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Two Time lay against a tree, feeling the bark with their hand. They had been there for quite a while. Eyes wide as they stared at nothing in particular. Elliot saw them from the window while he was cooking dinner for the others. It wasn't weird for Two Time to separate themselves, but still, it felt lonely to Elliot.
Sighing, he turned back towards the pizza and scooped it up, and opened the door.
The cold nighttime hit his face. It was refreshing but disappointing. It would be harder to cook the pizza in the “oven”.
Elliot had made a makeshift grill-like contraption that covered the fire.
Once he set the pizza down, he went inside and wiped the counter.
Elliot looked over at Veeronica, who was practicing flips on her skateboard inside, despite Shedlesty's protest about how annoying it was.
The healer pulled plates out of the cabinet and placed them where everyone could get one.
He went back outside, to the campfire, and sat down. He watched the flames with unease as they flapped against the wind in an almost innocent, carefree way, as if they couldn’t destroy lives in minutes.
Elliot stood up. This was too much; he just wasn’t ready yet. He leaned against the cabin wall just close enough to see the pizza but not feel the fire. Feeling the warmth of the fire in front of him was uncomfortable to say the least. It wasn’t fun to be reminded.
Elliot watched the “oven” as the food slowly cooked despite the cold air.
“Hehe…hehehe.”
He froze. Was that giggling? The fire crackled and popped. Elliot stood and turned around, searching for the source. Then it hit him.
Two Time.
Carefully, he walked over to the tree, grass crunching softly under his shoes.
Turning around the corner, Elliot sighed.
Two Time sat kneeling on the grass, hands clasped in prayer. Their clothes were ragged and their hair a mess. Despite their eyes being closed, they still had this frantic, almost manic expression on their face. In the tree was a carving of the spawn, deeply embedded in the bark. Next to Two Time lay their dagger, splinters of wood surrounding it.
Time murmured, “Oh, my lord the Spawn.”
“Two Time?”
The cultist flinched in surprise, but then they smiled, that unsettling smile.
“Yes, healer?” Two Time asked with a manic gleam in their eyes,
“I-I just was-well-I heard you giggling and well…”
“Oh, I was just basking in the glory of our lord!”
Elliot forced a smile. It was getting awkward quickly.
“So… I just wanted to tell you that the food is almost ready.”
Their eyes seemed to darken at the word ‘food’. But still they smiled.
“I shall be there soon!”
Then Two Time turned back to the make-shift shrine and started murmuring prayers under their breath.
Elliot, clearly startled at the sudden change, stepped backwards.
“E-Elliot!”
Who was calling him?
Oh shoot! The pizza was still cooking!
After waving a quick goodbye, Elliot ran back towards the campfire.
He found Noob looking sorrowfully at the oven. Elliot moved his gaze toward the pizza, only to find out it had burnt.
Burnt…
Memories of the Pizzeria flashed through his brain.
The heat of the fire.
The smell of burning.
The look of the corpses of his fellow workers.
The laughter of that monster.
“Elliot!” A gruff voice yelled.
He was being shaken by a figure, but his vision was too blurry to see who. Wait… was he crying?
“Deep breaths, Elliot.”
The shaking had stopped, replaced by a firm handle on his shoulders.
Elliot attempted to take deep breaths, only to be met with the air in his lungs fleeting. He felt a rough hand take his and place it on his chest. Elliot could feel his lungs.
“Elliot, tell me three things you can feel.”
Three things he can… feel?
“Uh, uh,” Elliot searched through with his hands through the… grass?
Grass!
“I feel grass.”
“Good, now tell me another.” The voice said.
Elliot felt the thumping of his heart from under his hand.
“Uh, my heart beat.”
He could now see Guest 1337 as he spoke. “Good, now one more thing?”
Elliot pulled his free hand up to his head, smoothing out his hair.
“My hair.”
…
“Thanks, Guest.”
The man patted Elliot’s shoulder, noticing he had calmed down. “No problem.”
Elliot wiped his face, slightly blushing at the fact that there were tears. “I’m sorry.”
“There is no reason to apologize.”
“Ha… I burnt the pizza.”
“That’s what you're worried about?”
Before Elliot could respond, Chance opened the cabin door.
He stood in the doorway, one hand resting on the frame, eyes flicking between the burnt pizza, Elliot’s red-rimmed eyes, and Guest 1337, still crouched nearby.
“…Food’s done?” Chance asked carefully.
Elliot let out a weak huff. “Was.”
“Hey, well, at least I can eat and see if I get poisoned or not,” Chance added cheerfully.
Guest gave them a look as he sternly interjected. “No.”
Sighing dramatically, Chance walked over to Elliot. “You good?”
“Yes, at least I am now,” Elliot spoke softly as he rubbed his arm.
Flipping his coin, Chance nodded as they left for the sleeping cabins.
“I’ll take care of dinner while you get some sleep,” Guest said politely.
Elliot smiled. “Thanks. I just need to check something first.”
Guest nodded and turned toward the cabin.
Elliot turned back and started walking.
Elliot slowly turned the corner, only to be met with the sight of Two Time lying against the tree, seemingly carving into their skin while biting back tears.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Elliot yelled.
Jerking violently, Two Time scrambled backwards. They seemed scared but dazed.
“It’s under my skin.”
Elliot broke into a run and snatched the dagger away from their hands. Two Time scrambled to get it, despite the blood getting all over Elliot.
“Give it back! The spawn needs it out!” They desperately screamed.
Elliot stood up and ran to the entrance of the cabin. “Help!”
In minutes, Two Time was restrained.
“LET ME GO!” They screeched, tears streaming down their face as they thrashed around, “It’s in my skin! It’s in my skin! IT’S IN M-”
Two Time’s voice caught in their throat as they suddenly collapsed forward. Their head ached, and their vision swam as everything went black.
“There, problem solved.” Builderman groaned. He had knocked the cultist unconscious with his tool, leaving them unconscious on the ground.
“Builderman, was that really necessary?” 007n7 grumbled.
“They were going to claw their own arm off,” Builderman replied gruffly, though he didn't meet the other’s eyes. “I didn’t have a sedative, and Dusekkar-” He gestured over to the pumpkin next to him. “-wasn’t exactly in a state to cast a calming spell.”
The door creaked open. Shedlesty stepped out, looking more annoyed by the interruption than the violence.
“What? If it’s about the pizza, I already told Chance I’m not eating charcoal.” Their eyes landed on the scene. “Ah. The fanatic finally broke.”
“I’m going inside.” Elliot voiced suddenly as he tensely made his way to the cabin.
Sitting on the couch, he sighed. Despite the blood covering him, he slowly started to sleep.
A gruff voice took them out of his dreamless sleep. “Elliot?”
“Mmppf…”
He felt a light shake.
“C’mon, you can’t sleep like that.”
Slowly, the healer started to open their eyes, only to see Guest standing before them.
“I just wanted to tell you that everyone's turning in,” Guest said, then his focus dropped to the dagger on the floor. “Keep that dagger. Don't give it back to them.”
“Not even if they beg.”