Chapter Eleven – Trouble Rising

Even a few cups of tea and SEVERAL brownies was not enough to rest Gene for the night and even as he and Mary lay in bed together he just could not get himself to sleep. He was far too worried about his glitches to even think about sinking into slumber.

Mary was the complete opposite of the situation and while she did have her worries, she was at least calm enough to settle down, her dreams taking her away while Gene lay beside her, all sorts of worry going about.

What if she saw him glitch?

What if she got scared to see him glitch?

What if he were to hold her AS he glitched?

It were these very fears that kept Gene some distance away from Mary as she slept, the man dreading the possibility that he could hurt the woman and if he were to so much as touch her.

"I could never forgive myself…." He whispered to himself, feeling his heart beat pick up again "I could never forgive myself if I hurt her!"

As the hours ticked by painfully, Gene finally fell asleep bit it was a restless sleep with no dreams, just more anxiety and worry. He was surrounded by darkness, a feeling that he could not fight back no matter how much he twisted and turned in the sheets. He felt like something had grabbed around his wrist and ankles, tying him down, only causing him to panic further. And no matter how much he fought back he could feel it; he could feel each glitch hit him, each wave more powerful and painful than the next.

But it was all a dream, wasn't it?

It had to be a dream.

Suffice to say, the terrible night lead to a terrible morning.

"Is everyone ready?" Felix said the next morning as the group prepared for the day's game play "I got a feelin' today is gonna be hot!"

Ralph and the other Nicelanders may have been smiling but Gene had far too many things going in his mind to even concentrate on what he was doing. He paced behind the window, trying to figure out what to do about his own aliment.

"How is this happening, how is this happening?" he said as he shook "I need to get out of here to find out what's going on but I can't-!"

*KA-BOOM!*

"NYAUGH!"

Like clockwork Ralph's hand EXPLODED through the wall, said hand grabbed upon the Mayor and pulled him out. Ralph's toothy grin gave no relief to the Mayor and only aided in making him feel worse.

"What, no frying pan? Guess you're goin' back to the basics huh?"

Gene couldn't even think of a pithy response to Ralph's jab and instead nodded a no much to the Wrecker's surprise, his chubby cheeks squished out.

Ralph had WANTED Gene to respond to him that time so now what?

"Well, here we go buddy."

One toss.

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

One scream.

Ralph took a second to watch Gene fly off into the distance, wondering for a moment why the man was acting so mousey all of a sudden.

"Guess Mary DID get to 'im!"

Back to work.

In the woods Gene lay on the ground, dizzy and sore. Unlike the previous days, or even the previous years, the landing felt by the Mayor grounded him completely. He lay on his front, every pixel of his throbbing with pain, his chest feeling heavy as he tried to breath. He could feel it welling in his fingers and then spreading inwards, that same sensation he got when it was about to happen.

"Please don't start back up. Please don't start back up." The Mayor begged to no one, shutting his eyes "Please. Just-!"

*GLITCH!*

The Mayor yelped as he continued to lay on the ground, body aching at every pixel. His hands dug into the grass, clutching the earth below it "W-Why does it hurt so much?! It never felt this bad before!"

He managed to turn over on side, panting as he lay on the soft turf and looked into the sky. There was just something so calming about looking into the sky and he found the urge to simply stay there for the rest of the game day but he knew he could not. He just couldn't remain in place as he heard the others going about their work.

Gene forced himself to his feet, trying to regain his composure.

"Alright, Genie. In."

Deep breath.

"Out."

Exhale.

"In. OUT."

The breathing exercises did work if but a little to calm Gene down though he knew for his sake he would have to restrain himself this time.

"I can't go overboard." He mumbled to himself as he clumsily lurched towards the apartments "I-I can't trigger another glitch! I can't!"

It was odd in that moment as Gene weakly stumbled back to the apartments, that the man knew EXACTLY what has happening to him but each time the thought cross his mind he grew all the more nervous and the words locked in his throat.

He just couldn't say it.

It wasn't as if he couldn't believe it, especially once one was to consider that being in an arcade a world of things could happen to anyone. It was just the futility in knowing that he had no control over what was happening that was terrifying the little man. Those past few days, he felt as if he were on top of the world, that he could finally get a grasp of his own life but he was swiftly finding out that he was once again playing the part of the helpless NPC, unable to control anything that has going on or what has happening to his own code.

Small batches of glitches would hit him, the man hoping against it all that it would not add anymore size to his pixels but at this point he just didn't know. He once again braved it down, forcing back any sort of light or flash as not to stir the curiosity of the others.

Not Felix.

Not Ralph.

ESPECIALLY not Mary.

"No, no, no. Remain calm, remain calm." The man repeated to himself once he finally reached the apartments, opening the back door "Don't react like a Nicelander would. Don't. DON'T"

But he WAS a Nicelander.

And in his mind, acting like a Nicelander in this situation would only make things worse.

Throughout the rest of the day Gene had managed to find a way to work around his 'little' hitch but it came with a price, that price being odd stares and looks from his neighbors and why not? The man was doing his all to avoid the others and his sudden new face of confidence had been replaced with one of constant worry. Even Roy, the most worrisome of the bunch, had to stop and wonder just what was going on with the Nicelander leader.

"So, what's tha excuse for tha sudden drop in speed, Big Guy?" Norwood asked in his usual snarky tone "Yesterday ya were gettin' on OUR case about how we couldn't keep up with YOU."

"It's nothing, Nory. Nothing at all." The man responded quickly, TOO quickly. He wiped his sweaty brow with the sleeve of his cardigan, eyes wandering slightly "Mary just told me to slow down and for once, I'm heeding her advice."

Norwood could tell the signs of hesitation on his friend's face. Even if Gene were more keen to follow Mary's advice than any others it was still odd given how he was following. Norwood was no fool; he knew something bigger was being kept from him and the others.

"Well, move any slower an' you'll be goin' BACKWARDS, big guy."

"Look, would you guys just leave me ALONE!?" Gene snapped, the other Nicelanders stopping in their tracks to gaze upon their fuming Mayor "I have a million things to think about right now and the last thing I need piled on top of that are YOUR complaints!"

"No one is complain' about ANYTHIN' towards ya!" Norwood protested "Geeze maybe ya need a few more moments of alone time with Mary if you're gonna be that way!"

The Mayor growled, storming off with pie in hand "I don't want to hear anything else from you guys, okay!? Get back to work!"

The rest of the gang looked at each other, not sure how to react to what happened.

"And he was doing so well before hand." Pearl said towards Carlos, shaking her head "Guess the days of the New Gene are over then."

No one had noticed her beforehand but tucked behind a corner….

"Honey?"

Mary had watched the entire scene unfold.

Throughout the rest of the work day, the two Nicelanders never crossed paths as they usually did. Somehow, Gene managed to avoid coming into contact with Mary, the woman always missing him by mere seconds as if he were purposely trying to evade her touch or presence. Pearl was right about one thing; the New Gene WAS gone but in his place was someone different, someone to whom Mary had never seen before.

She just wanted to stop him to say something to him but whenever she attempted to take him into her clutches he seemed to run away.

What was going on?

At long last, the game day was over and the group of characters began their usual clean up.

With the exception of Gene.

Gene slipped by the rest of the apartment's inhabitants and bolted up the stairs. Even in his exhausted state he seemed to have just enough energy to climb the entire way to the top floor, nearly knocking the door of the Mayoral Suite in and shutting the door to his office behind him.

"Please be the same, please be the same!"

He took the pencil from his desk and lined up against the wall. A hand placed atop his head, he nervously etched a mark with the others and upon stepping back.

Another inch?

Three inches?

"Oh, Sweet GHOST!" the man gasped as he looked "I'm bigger than DON by now!"

He caught himself at how loudly he had spoken, his attention focused back on his form as he looked in the mirror.

"It-it isn't too noticeable is it?"

Thankfully it wasn't but he knew that soon enough he would be caught in action but the horror of it came from the fact he just could not remember the true origins of his transformation began.

"Why can't I remember, I can't I remember?" the Mayor said to himself, trying EVERYTHING he could to recall the events that led up to the first occurrence. Hands gripped onto the side of his head as he tried to concentrate, shutting off every bit of background noise that surrounded him.

He could recall Sugar Rush.

He could recall the baking session.

He could recall Candlehead telling him about the book.

He was so excited about that, so happy.

And then…

And then….

Nothing.

His head was starting to ache again as he slowly regained his thoughts, all memories so jumbled and scattered.

"Why can't I remember it?" he said to himself, the hair on the back of his neck rising. Realizing that he couldn't remember brought forth a different emotion this time as instead of feeling scared or nervous, Gene began to get ANGRY. He didn't know exactly WHO he was angry but with the answer still far away from him he felt mad and the madder he got, the more his heart began to race. Small prickles of electricity began to crackle around his fingertips but they went unnoticed.

"Darn it, Gene! REMEMBER!"

*GLITCH!*

The man cried out, the glitch being his only reminder that he had to watch himself or else…

"I can't keep this to myself anymore…."

"Gene?"

The Mayor let out a startled cry as he jumped to his feet, turning just in time to see Mary entering the office. Mary was surprised at what she saw, Gene looking so disheveled and jittery, his hands shaking and sweat beading off his skin but through it all….

"Ah-. Ah-hahah. H-How are you, dear?"

He still managed to smile.

"I should be asking you that question." Mary said in a solid tone as she walked closer to her fiancé "What was wrong?"

"What was wrong?" the Mayor smiled nervously "W-with what, dear?"

"Well….all day." The woman continued "You were stumbling around and on top of that, every time I tried to talk to you…you ran away."

"Oh…." The Mayor replied, settling down once he saw and heard how upset his love was "Well….well, I guess I was preoccupied with some things. I'm sorry if I lashed out at you and the others."

There was a painful bit of silence between the two, the clock on the shelf ticking loudly beside them. Gene was still too nervous to even look Mary in the eyes but he forced himself to do so, the look on her face adding to the weight he already felt.

"Mary…"

"Honey. You need a break. A real one."

"A real one?"

Mary nodded as she walked up to the man, putting her hands on his shoulders "We need to go someplace where you won't feel tempted to show off again. Some place where you can slow down."

"I would love to do that, honey….but…."

What to say, what to say?

The Mayor shut his eyes tight, cursing to himself for not speaking the truth especially given the dire circumstances he was facing.

"Honey, I just can't go out right now."

Mary looked surprised at the answer she received "Why not?"

"I told you before, I have things to take care of!"

"Then if you're so busy, why won't you let me help you?"

"Mary, this is something that I have to handle on my own! It's just too big!"

"Gene! All of this can be solved if you just told the truth and let me help!"

"LET ME TAKECARE OF IT, MARY! I'M NOT WEAK!"

Once again there was silence in the apartment after Gene's outburst. The man felt winded, breathing heavily as Mary looked on.

"I….I never said you were weak." The Nicelander in pink responded. She may have worn a straight face but as Gene looked in her eyes he knew he had made her upset "I don't think you're weak, even if you ask me for help."

Gene was just digging himself deeper and deeper and what was worse was the fact that he was dragging Mary along with him.

He couldn't do this anymore.

Which was why he felt he couldn't tell her.

"Go out with the ladies." Gene said as he walked Mary towards the door "Have some fun this evening."

"But it won't be any fun without you!" Mary protested as she tried to fight back against Gene but found that he could easily push her back. Before she knew it she was at the door, looking up at her fiancée "Honey."

"Have fun right now." The Mayor said "Tomorrow? Tomorrow things will be back to normal, okay?"

And with that, Gene shut the door behind Mary, the last thing he saw that night being her stunned face.

He heart was aching for what he had just done but he had to keep some distance away from the woman. He was just so scared that he could hurt her should something happen at the wrong moment. He listened in from behind the door, making sure that Mary was out of the apartment.

"Okay….from the top again, Genie. This all happened in Sugar Rush. It had to have happened there."