okay…” Mr. Fun Computer said.
I picked up Mr. Fun Computer gently.
"Where do you two sleep?" I asked.
Fun Bot lead me over to a room. The bedroom was full of Hatsune Miku stuff and had some cute plushies. They really are like their papa, huh? I let them point out their beds, and then I put Mr. Fun Computer in his bed.
"Do you want me to stay while you sleep?" I asked.
Fun Bot nodded.
"Can you sing to us?" Mr. Fun Computer asked softly.
”Alright, what song do you want me to sing?” I asked, picking up my guitar.
”Can you sing You Will Be Okay from Helluva Boss?” Fun Bot asked.
”Aren’t you too young for that- you know what? I don’t mind that. I’ll sing it.” I said, starting to play on my guitar.
”It always seems more quiet in the dark
It always feels so stark
How silence grows under the moon
Constellations gone so soon
I used to think that I was bold
I used to think love would be fun
Now all my stories have been told
Except for one
As the stars start to align
I hope you take it as a sign
That you'll be okay
Everything will be okay
And if the seven rings collapse
Although the day could be my last
You will be okay
When I'm gone, you'll be okay
And when creation goes to die
You can find me in the sky
Upon the last day
And you will be okay…”
By the time I finished singing, they were fast asleep. I gently tucked them in. They deserved that, especially after what had happened earlier that day.
No child deserved that.
I watched them both sleep, feeling like throwing up. Garnold had asked me to take care of them, and take care of them I would. I decided to check on Anna, so I went back to the living room.
"Anna?" I said.
Anna was crying and holding a picture of Garnold while rocking herself back and forth.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
”N-not really…” she said sadly.
"I'm here for you." I said.
"You know, Fun Bot said that it sometimes felt like Clukr was still here with us in spirit. I...I hope Garnold is, too." Anna said.
”I’m sure he is, but we’re still here for you.” I said, giving her a hug.
"I'll miss him so, so much." Anna said.
"I will, too. We have each other, at least." I said.
As I offered Anna some comfort, it really did feel like Garnold was there again. I ended up dozing off like that, feeling only slightly better.