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"Come on Z, get in the picture!"
"What- You, want me in the picture?"
-
"It means you're a BITCH!"
".. something tells me you didn't look that up."
-
"Yeah, sure I'll go get you diamonds!"
"I CAN'T TRUST YOU ANYMORE!"
-
Each memory replayed in Z's head. The bedrock hallway was lined up with torches, the light reflecting the waterfall at the end. He could leave. He could leave and never come back to the hole again.
But what if it was fake again. What if it wasn't real?
He was so gullible. So so gullible. Why would Regect ever like him? Why would Regect ever be genuinely nice? Why would their adventures stay normal why would regect care about him.
His body stood there. Silent. His breathing was heavy.
Gullible.
The words repeated in his head. He was an idiot. An idiot for believing that fake world for 2 weeks. An idiot for believing Regect would ever truly love him like that.
Idiot.
Idiot.
Gullible.
Idiot.
My head hurts.
Idiot.
I walk to a part of the wall.
Gullible idiot.
My head hurts.
Stupid.
The blood pools on the floor.
He didn't remember what happened within those split second decisions, but he snapped back to reality. Blood pooled under him, his fingers going to his head and scalp, which were "bashed in" and had gashes. He was bleeding. What an idiot.
He made no effort to move, however.
Each insult within his head just made him worse. He was too weak to even swim up the waterfall. The eyes probably would've killed him if he didn't snap out of it fast enough.
Each breath came with something boiling and disturbing. Bile, vomit, excess stomach acid, whatever it was, he threw it up. Vomit mixed with blood. Blood still dripped from his mouth once he finished, slowly taking a step back as he collapsed on the floor. Maybe. Maybe just a little longer.
He wasn't sure if everything was real. And he probably can't get up the waterfall. So he had to lie down there. Too weak to scream. Too shocked to cry. Too much pain to move.
-
8 weeks.
Z was in the fake world for 6.
"Moe- At this point I genuinely think he might ve.. left u-" Regect was cut off by loud angry honks, ranging from high to low. He raised up his hand, his other invisible limb following but you couldn't see it. "Ok- Y-yeah I know we can't give up but.. Come on, it's been months, Moe."
Moe honked again, shaking her head. She refused to give up, and she refused to let Z down, or alone. Regect sighed, the two continuing to travel through the forest. Regect's strained and now tired voice was quieter, while Moe's honks only got louder while they called out for Z.
Hours passed by, it was getting late by now. Regect was giving up at this point. Moe then eagerly pointed down to a waterfall that led into a cave going downwards. Regect sighed. "Moe- We checked all the caves within and out of our area. What makes this one different?"
Moe pointed down and Regect squinted to where she was looking. 2 torches were on the walls of the cave and he could see.. Bedrock? But Bedrock doesn't appear this far down.. ".. Ok I admit that is weird but-" Before he could get out another word Moe pushed him down into the cave- Or rather, "hole". Moe followed behind, slowly swimming down the waterfall, while Regect harshly hit the ground with a pained groan and a whine.
Regect looked up into the bedrock hallway, the torches lighting everything for his eyes to see. While Moe was taking longer to get down, he stood up, grunting as his back was in immense pain. Not because lowkirkenuinely, he was "old", he wasn't old, but because falling multiple times on your back hurts a LOT.
He looked around the hallway, muttering about weird "creepy shit" before his eyes went to the floor. And they widened. Farther than any time he screamed in fear.
"Z? Z?!" He shouted, staring at the unconscious body on the ground with blood on the floor. Moe honked, finally reaching the ground as she ran to where Regect was. Her honk out of shocked was so loud it nearly made Regect wince.
"Shit- I-Is he breathing?!" He asked, wanting to reach out and touch Z to make sure he was alive, wanting to- Like- Hug him awake?? Moe immediately got onto one knee to check on Z. She nodded her head, saying he was breathing before honking a few times, one higher-pitched than the other to indicate her worried voice.
"Yeah- Yeah we need to get him home, ASAP. I'll fly him there-" He said, and Moe nodded her head, going back to the waterfall to swim up. Regect grabbed Z in a bridal style carry, and for a moment, pausing to stare at the man's face. He looked..
Broken.
-
Z's head was pounding when he woke up. His hand instinctively went to his head, but his arm was in so much pain- Ugh, did his arm also get injured while he was in the-
He was cut off by a loud honk in his face. He nearly screamed, cutting himself off as he recognized it was just Moe- Or maybe a fake Moe. Maybe it was a whole new entity.
He stared at the clown honking at him, pointing, probably asking questions. But his mind didn't recognize anything she said, too dizzy and disoriented.
Then, Regect's voice- "DUDE- WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU! WE WERE SEARCHING FOR YOU FOR MONTHS!" He yelled, pointing at him. Moe honked in agreement, but glared at Regect to lower his voice a bit since Z just recovered.
Z sat up for a moment, about to speak, but everything went all fuzzy. Each complaint from Regect was just nothing in his head other than a static noise. Then, finally, when Regect moved closer to continue jabbing his worried insults, Z pulled him into a hug. Moe honked briefly and was cut off, worried that Z was going to do something crazy. Or if it was a fake Z.
Then, Z stared sobbing. Not cute sobs you'd see in those movies but some wretched, ugly sobbing.
His sobs were mixed with apologies and something of him ranting about not knowing what to do-
All Z could be thankful for is that Regect was in front of him, fake or not. (He was real, but Z would never know. He was gullible.)
It was so fuzzy after that.
Z didn't remember anything that happened after that semi-break-down. He could remember Regect's worried yet genuine insults at him and Moe's honking as she hugged him as well. But they were still skeptical. Skeptical that he was fake.
And then, Z was alone again.
He slowly got out of bed, not sure where he was going or what to do. Of course, he grabbed his shotgun; the one Regect gave him for Chrisrmas. Not his beloved pistol. Not anything like that. The shotgun. Just for safety
Pain shot through his body, his weak, frail and bloody body begging him to sit down or stop moving, but he didn't. Something brewed in him- Guilt? Whatever it was, it ate at him to keep him awake and standing.
Regect and Moe were gone. Presumably to buy medical supplies. Z stared at the sort of living room of the house. The front door was there, and his head slowly turned to the window.
Large, 2x3 glass windows. Or longer. Or thinner.
He stared, slowly dropping the shotgun as something akin to static flooded his ears. And he punched.
Glass shards felt horrible and so so very painful against his skin. His breathing was heavier. Fake. That was the new word he knew. He was tricked, guilt-tripped, and everything- Everything for those 2 weeks- It was fake.
He screamed, breaking everything in the house. Windows, couches, tables, whatever. He was going insane. And he was on his last straws. He first went for the windows; windows equal no privacy. Windows equal being watched. An open hole is better than a window.
Then it was the rest of the house.
"IT WAS ALL FAKE?!" He yelled to no one but himself as he broke the walls and threw a chair. "EVERYTHING- THE PAST 2 WEEKS!" He was still in so, so much pain. But anger- Rage. It fueled him.
The house was broken.
Under the floor revealed a giant ravine. And there was practically nothing of the house aside from the doors and some walls still.. floating.
He stood there, unable to speak, defend, or scream anymore. The shotgun was against his foot, somewhat used a crutch. He leaned against it, after all, it was the only gift the real Regect gave him.
"DUDE- MOE I FUCKING TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TRUSTED HIM! I SHOULD'VE STRAPPED HIM DOWN-" Regect yelled out as he got back, still going through the door despite there being no walls. Moe honked sheepishly as she stared at the damage. Z perked up and glanced to the "duo." (Because a trio could never exist without issues.)
"I KNEW IT- You're fake Ze aren't ya? Ohhhh, I'm gonna hurt you so bad-" Regect growled out, and Moe's honks got a bit deeper in agreement, anger building up in all 3 of them.
Z laughed, but not a funny laugh he'd usually have. Or the mocking ones. Broken and almost baffled. He turned around, pointing the shotgun aimlessly as if it was still a crutch. "ME? FAKE!? AHAHAH! AHAHAHA, OH MY GOD!.. Wow, WOW! That's so bold. SO SO VERY BOLD coming from YOU, FAKER!"
He raised the shotgun, actually aiming this time. Regect narrowed his eyes while Moe slightly backed off, skeptical about this whole thing and deciding to watch a bit more. Regect stepped further. "AND NOW YOU'RE CALLING ME FAKE?! Oh, wow, so rich! Where's Ze? Seriously, we're not falling for this-"
"HOW DO I KNOW YOU'RE REAL?! I CAN'T TRUST YOU- I can't- I DON'T TRUST MYSELF OR ANYONE HERE!" Z interrupted, his words harshly as he was basically pointing wildly to exaggerate his movements.
Regect gritted his teeth, but something about those words felt like something Z would say. "FUCK THAT- How do I know if YOU are real?! I'm not letting a fake Ze try to potentially kill Moe or me!" He said, jabbing a finger at Z.
Z growled, taking a step further unconsciously. "Yeah, an arrogant bastard like you would say that!" He spat out. Regect stepped forward. "Oh yeah? Wanna fight you nimwit? The real Z would win in a fight!" (That was a lie. Z knew that because every time they fought, he always lost. Or it was a tie.)
Insults shouted from one and another till Moe honked loudly, separating the two as she declared that both of them were real obviously by their bantering and arguing. Regect stared, baffled, but glanced to Z, who went still, barely glancing to Moe, still unsure if she was even real. (She was real. Z was too paranoid to realize that.)
Regect huffed, backing off slightly, and then mumbled are. ".. tell me if you are real."
....
"I'm not answering shit."
Regect laughed at that answer, and suddenly, threw himself into a hug with Z, who stumbled back, surprised as he dropped his shotgun. "God- It really is you.." Regret said, actually worried and thankful it was him. Moe honked as she joined the hug.
Z didn't know how to respond other than silently accepting it, wanting to burst into tears for their forgiveness for leaving them, but he physically couldn't at this point.
Honk honk! ("So, who's repairing this mess? Because it isn't me.") -M
"I'll do it you chuds." -R
".. sorry about that. -Z
"Shut up and accept a hug. But we're expecting a formal apology." -R
Until we meet again.