The Main Attraction
Chapter 36: Patience Is A Virtue
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..and so we go back to the remedy!
-Remedy, Seether
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Everything had happened so fast. The dog zoner barely had time to fully comprehend it. His mind was spinning faster and faster, trying to process everything. There was just so much going on at once.
Just...how did he get to this point? How had he gotten to this particular spot? Standing here, all frozen in pain. When had he been attacked? Just now? Maybe, but it almost felt like that this pain had been going on forever, spreading throughout his body relentlessly, forcing him to confront it.
And there was Sandra. He could taste her blood on his tongue. Had he bitten her? His memories, which were getting fuzzy at this point, seemed to recall this. He wasn't really sure if he was just making up memories if they were absolutely genuine. They certainly felt real anyway.
He couldn't think for too long, however. He grabbed his hand against his throat as he struggled to breathe. Something was preventing him from taking in breaths so easily. His eyes widened big even without his conscious input and he thought he could feel some kind of cold flush going through his face. He could hear his heavy panting, each one sounding louder and louder than the last one.
His heart... There was something wrong with his heart. Why was it going so fast? Had he been running? He didn't recall running anywhere. But despite this, he still felt as though he needed to lay down and rest. No, not just rest, but go to sleep.
Yet he couldn't even move. It felt as though something had frozen him in place. There was nothing holding him, though. He was not restrained in any way. So why couldn't he move? Was it the pain that was still rushing through his body? Yes, it had to be. It could be nothing else. He could feel his body freeze at another wave of agony and he struggled not to yelp.
He managed to move one thing and that was his eyes. Ever so slowly, centimeter by centimeter, he was able to turn his eyes over so that he could see someone else who was here other than Sandra. He could make out a very blurry form, the vision in his eyes starting to go a little dark. It took him several moments, but he was soon able to recognize the distinctive form of a human.
Rudy Tabootie.
In that moment, he could feel a pang of guilt. His mind started to explode with memories of what had happened years ago. How he had accused him of being a traitor... How he had nearly had his best friend executed... He would have shed a small tear of remorse if he could have.
Sometimes he wondered if Rudy had ever truly forgiven him. He wouldn't really blame him if he hadn't. He didn't really deserve forgiveness. He should have acted better. He should have controlled himself. There were a lot of things that he could have and should have done...but did not. He chuckled bitterly to himself. Perhaps he really did deserve this.
Well, perhaps this time, he did some good. Maybe he was finally useful for something. He isn't entirely sure what he did. The pain was blocking that out. But whatever he did, he hoped that it was good enough for...
He stopped, freezing up when he felt something break open inside his chest. His eyes widened from the shere agony of it. In the next long, couple seconds, he realized, almost tiredly, that he had lost his heart. There was no doubt about it; he was a doctor. He knew where the heart was located.
He gave a small, accepting smile at this. So this was his fate? Well then, he hoped that Dr. Crobat wouldn't...
His mind went completely blank and numb as he faintly registered himself collapsing into the ground.
sss
Rudy couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He could do nothing to look away from the horrific sight before him. When he heard the body of Dr. Gelcro collide with the ground, a sickening thud ringing out everywhere, it was so hard not to throw up. Even moments after the collision, he still couldn't look away, licking his lips slowly as his panicking mind try to figure out just what had happened.
He kept watching the body, in utter disbelief that this had actually happened. Was Dr. Gelcro really...? No... He wasn't. He...He would get up soon. He just had to. All he needed to do was just sit here and wait for him to rise up from the ground. He refused to look away, refused to say anything, as he waited for...something to happen. Maybe if he waited long enough...
But nothing was going on. Dr. Gelcro's body still remained on the ground, unmoving. Those eyes were still open, a chilling cloudiness over them, signifying that..they were no longer seeing anything. Rudy struggled to control his shaky breathing, struggled to assure himself that everything was fine. Dr. Gelcro would wake up soon and he'd continue his fighting against Sandra.
But he just...wasn't moving. He couldn't even see his body twitching anymore. Nor could he register any kind of breathing. He was just...laying there, fully unconscious and fully unresponsive, even when Sandra cruelly kicked him in the side.
Rudy moved his head up stiffly, his eyes staring upon Sandra's form. She was paying no heed to him; her attention was fully on the body on the ground before her. She was glaring at Dr. Gelcro in contempt, her lip curled up into the snarl. The blood was quite noticeable on her neck, leaking from the wound that Dr. Gelcro had managed to give her.
"Hrmph.. How pathetic..." Sandra hissed through her clenched teeth. "Of course you would do something so completely reckless and stupid." She looked as if she was going to kick him again. But something seemed to have changed her mind and she lowered her foot to the ground once more. "Well, I won't let your body go to waste. At least you'd be good for something then."
At this, Rudy could feel his mind flashing. He recalled Sandra's previous words. How she had killed Courtney and how she had stored her meat for consumption... And now here she was, getting ready to eat someone else. Another living thing... Almost right away, he could feel something rising up inside of him. A heated sensation, his blood boiling.
No..he was not going to allow that to happen. Not again... If Sandra ate Dr. Gelcro while he was in the vicinity, he'd never forgive himself. Dr. Gelcro didn't deserve this. He deserved a proper burial. And for Sandra to try to decicrate his body like this... That wretched, disgusting monster...
Before Rudy realized what he was doing, he was ramming himself against the bars. He pulled himself back and continuously struck against the bars. Again and again... Even when the pain became rapidly stronger, spreading throughout himself, he still didn't stop. The only thing that he could think of doing was just...keep ramming, trying to break the bars down. Something, anything to get out of here...
His legs might be useless, but his arms sure weren't. He soon grabbed onto the bars and tried to pull them apart. They were stiff and hard, but that didn't stop him from trying. He mustered up as much strength as he cold, his arm muscles tightening, a burning sensation spreading through the ligaments and tendons inside. He did stop a few times for rest, but these would only last a very short time before continuing on ramming himself against the bars.
Eventually, his efforts caught Sandra's attention. She swung her head over and she stared at him with a set of narrowed eyes. Rudy nearly froze at the sight of her, but he managed to, against his frozen mind's judgment, keep going. He refused to stop, continuously hitting the bars with his shoulders, or trying to pry them apart, or even punching them with his fists. He didn't care how much it hurt or how Sandra was looking at him. He was going to get these open, no matter what it took.
"Why are you straining yourself, Great Creator?"
Rudy paused, feeling his blood turn to ice when Sandra spoke. He glared over in her direction, struggling to hide his fear as she started to make her way over towards him.
"You shouldn't hurt yourself like that. You might break something..." Sandra said, having stepped over Dr. Gelcro's body and made her way towards him. She walked slowly and deliberately, and Rudy could practically hear the echoing thud each time her foot hit against the ground. She spread her dark, sadistic smile across her face. "Are you really that eager to experience another break again?"
Rudy hissed at this. He no longer rammed himself, instead stiffening his body in defense. Not like he could do anything. But that didn't stop him from trying to look threatening as Sandra made her way over towards him, her grin spreading wider, exposing more of her pointed fangs.
"Well if you really want to.. I guess I can't really argue." Sandra placed her hand to herself, lowering herself so that her head was a little closer to him. She looked him directly in the eyes, the lids partially closed. "I suppose your neck could use another go."
Rudy couldn't stop the yelp from escaping his lips. He nearly jumped back into the air, nearly fell into the ground. He moved himself back, cringing as he stared at Sandra. He could feel his eyes growing wide, his mouth emitting shaky gasps. He couldn't stop himself from staring at Sandra with this horrified expression.
Sandra didn't say anything in response to that. The only thing that she did do was chuckle twistedly. Rudy cringed at this, gritting his teeth. He could feel his mind being frozen in place, unable to process many thoughts. He licked hs lips slowly as his mind forced him to relive those horrible moments years ago, when Sandra had bitten down on his neck and...
No, he couldn't allow himself to fall into fear like that again. He had to fight back. He had to confront Sandra. She might have hurt him years ago, but that was in the past. Now he had the chance to fight back. She was close enough, wasn't she? All he had to do was...
But he couldn't get himself to move. No matter what he tried or what he did, he couldn't move. Despite his desperate attempts to shake off his fear, there was still...something holding him back. A deep, chilled fear that had locked his body up, preventing him from moving. He stared wide-eyed at Sandra, only managing to narrow his eyes slightly.
Sandra slowly raised her pointer finger upwards, giving another dark chuckle. "There is so much that I could do to you right now, Rudy Tabootie. Oh so much... For tricking me into thinking that your friends were dead..."
"Wh-What..? But...you're the one who..." Rudy tried to say, but Sandra cut him off.
"Oh such a clever boy you thought you were... But you weren't clever enough.." Sandra's eyes glinted. "Now look at where you are. Your friends are gone, your only other ally is dead, and you are still trapped in that cage. With just the flick of my finger, I could kill you. And I will stand here and watch and laugh."
Rudy didn't even try to speak at this point. It was no use. She wouldn't listen to him. She was too far gone in her emotions to really pay much attention to what he was saying. The only thing he could do was just remain quiet and listen to Sandra's horrendous ranting.
He couldn't feel all that surprised that she was blaming him for this. But it was still quite a shock anyway. She was the one who told him that his friends were dead. And yet she was acting as though it was a lie that he had given to her. She was just trying to transfer the guilt over to him. She was just trying to convince herself that it wasn't her fault things were not going her way. Typical Sandra, always trying to find ways to make it sound like nothing was her fault...
"But you know what? You caught me in a good mood..." Sandra moved in so close that her snout nearly pressed up against the bars. "Maybe I won't try to kill you. Maybe I will just keep...playing with you..." She turned her head to one side, slightly downward. "Yes... I still have a use for you..."
Still Rudy could not reply. He did bare his teeth and growl at her, but it was out of fear and Sandra knew it, judging from her expression. Rudy found himself raising his hands up, arching his fingers downward, unable to even form a single fist. He continued to grit his teeth and growl as he glared in her direction. He could feel a cold wave of emotion strike through him as he shivered.
Sandra just smirked at this. She said nothing for several moments before she suddenly reached into his cage and she grabbed onto his shirt collar. Rudy let out a yelp as he was yanked forward. "Why don't we have a little...chat... And you can figure out just how you are going to make it up to me for lying..."
Rudy growled at this, keeping his teeth bared. But he wasn't able to stop the cold wave of fear striking him, especially when he saw just the way Sandra was looking at him...
What did she have planned? What was she going to do to him? Why wouldn't she stop smirking at him? What was she...?
Sandra cut him off from his thoughts.
"I know how I can..persuade you to be more...cooperative."
Rudy gave a sudden shudder when he felt something touch against his face. Sandra's hand caressed his cheek back and forth slowly. He looked at this for several seconds before shifting his gaze at Sandra, his eyes filling with a mixture of fear and confusion. This only caused Sandra's smile to spread further
"I see you are confused. Oh don't worry. It'll all make sense to you soon enough..." Sandra moved her hand away and she started to walk towards the door. "I will help you understand."
Sandra opened up the door and shut it behind her. She then made her way over towards Rudy. There was something slightly different from the way that she was walking. It was subtle, but still noticeable. Rudy couldn't quite understand the meaning of this. The only thing that he could determine was that she seemed almost...happier. If that made any sense.
Soon Sandra was upon him. Rudy half expected her to strike him or use her powers on him to hurt him from the inside. But instead, she did something completely unexpected.
Rather than just attack, Sandra gripped onto his arms firmly. He grunted from the pain of her tight squeezingly them. She pulled him up roughly, putting her face close to his and smiling at him. Rudy leaned himself away, a wary eye glued to her. Sandra just chortled before she suddenly whirled him around and pushed him into the ground. She leaned her body forward applying weight to her grasp, making it hard for him to move.
"What...What are you doing?" Rudy finally asked, his heart pounding in his chest. "What are you up to?"
Sandra tilted her head to one side. "Why don't I...help you understand?"
Rudy widened his eyes in horror as Sandra started to lower her head. She licked her lips eagerly and her mouth slowly opened up. Rudy struggled against her, jerking himself from side to side. But nothing would stop her and soon, he could feel her teeth pressing against his neck. He immediately stiffened up, freezing on the spot. He laid there, waiting for the teeth to begin slicing into his neck.
sss
"Grr... They have to be around here somewhere! Keep looking!"
"But we've tried! There's no sign of them anywhere!"
"They couldn't have up and disappeared! Just keep trying! We'll find them eventually."
Mint struggled to keep himself quiet as he listened to the Beanie Boys banter back and forth. He gritted his teeth as he heard them getting closer. Where they going to discover their hiding spot? Were they going to realize what he and Penny had done? He tried to control his breathing, half terrified that they were going to hear him because he was so loud.
Thankfully, this turned out to not be the case. In a matter of moments, he could hear some grumbling, and then the Beanie Boys appeared to move away. Mint could not tell if they had disappeared, though. But at least they weren't that close to their hiding spot anymore. This allowed him to take in a deep breath and exhale slowly. What a relief...
He struggled to calm his racing mind. He couldn't believe just how close it had been... Those Beanie Boys were quite relentless. They just wouldn't give up. He and Penny had tried so hard to use the magic chalk to slow them down, but they hadn't been able to use it much, for the Beanie Boys would attack them from behind. They did continue to try, with very little success. He wondered just how many unfinished lines he and Penny had left behind while they ran.
He looked over at Penny, noticing how she was leaning against the wall nearby, trying to catch her breath as well. He could see how her eyes had widened like saucers, almost to the point where they might as well fall out. Not like he could blame her; she had been especially targeted, likely out of revenge for what she had threatened to do to that one Beanie Boy.
He could feel his blood run cold at this. A part of him still couldn't believe that they had particpated in that. It was a low trick, quite the disturbing tactic. Even Dr. Gelcro had...
He winced as he thought about Dr. Gelcro. He wondered how he was doing. They had been forced to leave him behind when the Beanie Boys had chased them away. He wanted so much to turn around and go back and help him. But right now, he and Penny were having problems of their own. It was just too risky to exit out of here. Not with those Beanie Boys hanging around outside...
It had been shere luck that he and Penny were able to draw those popping rocks to slow them down. Once they had exploded in their faces, that had given them enough time to rush over here and draw a wall. They had moved as quickly as they could and now they were sealed up inside. It was not pitch dark as they drew a small light source on the wall so that they could see. But they weren't able to move until the Beanie Boys left.
And so far, they hadn't. They appeared to be hanging around this spot. They would move down, and then come back up again, and then they'd move back. They would repeat this over and over. He wasn't sure if they knew they were there and they were just trying to figure out where in the walls they were, or if they were just stupid and had nothing better to do. Either way, he and Penny weren't going anywhere any time soon.
"I don't think they're around here..."
Mint felt such great relief at those words. He struggled not to sigh too loudly. He instead just pressed his ear against the wall and struggled to listen, trying to hear whatever else they were going to say.
"I don't know where else they could have gotten off to, though." The other Beanie Boy replied. He made a sound that made it seem like he was gritting his teeth. "They were just here a moment ago! How could they disappear so fast?"
"Maybe there's a secret passage way here?" The other suggested. "Maybe..."
"There's nothing else here, you idiot!" He struck his comrade hard, causing him to yelp in pain. "You should know that!"
"Ow! Geeze... No need to get so testy!" After a few moments, he continued, "So...what do you suggest then? If there isn't a secret passageway here, then.."
"I'm not really sure, okay? But something weird is going on around here and we have to figure out what it is. We need to find those two brats. You have any idea what Sandra will do to us if we come back empty handed? She'd probably kill us!"
"Yes I know. She isn't exactly the most forgiving person that we know. But...could she really blame us if we weren't able to find them? So long as we tried..."
"...you don't know Sandra that well."
Finally, something that Mint could agree with the Beanie Boys on.
Sandra really was unpredictable. There was no telling what she would do or how she would react in a situation. There were some ideas that they were positive on, such as never reveal that you broke a promise in her face. But for many times, it was hard to tell what she'd do. Especially lately as she's become unhinged...
He struggled to keep his mind from filling up with too much disturbing imagery. Though this was a difficult task, especially as his mind filled with more and more pictures of a savage, bloodthirsty Sandra looking at him, waiting to sink her teeth into him...
He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. It was, after all, partially his fault that Sandra was like this. He should have been more careful. He should have tried to take precautions just in case something went wrong. But he didn't and now...this was happening. If only he had thought to put in some kind of...he wasn't sure of the term...failsafe? Yes, he should have put in one of those in.
But he didn't, did he? And now because of that, countless zoners were suffering. Some of those zoners talking behind his back were right. He really was still the Enemy Creator.
"Mint?"
He barely heard that whisper. It had been spoken so low... But he knew where it had come from. He turned his head and he could see that Penny had moved in closer to him, staring at him intently. She wore a concerned expression and she looked as if she were attempting to reach out and touch him.
"Are you okay?" She asked in a soft, gentle voice. "You look a little..."
Mint gritted his teeth and looked away from her. "I'm fine..." He told her quickly. "I'm just...fine."
"Mint..." He looked back at her. He could see that she had narrowed her eyes at him this time, wearing a look of disbelief. "Don't lie to me. I'm not stupid. I can tell when something is troubling you..." She paused for a moment before breathing in deeply and exhaling, all the while doing her best to stay quiet. "So please..tell me what is wrong."
Mint gritted his teeth, wondering what he could say to her. He wondered what she would think of him when she found out. He wondered if it was a good idea to even say anything at all, or if he should force himself to remain quiet.
But...Penny was his friend, right? She would understand. Perhaps she could even help him feel better. She might be able to help him quell any sort of fears or worries that he might have. She was good at that. She had always been the mediator of the group. This wouldn't be any different from that, right?
But..he did still feel a little...nervous about telling her. He still wasn't entirely certain if she would understand. And even then...how would he know what to tell her? He didn't even know where to begin. It'd be tough for him to try to get help from her if he didn't even know the first thing to tell her..
He did still need to try though. He just...had to try...
"W-Well...you see..." Mint clenched his teeth tightly. He wasn't even sure how he was going to word this. How was he going to confess to Penny how he was feeling? How was he going to get his message across? He still attempted to continue. "I was just...I.."
Penny narrowed her eyes softly in concern. "You are worried about your role with Sandra, aren't you?"
Mint widened his eyes at this. He stared down at Penny, wondering how in the world she could have thought of that. "H-How did you...?"
Penny smiled at him gently. "Mint, you're my friend. I can tell just by looking at you that you are feeling guilty." She then frowned softly, taking a small step towards him. "And you shouldn't feel guilty about that. It wasn't your fault that this happened. It wasn't your fault Sandra ended up like this. Please..." She reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "...don't beat yourself up over that."
Mint looked at the hand on his shoulder. He stared at it for a few seconds. Then he looked down at Penny, his eyes still just as wide as before, his mouth partially open. He remained silent for several moments as he stared at Penny in the eyes, trying to think of just how to comprehend this.
A part of him wasn't sure why Penny was alleviating him of the guilt so easily. Shouldn't he have been more responsible? Shouldn't he have tried harder to ensure this wouldn't happen? In the end, he was still responsible for what was going on, as if it hadn't been for him, Sandra wouldn't be here to begin with. Perhaps Rudy and Penny should have left him to die all those years ago...
He nearly slapped himself in the face when he thought that. How could he have let himself get so mopey like that? He recalled the time that he had allowed himself to be locked in guilt for...two weeks was it? Yes, two weeks. And what did he accomplish in that time? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
And Penny... He should be grateful that she was still willing to stand by him. In fact, he did feel relief, even if a part of him wasn't sure if he really deserved it. But still, Penny was his friend and she was doing what she could to cheer him up. She and Rudy both knew that he was responsible for Sandra and yet they hadn't abandoned him before. So why would they do it again?
After he managed to shake off the brief moment of feeling sorry for himself, he gave a small smile to Penny. "Thanks...I...really needed that."
Penny smiled back at him. "No problem, Mint."
Mint and Penny continued to smile at each other before they turned their attention back to the wall before them. Despite this reconciliation, they still had something to worry about.
The Beanie Boys.
They hadn't yet been heard despite their whispering. But the Beanie Boys hadn't yet left. They were still there, talking amongst each other on what they should do. It didn't seem like they were going to leave any time soon. This realization made Mint grit his teeth. How were they supposed to get away from here if the Beanie Boys wouldn't leave?
There was making a new trail of course. They could draw an opening in the wall. But they didn't know where it was going to lead to. They didn't know if there was some kind of trap or something on the other side. It would be...
...wait a moment. Why didn't they...?
Mint would have kicked himself in the shins if he wasn't too stiffened by the shock of the realization. There was something that they hadn't yet tried. He looked behind him, at the wall that was opposite of the one that they created. He moved over slowly towards it and he placed his hand on it, moving his palm back and forth across it slowly.
"Mint?" Penny asked as she looked at him in confusion. "What...what are you doing...?"
Mint didn't answer her right away. He just continued to stare at the wall, stroking it lightly. His mind's gears turned rapidly as he envisioned something that he and Penny could do. They still had the magic chalk. There were still so many options that he and Penny had with this. If they could just think of something...
Then again, there may be a slight chance that it wouldn't work. Maybe they wouldn't draw the right device or maybe it wouldn't materialize or... He knew he was being too paranoid about the whole thing. But he still need to consider the possibilities.
He narrowed his eyes in determination. He needed to at least try. He needed to bring the idea up with her. He couldn't let her stand there, watching him in confusion, for so long. Slowly, he turned his head over towards her, staring at her intently. "...do you think we could get an x-ray on this thing?"
Penny blinked a few times. "An x-ray...?"
"Yeah, you know..." Mint pointed his finger at the wall. "To see what's on the other side of this."
"Well, I..." Penny paused and shook her head. "Yes it is possible. "But...why?"
Mint gave a small smile at this. "Because we are going to create our own path around."
sss
How long has it been since he had been trapped in here? How long ago had he been tossed into this kennel again? How long had he just been laying here? Time seemed to be all muddled up and he was unable to really think much of what he could do.
He couldn't even try to crawl away in case Sandra came back. That tumor that she had put into his back, she never removed it. He was not sure if she would keep it in there forever, or if she was only going to keep in there for the time being. He guessed that she only kept it in to keep him from escaping like last time. Not that Sandra had anything to worry about; this time, Skrawl was not coming back for him.
Snap wasn't really sure what happened to Skrawl other than he was likely recaptured. Skrawl might be his enemy, but a part of him did feel sorry for Skrawl. He knew what Sandra was like and the potentiality of what she'd do. Skrawl did not see just how far Sandra was willing to go. If he was lucky, she would let him off with a 'warning'. Chances are, it would still be painful, but at least he couldn't experience the full extent of Sandra's wrath.
Though he was honestly more worried about his friends. What did Sandra do to them? What did she plan on doing to them? He was only aware that they had arrived to try to save him...but he didn't know if they succeeded or not. It's been quite some time without any word from anyone. He hoped he would be informed soon. Not knowing was driving him crazy.
If only his legs were working, he could try to get out again. Hearing that his friends were here did give him a boost of confidence and a renewed will to fight back. If he could just stand up and head to the bars, maybe he could reach that latch after all. Maybe he could use it as a means of getting out of here...
But who was he kidding? There was just no way that he would be able to get out like this. There was no way that he could escape this place as he was. Without his legs, he'd just be a sitting duck.
The thought of his legs caused his mind to drift to thinking about Rudy. He could feel his heart skipping several beats and he took in a few deep, slow breaths in an attempt to keep himself calm. Not like it worked for long; his heart twisted and burned at the thought of what had happened to Rudy.
Was this what it felt like for him? Was this what Rudy went through every single day? This feeling of hopelessness and frustration and devastation...was this how Rudy saw things at times? How often did he feel like this? How often did he fall into despair? How often did he just punch a wall or the chair's arm and scream?
Snap knew full well that he could not know the full extend of how Rudy felt. He hadn't lost his legs for that long. Rudy's had to live without them for five years. He just...couldn't fathom what it felt like in all that time...to be unable to feel or move his legs... Oh gawd, poor Rudy...
His hatred for Sandra burned brighter and hotter now more than ever before. He could feel his body shaking, his teeth gritting against each other. He could feel his hands forming into tight fists. For the next several moments, he did not feel an ounce of fear towards Sandra. He only felt hatred and he strong desire to teach her a lesson. How dare she hurt his friend like this... How dare she strip him of his freedom... Why he outta...
Suddenly he heard footsteps coming his way. His whole body stiffened and he swung his head over in the direction of the sound. Upon seeing the shadow upon the wall, he immediately lost his brave facade. His facial expression contorted into fear and horror when he saw Sandra's face peaking in, pausing to look over him with that sadistic grin of hers. Snap could not bring himself to even speak out against her; he could only look away from her.
Sandra began to move into the room slowly. She hadn't bothered to say anything. He was glad for that. He didn't really have much he wanted to say to her right now. He didn't even want to look at her. A part of him hoped that, if he didn't pay her any heed, she would turn and walk away.
He wasn't so lucky. He could soon hear her tapping claws up near the kennel. He could almost feel Sandra's warm breath hitting against him. He still struggled not to look even then. He could feel Sandra's shadow casting over him and he could feel those eyes boring into him. Nope, even then, he remained utterly silent. If Sandra was hoping for a response, she was not going to get one out of him. He was going to make sure that he didn't...
Suddenly, he felt a hand against his face. As soon as he did, he nearly jumped to his feet...if they worked that is. His skin immediately crawled about, rippling through. She forced herself to look over at Sandra, causing a wary white eye upon her. He bared his teeth nervously, watching with a cautious eye as the hand stroked him back and forth.
"How are you feeling right now, Snacks?" Sandra asked in a soft voice. Snap did not answer her. She merely shrugged at this. "I can see you are doing a little better. Are you getting the hang of this?" She tilted her head to one side. "You enjoying your time with me?"
Snap hissed at this, jerking himself away from her.
Sandra gave a couple quick chuckles. "Of course you would react like that my little Snacks. You still need some time adjusting. Oh..." She clasped her fingers together and raised it up, pressing it against her cheek as she leaned into it. "You are so cute and adorable. I do hope that I won't have to do anything to ruin your pretty face."
"Sh-Shut up..." Snap managed to say to her.
Sandra ignored his statement as opened up the cage door and walked in. She pushed the door away, closing the gap that was briefly available. Not that Snap could have used it; with no legs, he'd have to crawl and Sandra would catch him in seconds. He laid there, pressing his stomach against the floor, as Sandra moved towards him.
It took her only a second to reach him, with how close he had been to the door. She knelt herself down next to him and she reached out to touch him just like before. Snap bared his teeth and growled at her, a mixture of emotions, including fear, filling up inside of his voice. But this did not stop Sandra from starting to stroke him. He flinched, stiffened, and whimpered as Sandra gently caressed him along his head and along his back, stopping just short of where she had placed the tumor.
"Oh don't worry, my little darling..." Sandra cooed to him. "I won't be long. I just want to know one thing..." She applied a little more pressure to her caressing. It was just enough to make him feel uncomfortable, but still light that it didn't actually hurt him. "Did you put any more thought into what I said before? Regarding promises...?"
Snap jerked his head back and growled at her, this time louder and more fiercely. "You bitch... Why the hell would I ever agree to something like that...?" Sandra just stared at him as she kept stroking him. "You keep trying over and over again to get me to see your side of things and I just don't! Okay? I just don't!"
"I see..." Sandra moved her hand away. She did not move from her spot, doing nothing more but move her tail over and curling it against herself. "Even after I generously informed you, tried to enlighten you..."
Snap glared back at her. "Nothing justifies your actions..." He cringed away from her the best that he could. "You are the one who had been killing zoners to feed to others! You are the one who nearly killed my best friend because of some stupid promise!"
Sandra's ears raised up slightly as she growled. "...stupid promise..?" Snap gulped upon realizing that he had just made a mistake. Sandra leaned her head in forward, her blazing red eyes glaring directly at him. "Is that what you think? They're just 'stupid'..? How dare you...I..."
Snap shut his eyes and looked away quickly, his teeth gritted firmly. He raised his hands up in self defense. He didn't attempt to say or do anything. He just kept himself looking away from her, shivering, waiting for her to go on a rampage like the last time he had insulted her 'promise sanctity' five years ago.
To his surprise, however, Sandra just started to...laugh. Perplexed, the small blue and white zoner looked over and stared at Sandra. He watched as her shoulders shook with each laughter, a hand over her face and looking as if she had heard the funniest joke ever. This only served to make him feel even more confused.
"Wh-What's so funny...?" Snap managed to say.
Sandra continued to chuckle for several more moments before pulling her head back, staring up at the ceiling. Her teeth were bared in a grin, her red eyes looking up and yet nowhere at the same time. She stayed like this for a short time before she finally turned her pupils in his direction. "Oh dear little Snap... I just feel as though I finally figured out a way for you to understand..."
Snap leaned away from her a little further. "What did you..have in mind...?"
Sandra grinned. "Something simple. Something that will get you to see things my way. And don't worry..." She paused as she stared at him, as though to build up a little bit of tension. "It's not going to hurt... So you won't go through what your little friend had to..."
Snap widened his eyes at this. "Rudy...?" He gritted his teeth as he raised a fist up into the air. "What the fuck have you done to him?!"
Sandra just laughed at this, causing Snap to growl once more. She had her hand placed against herself, looking fully amused by his anger. "You need not worry about him! He is...fine." Snap flinched at the way she had spoken that word. "Now why don't you say we get started shall we..?"
Snap wanted to demand Sandra to tell him what she did to Rudy. He wanted to know just what she had put his best friend through. But he could not bring himself to say those words. A part of it was out of fear. What if she threatened to do something worse to him? In his state, he couldn't try to stop her.
So reluctantly, he asked, "And just what did you have in mind?"
Sandra held her hand up in gesture. "It's quite simple really. All I am goingo to do is...ask questions."
Snap stared at her in confusion. "...ask questions?" Sandra nodded her head. "That's it? That's your big plan? That's what's going to make me side with you...?"
Sandra gave a series of small chuckles. "I can see you are such a doubter. But don't you worry..." She raised her hand up, motioning slighlty towards him. "I know what I am doing. I can promise you, Snap, by the end of this, you may start seeing things in a...whole new light..."
Snap rolled his eyes at this. He was almost disappointed that Sandra had gone down this route. It was just way too easy. What in the world made her think that he would ever consider listening to her? What made her think that if she asked a few questions, it would automatically make him believe in her words? She would have to be really crazy to believe that. Well, she already was crazy to begin with.
But there was no way out of it. He had a strong feeling that, even if he did struggle against her, she was still going to try asking him those questions. And if he didn't answer, she would slug him or something, and that was if he was very lucky. He let out a sigh. He didn't have much of a choice other than to listen to her, did he?
"Okay then..." He decided to just amuse her. Besides, answering a few questions was pretty easy compared to what she could be doing. "What did you want to ask me?"
"Listen carefully..." Sandra began. She gave pause, watching Snap as though to make sure that he was paying attention. "I'm going to ask you one major thing for now. And I want you to think really hard on it. You do not need to answer right away." She raised her hand up and she pointed in his direction. "Has anyone ever promised you help you out with something?"
Snap blinked at this. He couldn't help but shake his head. He still didn't know where Sandra was going to go with this. But he decided to play a long still. "Well of course. I've had it happen to me several times."
Snap nodded her head slowly. She didn't look at all surprised. She probably expected this sort of answer. "I see..." She interlocked her fingers as she turned her head to the side, one red eye staring right at him. "And..have they fulfilled those promises...?"
"Of course they..."
Snap suddenly froze. He stared off into the distance, his mouth partially open as his jaw moved up and down slowly. It looked as though he was trying to speak yet was unable to form words. All the while, Sandra just watched him, remaining completely quiet herself as she watched for him to respond.
Snap was trying to hard to remember at least one time someone had actually helped him out. He tried to dig deep into his memory. His mind was aching and he couldn't help but flinch. He continued to struggle to remember something...anything... Yet the only thing he accomplished was his mind heating up quickly, and he was honestly surprised when there was no hole that was burned through his head.
This couldn't be right. He...He knew for certain that most of the time, people had remembered their promises and helped him out. He understood if sometimes this was not the case. But...oh, why wasn't he remembering anything? It was as though his mind had gone blank, hitting against a hard stone and being unable to get any further.
He continued searching his memory bank, sifting through whatever he could. But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how deep he dug, he just could not remember anything. The only thing that he was able to remember are the excuses they all brought up to not fulfill their promise to him. Every single one of them...
Snap shook his head left to right. He didn't want to think that was the case. He wanted to believe that he had at least one person keep their promise. This...This couldn't be right... This isn't how things had gone down... And yet every single fucking time he thought of an incident, it had ended the same way: they broke the promise ultimately even if it was something of dire importance.
But it was impossible... There had to be something... Anything... Snap didn't speak for the next several moments as he gripped onto his head and struggled to remember. He fought against the severe headache that spread throughout his head, conitnuing to do whatever he could to remember.
sss
Sandra watched the scene play out before her. She could feel her mouth corners stretching back into a sadistic grin. She twitched her tail from side to side. She didn't speak a word as she watched Snap struggling to remember something. She could not help but grin. This was working out better than she had expected.
After she had her fun with Rudy, she had been on her way here to see Snap when an idea had struck her. She was still determined to make both him and Rudy see her side of things. And simply telling them the truth did not seem to work.
So...what if she tried something a little...different? Sure, it was sneaky and dishonest. But she had to make them see the reality about promises. She had to make them understand where she was coming from. And if that meant a little bit of lying, then so be it. At least they could finally understand what she had been trying to tell them all along. It mattered not if she fibbed or anything. Not like they were going anywhere anytime soon.
She was pretty good at manipulating memory to a degree. She had done this with Snap in the past. So she had thought to herself...why not do that again? But this time, she'd be a little more careful. She would instead carefully place a few well positioned tumors, affecting his memoy in a different way than before. For this time, she was not trying to make him forget a single moment in time; she instead had something much more specific in mind.
And seeing how Snap was clearly struggling, looking like he was in a lot of distress, she could tell that it was working. There was no doubt about it. Her tumor placing was preventing Snap from remembering if any of those zoners had fulfilled their promise or not. Instead, he was being bombarded with various memories of promise breaking. Exactly the nature was up to what Snap's brain had come up with. False memory creation and all that. But it was still working in the end.
At this point, Snap's body was shaking and his eyes were wide. He was not scared or anything. But he did look so desperate, so confused... He was breathing in and out quickly as he tried to keep his spinning mind under control. He soon looked up at her, his eyes flickering with...something that she could not quite recognize.
All Sandra did was just smile at him. She wanted to give him a little more time to dwell on this. She wanted to let him have some time thinking about what he had 'discovered' inside of his mind. She wanted him to have some kind of understanding of the seriousness of the situation. She knew it would take him a little while before the reality would sink in deeply.
Did she expect him to turn so quickly? Did she expected him to suddenly agree with her and her ways?
Ideally, that would be great. But she was fully aware that this may not be the case with him. He might not listen to her so soon. He would be more open in comparison to the past. But he would still require a little more...training.
She waited for a few more moments before she attempted to speak to him. Taking a small step towards him, keeping her eyes locked with him, she delivered the tentative question.
"Well? What do you have to say now, Snappy boy...?"
"I-I...well I..." Snap turned his head to the side, staring at nothingness. He struggled to speak, to say anything. But it was clear that nothing was showing up in his head. She could see the frustration clearly written all over his face. Eventually he seemed to give up, sighing, before turning his head just enough to give her a sideways glance. "I'm...I'm still not really sure. I mean..."
Sandra frowned slightly at this. "Oh? Why not?" She turned her head downward and slightly to the side. "Did you think of any time where one of your so-called friends fulfilled a promise?"
"Well no, but.." Snap gritted his teeth nervously, breathing in sharply through them. "I just don't feel like..." He paused, flinching a little as though he didn't feel he worded that right. So he tried again. After a bit of stammering, he managed to say, "Regardless, I still don't... I am still not sure if I can..."
"Oh I see..." Sandra faked a look of sympathy. "You're just distraught. Unsure." She gave a soft smile before she reached over and grabbed onto his shoulder. "It is all right. Everything will fall into place soon."
Snap didn't really bother to reply to that. His head was still bowed as he stared at the ground. She didn't expect anything less out of him. It was still too early. But at least she planted the seeds of doubt. Now all she had to do was be patient. Soon enough, this would all pay off. She just had to play her cards right.
"Now why don't you get a little rest?" Sandra moved away from him and she began to head towards the door. She didn't bother looking back at him. "I'm sure you could use a little sleep after...that. I will be back later with something for you to eat."
With that, she exited the kennel, locking it up behind her, and made her way towards the door. Though a part of her wished that things had been more eventful, it still had went better than she could have expected. She just needed to remain patient and soon, so very soon, she would have exactly what she wanted.
After all, patience was a virtue, right?