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You are Andrew!
Welp, you finally did it.
You finally managed to free yourself from the shackles—both figurative and literal—that your sister forced on you.
Over twenty years of enduring her bullshit has led you to this moment.
So why did you change your mind, you idiot??
Is your life really worth so little that you'd rather crawl back to that demon you call your "sister" rather than try and start a brand new life under a new identity?
Apparently, it is!
So, after your friend-who's-name-you-totally-remember kindly lent you some money, you decide to head to the nearby store to buy some groceries and probably more booze than your body can handle (god knows you'll need it) and get ready to return to your apartment, desperately hoping Ashley hasn't yet returned.
But before you can do that, you notice a small park close by.
(She'll definitely get mad at me if I stay out too long… but then again she'll get mad at me regardless of what I do)
(… and I highly doubt I'll get many more opportunities to be by myself…)
(…I should probably enjoy this freedom while it lasts, no?)
And that's exactly what you do.
You finally let yourself relax as you sit upon a wooden bench, light up a cigarette, and, for the first time in your miserable life, are finally left alone with your thoughts.
The same thoughts you were so afraid of just a few days ago. The same thoughts you tried so hard to ignore your whole life.
The same thoughts telling you that it was all Ashley LeyLey's fault. Her fault that Nina died. Her fault your childhood was a living hell. Her fault Julia left you. Her fault you find yourself in your current predicament. It was LeyLey's fault that everything that could go wrong, went even worse.
Her fault you were stuck cleaning up her mess. Her fault your life is a living hell.
And yet, you find there is a silver lining to all of that. After all, it's thanks to her satanic shenanigans that you can finally leave her.
Her new demon friend ironically turned out to be a blessing in disguise. They actually found a way to get her to shut up, to finally learn her place and stop her from acting up. Something you've never been able to do.
You realize, she doesn't need you anymore.
And you sure as hell don't need her.
You never did.
So, after changing your mind yet again, you decided it's finally time to let go.
It's time to bury "Andrew Graves" right alongside "Andy".
And for Carl Cultman to finish what they started!
(…)
(…I should probably get that name changed at some point…)
___________________________________________
You are Ashley!
WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU ANDREW!!?!?
You were gone for barely an hour, and when you come back, the fucker left.
He left. He actually FUCKING LEFT!
You waited for another hour, hoping that he'd change his mind and actually come back, but he never does.
This time, it seems he left you for good.
How did he even get out of the shackles?! You made sure there was nothing he could use to break himself free!
The lock appears to be intact, so it's unlikely he forced it open.
Maybe he chopped off his own leg somehow??
(No, he's too much of a pussy to ever do something so drastic…)
(Even if he weren't, there'd be blood everywhere and he probably wouldn't go very far, so it's clearly not that)
And then you notice it.
Just inches away from where the chains ends.
A phone.
It seems you truly cannot trust him to not backstab you the first chance he gets.
And so, you pick up the phone and prepare yourself for a VERY important phonecall.
H-hellooo hello! You've reached my voicemail. Please leave a message after the beep!
I'll try to get back to you soon. Okay? O-okay, bye!!
*Beep*
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID, YOU WHORE, AND YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR IT!!
YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES BEFORE I GET THERE AND BLAST YOUR ASS TO PIECES, YOU HEAR ME!!?
You hung up.
…
That was a very productive (one-sided) conversation!
Now that you got the death threats out of the way, it's time to actually follow through with them.
You grab your gun, making sure it's properly loaded, as well as Andy's cleaver (who knows, you might get hungry along the way) and anything else that might be helpful in your quest for revenge.
___________________________________________
*Way more than ten minutes later*
Here you are, at Julia's house.
Now the question is, how will you choose to break in?
Breaking down the door would certainly grab her attention… As well as that of everyone else in the house, hell maybe even the whole neighborhood.
You could break the window to her room, but there doesn't seem to be anything nearby that can help, and you don't want to risk losing or breaking any of your items.
(Sigh… If only Andy were here, I could leave all the thinking to him while I stand there doing nothing)
(…)
(That's… probably why he…)
Enough.
Thinking about the past won't help your current situation.
It's time for you to finally show everyone that Andy isn't the only smart one in the relationship, you don't need his help.
If you do that… Maybe he'll change his mind?
(Okay LeyLey, what have we got here?)
(I guess… I could try climbing that tree… And then jump on the balcony?)
Is that really the best your genius mind can come up with?
Regardless, you pick up your newfound resolve and start climbing.
Thankfully, it looks like your tree climbing skills haven't rusted one bit!
You manage to reach the highest branches and get a clearer view of inside the house, specifically her room.
Look at her, sitting at her desk, completely unaware of your presence.
She seems to be writing something, likely a love letter for your brother (what a whore!).
Speaking of which, where is he? You can't see him anywhere in the room.
He's probably just hiding. She definitely heard your message and is now hiding him somewhere, hoping to fool you.
Unfortunately for her, you're smarter (and more stubborn) than that. You know he's here, and you will get him back no matter what!
After a few seconds of hesitation, you finally gather the courage to leap towards the balcony…
…And barely grab on, almost hitting your head on the wall.
Truly, an unparalleled genius.
Still, you are able to save yourself and get inside.
No one else seems to be home right now, so you should be able to rescue your brother with little to no complications.
Maybe you won't even have to kill that hussy yet.
Ha! Who are we kidding, she was doomed the moment she chose to put her hands on your Andy.
It's honestly surprising you even let her survive so long.
If someone didn't know any better, they'd probably assume you had a soft spot for her.
Gross, right?
Anyway, speaking of the devil, her door seems to be wide open.
Why?
She must have heard your message, right? Does she have a death wish or something? Or does she think you were just bluffing!?
Either way, it doesn't matter now.
You slowly approach her room, gun in hand, and start calling out for her.
Hiii Julia! How are you doing?
Upon hearing your voice, Julia almost falls out of her chair in shock.
A-Ashley! W-what are you d-doing here!? H-how did you get in!? Wh-?
SHUT UP!! I'm the one asking questions here, my dear Juls. And you know exactly why I'm here.
You point the gun to her head.
Where is he?
W-where is who?
Don't play dumb with me Julia, you know exactly who i'm talking about.
Andrew? I don't k-know, I hav-.
STOP LYING!! I know you're hiding him in here, and i'm here to get him back!
I-I'm not, i swear! I h-haven't even heard f-from him at all today!
Bullshit you haven't! I know it was you who helped him escape!
Julia visibly flinches at your accusation.
(So it was Ashley who locked him up.)
O-okay, fine, I admit, I d-did help him escape. B-but i have no idea w-where he went afterwards, I-I swear!
Oh yeah, i'm sure you have no idea where he is.
ANDY IF YOU DON'T GET OUT RIGHT NOW I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GOING TO KILL ALL THREE OF US!!!
I'm telling you Ashley, h-he's not here, I promise! If you don't b-believe me…
*Sigh*… I-I'll even let you look for him in the house, would t-that be enough to convince you?
You will admit, she has gotten bolder compared to the last time you saw.
No.
But let's pretend, for a moment, that you are telling the truth.
Where oh where would my dear Andy be? Do you have an answer?
I-I mean… Isn't it obvious?
He probably just… Ran away.
Oh please. As if my dear Andy would ever abandon his little sister.
Isn't him abandoning you the reason you're d-doing all this in the first place?
Your grip on the gun loosens slightly.
W-well yeah!
But he usually comes back before i have to go look for him, and i waited for him to show up for over an hour!
I looked everywhere in the neighborhood and couldn't find him, so clearly something must've happened!
A-and even if he wanted to, there was no way for him to actually leave! He doesn't have a car!
W-wasn't there a bus stop nearby?
Your grip loosens even further.
I-I guess there was…
BUT STILL!! He's not stupid! He would likely want a new ID or something to avoid being recognized. Where would he get that?
Probably from the person you killed who's wallet you forgot to empty.
Ashley… I'm sorry but…
I think A-Andrew might have… Actually left you.
You let the gun fall to the ground.
Your body soon follows suit.
N-no he… He can't have left…
T-this is all just a hypothetical anyway! What reason would Andy have to actually… L-leave..?
Ashley… H-how long has Andrew been by your side?
For pretty much my whole life… He was always there for me.
And have you ever… Done anything to help him?
I HAVE!
…
(I have… Right?)
No.
You haven't.
You have always been a source of trouble for him, ever since you were children.
And you somehow never realized that, until now.
Don't you think that, after twenty years together, he would eventually… Get tired of you?
(Saying it like that sounds a bit… Harsh… but i don't think there's another way to get through to her.)
You can feel tears forming around your eyes.
H-he couldn't… He can't have gotten t-tired of me, he needs me! I NEED HIM!
He promised…
___________________________________________
You are Julia!
Oh Lord.
You've royally fucked up now, haven't you?
First Andrew calls you out of the blue, asking for your help.
You knew you should have just ignored him, but you didn't.
And look where that got you.
Next thing you know, his sister breaks into your house, holds you at gunpoint and then breaks down crying in the middle of your room (you had no idea she was even capable of doing so), all in the span of a few minutes.
You should probably do something about the demoness before she regains her composure and actually shoots you.
Taking her gun away would probably be a good start.
You kneel down alongside the girl, slowly moving the firearm away from her, and start talking to her, hoping it could keep her distracted.
Hey Ashley…
A-are you… doing okay?
…
No answer.
Do you… need help getting up?
…
Still nothing.
Regardless, you grab her by the hand and lead her to your bed, letting her lay down on it.
Yet again, no reaction, aside from the occasional sob.
Congratulations, Julia! It looks like you've managed to completely break Ashley Graves.
You have no idea whether you should feel proud of yourself or not.
But you don't have time to think about that right now!
You take a quick look at the the clock in your room to check the time.
(It's getting pretty late, Jane could be back any minute now.)
(I should probably find a way to explain to her why Ashley is currently in my bed, crying her heart out.)
You look back to your bed, and your gaze falls towards the girl.
She is lying down in the fetal position, holding one of your plushies close to her chest, absorbing all her tears.
(You know, looking at her like this…)
(It's… kind of cute…)
___________________________________________
*fifteen minutes later*
Not much has changed.
Ashley is still lying on your bed, although she has swapped her previous hostage with a new plushie.
You did, however, manage to make her eat something and drink some water, saving her from crying herself to death.
You've also made sure to confiscate all her weapons (how was she even carrying that many?), so there's no risk of her injuring either of you.
She was also had some weird, red charm(?) on her, but as soon as you tried reaching for it, she grabbed you by the wrist and didn't let go.
You decided to let her keep it, it looks pretty harmless anyway.
In other news, your sister is coming and, despite having practiced what you would say to her multiple times in front of the mirror (and Ashley), you still don't feel ready.
*Click*
And judging by the sound of the front door opening, it looks like you're out of time, you'll just have to wing it!
Yo Juls! I'm back!
You quickly leave your room, closing the door behind you, and get ready to greet your sister.
H-hiiii Jane! Welcome back! H-how was work t-today?
Terrible.
What about you? Did anything happen while I was gone?
N-nope, nothing at all, it's j-just been me, myself and I. A-alone. At home. All day. L-like usual.
Not suspicious at all Julia! Keep this up, she'll definitely believe you!
Oh, really?
…
Julia.
Y-yes?
You are a terrible liar.
W-what makes you think I-I would be lying to you?
Well let's see:
You're sweating a lot, you're stuttering like crazy and you keep turning around to look at your room.
You're not hiding something from me, are you?
Having been caught red-handed, you can do nothing but stare at her with an incredulous look on your face.
…
It's not him, is it?
I-I have no idea w-who you're… talking about.
…
Juls.
If I go into your room and I see Andrew, i swear to god i'm going to kick him in the nuts and throw him out the window.
Jane heads towards your room and reaches for the handle, but you stop her before she can open the door.
O-okay, yes, something d-did happen, but it had nothing to with Andrew!
Just, p-promise me you won't freak out.
Please?
Jane nods hesitantly, and you slowly open the door.
Her expression instantly turns into a frown.
…
What is she doing here?
I-I promise i can explain!
Well you better, before i send her flying through the window!
You sit down at the edge of your bed, right alongside Ashley, while looking for the right words to explain your current predicament.
Okay, so… I kind of… lied, when I said this had nothing to do with Andrew.
Upon hearing that name, Ashley visibly flinches, and you instinctively place a hand on her thigh in an attempt to comfort her.
L-long story short, he seems to have… left her…
What, did he die or something?
(He'd better have!)
No! At least… I don't think he did.
Either way, she came here looking for him, and when I told her that, she just…
… started crying.
Saying it out loud, you realize how farfetched it sounds, and yet you saw it happen with your very own eyes.
She didn't hurt you, did she?
No, i'm fine.
That's good.
As for her, do you have any ideas on what to do?
I-I mean, I was hoping we could… let her stay here, at least for tonight?
You're kidding, right!?
Julia, you do realize you're talking about Ashley Graves? The woman that ruined your life?
You do.
And yet, for some reason, you don't care about that right now.
We are not letting her stay here.
I know, but… just look at her Jane.
She's been like this for over twenty minutes, even if she wanted to hurt me, I don't think she'd have the strength to do so right now.
Your sister gives you her usual "I'm too tired for this shit" look.
…
You know what, fine, she can stay.
But if she lays even just one finger on you, i'm kicking her out, no questions asked.
You flash your sister a smile, silently thanking her for her compassion.
I guess she could just sleep in our parents' bedroom-.
Before she could even finish her preposterous suggestion, you quickly blurt out something in disagreement.
NO SHE CAN'T!
And just as quickly, you cover your mouth and correct yourself, hoping she'll ignore what you just said.
I-I mean… I don't mind having her… sleep in my room…
Sleeping in the same bed as you.
With nothing to separate you two.
And you haven't even asked her out on a date yet!
Maybe she was right, maybe you actually are a slut.
I'm just gonna… go to bed.
You two have fun or… whatever.
And with that, Jane akwardly leaves the room, leaving you and Ashley alone.
Why?…
As you get ready to follow your sister's example, you hear Ashley speak for the first time since she barged in your room.
I'm sorry?
Why… are you helping me..?
Good question! Why are you helping her? She has been nothing but trouble not only for you, but also for anyone who's ever crossed paths with her.
I'm not sure actually… out of pity, maybe?
No, that's not it.
I guess I just… understand how you feel.
Losing someone that you care about and… feeling like you have nothing left to live for, I've been there before.
It looks like you and Ashley actually have something in common, who would have guessed.
Thankfully, I had my sister to help me through it… and I was hoping…
… maybe I could do the same for you.
You suppose that was a satisfying answer for her, given her lack of a response.
After making sure she had no more questions, it's time for you to ask her a very important question.
R-right, I should have probably asked you first.
Do you… m-mind if we… sleep in the same bed?
You hesitantly wait for her answer.
… I don't care…
You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. It's not the answer you were hoping for, but at least she didn't refuse!
Altough you could have sworn you saw her cheeks grow slightly redder.
O-okay, that's good.
With that confirmation you finally get in bed.
And immediately your heart starts beating like crazy.
Whether it's due to excitement over sharing a bed with another girl, or out of fear over that girl being Ashley, you don't know.
And honestly, it… feels nice, in some weird way.
Feeling her breath running down your neck, her hands lightly touching your skin—either by accident or on purpose, it doesn't matter—before quickly pulling away.
You are completely at her mercy. She could do whatever she wanted to you, and you likely wouldn't be able to stop her.
Hell, you probably wouldn't even try to.
Sadly, you are quickly brought out of your daydreams once Ashley taps you on the shoulder to ask you a question.
Can I… hug you?
…
Holy shit.
You had no idea the human heart could even beat as fast as yours is right now.
I-if you want to, then… s-sure...
But before you could even finish the sentence, Ashley was already holding you in her arms.
It's honestly a miracle you didn't die on the spot right then and there.
Whatever life choices you may have made that brought to this exact moment in time…
… for the first time in your life, you didn't regret them.