Chapter 3
Frisk froze in her tracks when she heard a booming, sinister laugh. A blood curdling scream ripped through the air, followed by silence. She turned and ran toward the noise, realizing someone needed her help.
She runs into the previous room and attempts to sprint straight to the end. Determination coursed through her.
Loox drew near!
Frisk stopped right before she skidded into the monster. Everything around her turned black and white, and her eyebrows furrowed.
Quickly considering her ACT options, Frisk decided not to pick on him. "Finally, someone gets it!" the Loox exclaimed, seeming happy. Frisk readied herself nervously for his incoming attack. She inhaled deeply through her nose, then out through her mouth, a little trick Hope had taught her to keep calm and maintain focus. She swerved around the weird, hollow circles he threw at her and seemed to be doing well when one clipped her shoulder and she cried out. The searing pain took over her body and her soul pulsed bright red. Her vision faded.
Chara! Stay determined! A deep, soothing voice whispered, and Frisk was suddenly in a black void. The only thing she could see was a tiny, bright light. It was like a save point, but much brighter She had to shield her eyes to be able to see anything. The light then expanded until it was all she could see
Frisk felt her senses returning, and she heard the tiny squeak of a mouse. The child gasped and sat bolt upright, whipping her head around frantically. She was back in the room with the mouse and the cheese, with her last save point. Placing a hand over her bombarding heart, the child tried to calm down. Was that what happened when people died? She shrugged. Probably. Knowing the mouse might one day leave its hole and get the cheese... it fills you with DETERMINATION
The little black box with all Frisk's data appeared, and she saved her file. She turns back to the path ahead of her and shrugged. More puzzles for her!.
Everything was silent and dark. Hope tried to rub her eyes, thinking maybe she hadn't opened them yet, but she couldn't feel her arms. Strange... she couldn't feel anything. She looked all around her, seeing nothing but blackness. She felt like she should be scared, panicking maybe, but instead she felt serene. It was actually kinds nice, simply existing, floating in the blackness. A sort of peace sunk in, and Hope smiled to herself. Or... smiled inside her mind, anyway. She drifted and sighed silently. She could get used to this.
Suddenly, a little light appeared. Hope stared at it, startled. Was that... the doorway to heaven? It seemed too small, but she couldn't quite be sure. She heard a whispered voice, kind and deep.
Chara! Stay determined!
Chara? Who's Chara?
Chara... I remember that name...
Wait, the voice again? Then Hope saw her little sister, Frisk, standing next to the light. Her nonexistent eyes widened and she tried to call out to her, but couldn't. She supposed that was one of the downsides to not having a body. Frisk shielded her eyes from the light before it expanded, swallowing her whole. Hope tried to scream but made no sound. In a moment, the light enveloped her in its whiteness.
She felt an odd falling sensation and was suddenly sitting on solid ground again. She gasped for breath and looked downwards. Her hands shook, and she clamped her arms around herself. What was that? Hope could swear she had died, and the last thing she saw a giant vine, but here she was. Wait... where was she?
Looking around, Hope saw the first collapsing floor puzzle in front of her. She stared, confused, for a moment. This wasn't where she was before. Somehow, she'd backtracked. Pushing herself onto her feet, she wobbled slightly. Her legs tingled like they had fallen asleep, as she stomped a few times to wake them up again. Giving herself one final shake, Hope tromped down the same path, not bothering to talk to anyone this time.
A little while later, Hope was in the room where she had seen the flower again. She froze. Ahead of her, on the path, was the flower, mumbling to himself.
Stay still, don't move, sty silent, don't let him know you're here.
Much to her luck, the flower didn't notice her, and he disappeared into the ground, muttering to herself. Hope sighed in relief. A repeat of last time would not have been appreciated, so this was a nice change. She forged ahead, thinking. Everything had been exactly the same as last time, aside from the lack of terrifying flower. Enemies were in the same places, all the puzzles were still solved (aside from the first spike puzzle), and everyone acted the exact same way. Why was that? People didn't say the same thing every time they saw you. Were monsters different in this way?
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of pointless puzzles, Hope came upon a house. There was a leafless tree in front, and another of those little sparkling balls.
Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins reminds you of your sister's love of small places. You are filled with PERSEVERENCE.
Hope smiled to herself. Whoever that voice belonged to, they certainly did seem to know her sister and herself well. Hope was just wondering what Frisk thought of the little place. She strode over to the door and took the knob in her hand. The frown dissolved from her face as she tried to twist the knob.
It didn't give.
She twisted it again, this time with greater strength. Still, it refused to move. Rattling it desperately, Hope tried to figure out how else she could get in. Checking the windows, she almost swore out loud. Behind them was brick, like the first ones she saw. Her fist slammed against the pane in frustration. Every monster she'd encountered told her this was where Frisk went, so it was useless to backtrack and try to find her somewhere.
Pacing back to the door, she tried the knob. It was pointless, she knew, but she had to try. Then she rapped on the door with her knuckles, hoping someone on the other side might answer. Worry rose up inside her like toxic gas, and this time, she didn't try to shove back where it came. She knew it was for good reason.
When nobody answered, Hope rapped on the door again, faster and more agitated this time. It took every ounce of willpower she had to keep her knees from shaking. She swallows and calls out.
"Hello? Is anybody in there?" Hope calls through the door, wondering if it's soundproofed, "Frisk? Are you there?" Worry swirls around her like a mist, clouding her brain. "Frisk? Frisk, it's me, Hope. Please open the door." Hope begs. Only silence greets her.
Hope chokes back a sob. God, did something happen to Frisk? Is she okay? "Frisk!" desperation fills her voice, and she tries her best to keep the quaver out of it, "Frisk, please let me in!" The tears come forth, and Hope slumps against the door. Her body is wracked with sobs as water droplets race down her cheeks. "Frisk, please!"
Her body slides to the ground, and she pounds on the door. "Frisk! Frisk, where are you?" borderline hysteria envelops her voice. Thinking she hears something, she presses her ear to the door. She listens, holding her breath. A faint cry of pain sounds from somewhere in the house. Maybe a basement?
"Frisk!" Hope pounds on the door, fear spiking through her, "FRISK!" She hears another cry of pain and the faint voice of a woman. Then everything swirls into blackness.
Hope looks around her, part of her in awe, the other part in horror. She was in the strange dark void again. This time, however, she could feel her body, and she relaxed just a little. The light appeared in front of her again, and she saw Frisk. Her sister looked drained, physically and mentally, and she stared diretly into the light this time. The same voice was there again.
You can't give up just yet!
"Frisk!" Hope called out, and the small child turned in her direction. Seeing her, Frisk's eyes widened and she tried to run to her. Hope did the same, her feet pounding against an unseen floor. Then the light expanded, and Frisk turned toward it. Hope leapt at her, not wanting to be separated again.
"FRISK!" she shrieked, and the light swallowed them both.
She woke up, panting, just a few rooms back from the little house. Trying to process what had just happened to her, she tried to lay out all the available information.
She and Frisk were both sucked back into the void, and the voice was still there. Before everything went black, Hope had heard a scream, most likely Frisk's. There had been another voice too, a woman.
Hope gasped. Did that woman, whoever she was, do something to Frisk to make this happen? What if she... Hope paled.
Did Frisk die?
The teen sat there for a moment, processing this new information. The first time she entered the void, it was because her HP bar had drained completely. She had no body. She was nothing. Then Frisk entered the void, along with the strange voice and the light, and she had ended up back in the Ruins. Back where she'd already been. And she was alive again.
But this time, she was still alive when it happened. She didn't die.
But maybe Frisk did.
She thought for a moment, trying to come up with an explanation for this strange occurrence. Coming up empty-handed, Hope sighed. She'd figure it out sooner or later.
After hoisting herself to her feet again, Hope trudged into the next room. Her mind wasn't on her destination, and she accidentally bumped into a Froggit and a Loox, leaving her with only 5/20 HP.
Taking a shuddering breath, she entered the room with the little house. Hope ran up to the little spark and touched it.
Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins reminds you of your sister's love of small places. You are filled with PERSEVERENCE.
This time, she ignores, but relished the feeling of her HP returning to 20/20. It was a similar feeling to when you walked inside after playing in the snow for a few hours. It was all warm and tingly, really just relaxing.
Hope suddenly remembered the door, and Frisk, and what had happened earlier. She sprinted to the door and pounded as hard as she possibly could, rattling the door in its frame.
"Frisk! Frisk! Let me in!" she shouted, praying to God the woman didn't do anything to her. She could hardly bare the thought of her helpless little sister facing anyone threatening. An image of the flower looming above Frisk popped into her head and she pounded harder. A faint cry rang out on the other side.
"Frisk! FRISK! Let me in, please let me in!" she screamed, pounding the door even harder somehow. It rattled dangerously but wouldn't give, only making Hope's panic level spike. "FRISK!"
Suddenly, everything on the other side went silent, and Hope pressed her ear to the door. There was nothing.
No no no. Nononono. NononoNO! Frisk!
"Frisk!" she screamed, "Frisk!" Please please please God, don't let that innocent child who would never do anything wrong die! Tears once again streamed down her face as the worst seemed more and more likely.
She screamed and cried until her voice was barely a whisper and no more tears would come. Eventually, she passed out, still leaning against the door.
(A/N Wow, okay, that last part was kinda intense. I'm not sure if you can tell by now or not, but I find intense scenes pretty fun to write. And yes, to those of you cursing my name right now, I also like cliffhangers.
I know before I didn't really have an update schedule, but now I have a tentative daily update. Don't be too surprised if I don't always update daily, because I'm not very good at keeping to schedules.
Also, before I forget, I got my very first story follow, story favorite, author follow, and author favorite today. This is a HUGE milestone for me, and I really appreciate your guys' support. Thank you lozzadozza89 and kat151820 for lacing that milestone for me!)