Chapter 12: It's okay…
Enjoy :)
"Cat…ine…"
…
"Cath…"
A voice was fading in and out. I felt the muscles in my mouth move as I grunted, and my senses were returning. I was laying down on something hard. Maybe the ground? My head was resting on something soft, a great relief to my throbbing head, and my right hand was unusually cold, as well as my forehead. I started opening my eyes painfully. My eyelids were heavy as I took in what I could see in the dark.
"Cathy, lassie." My eyes adjusted to the very dim light that emitted from the parting of a curtain. I looked at where the voice came from. Foxy was there, clutching my hand with his metal one, and he looked at me with dim, sad eyes. They brightened slightly when he saw me. I tried to sit up, but Foxy pushed me back down gently. "No, ye need to rest." I brought my other hand to a throbbing spot on my head only to have it touch a cold wet cloth.
"What…What happened?" I finally said.
"Bonnie attacked ye. I'm really sorry…" he answered. I sat up slowly. I felt Foxy showing resistance but I was already sitting leaning forward.
"Why did he do that?" I said as I held the cloth to my head.
"I…," Foxy sighed, "I don't know. He just snapped." I set the cloth on the ground and looked around. It was still dark, and I think my eyes adjusted enough.
"Where am I?" I asked.
"Ya in me cove, lassie," he said a bit happier. I squinted, and I was able to see the sea/cove backdrop and the rocky-like border on the ceiling. My eyes straining, I stopped squinting and smiled at Foxy, who was still holding my hand.
"I remember when I came up here as a kid." Foxy smiled. "You taught that Pirate Pizza dance you used to do." Foxy let out a hearty chuckled and scratched the back of his head with his hook.
"Aye, I remember that lil' shindig," he said. He looked to the side and suddenly frowned. My smile went away as I turned to face the pirate.
"Are you okay?" He nodded, the joints in his neck creaking.
"Aye. It's just…," he looked at me with sad eyes, "those days with ye was one of me best moments before I was taken out o' the business."
The Bite…
"The…incident you mentioned earlier?"
"Aye," he said after a silence. "We…I was stupid, and I regret-"
"The Bite of '87…," I interrupted, making Foxy flinch. If robots could cry, Foxy would be right now. He looked at me confused. "Look, when Bonnie attacked me, I was in the hallway already."
"Why would ye be out there?" I took in a breath.
"I just came out of Rutherford's office. I was…reading the crime records." Foxy's face showed hurtfulness.
"So…ye know what I did then?" He looked away, and his grip on my hand tightened.
"Yes, but I'm not mad or afraid or anything! No one should be." Foxy turned to me. His eyes were glowing furiously with a pure white glow. I shield the light as it burned my pupils.
"How could ye no' be mad?! How could anyone no' be upset with what I did?! The manager, the families, the crew! I killed a kid, Catherine!" He was yelling at his top volume. His voice was different. It was harsh and booming with rage. His hand was crushing mine. I was on the verge of crying- not from the pain coursing in my hand and up, but from the breakdown I'm witnessing. I've never seen him like this.
"Zachary isn't dead, Foxy!" I yelled. He froze and he was shaking trying to compose himself. "He's alive! But that's been nearly a decade ago."
"But I still hurt a child! I'm no' supposed to hurt children. I'm not supposed to hurt anyone! What I did nearly destroyed this place. Ever since tha' murder, those kids, we've all been…" Foxy released my hand and began clutching his head with pinching eyes and huffed through clenched teeth. I was scared. Something wasn't right. Foxy was losing it. His eyes opened and they were dim. They were flickering between normal and what Bonnie's eyes looked like- completely black with white pupils. I inched closer to Foxy.
"Foxy, please calm down," I cried. Foxy shuffled away from me.
"Sta-Stay away!" he said as he waved his hook at me. His voice was raspier and harsh. He brought it back to clutch his head again. I stood up and walked to the robot, ignoring his command (which I should probably heed). I held my hand out when Foxy opened his eyes to look at me. His eyes lost its yellow hue. It was gray, barely showing the presence of his normal eyes. "Cathy…don't go near me…," Foxy said, cowering against the wall. He blinked slowly and his eyes weren't his anymore. He shook furiously, raising and lowering his fist. I knelt.
"Foxy…" He growled menacingly as I moved closer.
"I said. Stay. Away." Foxy held his hook down with his good hand with a struggle. His voice was morphed, like he was talking along with someone else. I finally fell to both of my knees and quickly pulled myself into a hug with Foxy. I held on tight as Foxy grabbed the hood of my hoodie and pulled with his hook. The point grazed my neck, but only the heat of a scratch formed.
"Everything is okay, Foxy," I said as tears ran down my face. I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything. I was scared. Foxy was telling me to stay away because he was going to hurt me, but I didn't want fear to break our friendship. "Just stop…" Foxy jerked a bit more until his thrashing stopped. He was still for a moment. I looked back to be relieved when his eyes were normal.
"I'm sorry…," Foxy said quietly. He looked at me. "I'm sorry that ye had to see me like tha'." I smiled and kissed his nose, like I did when I was smaller. I hugged him again.
"It's okay," I said. "You weren't yourself." Foxy sighed and pulled me more into the hug.
"I wasn't…"
To be continued...
Another bonding moment between Cathy and Foxy. Unfortunately, it wasn't very pleasant until the end. Don't worry. Things will get better ;)
Kthxbai
