Wirt stood up and left the room, feeling the concerned eyes of his family on him. He closed the door behind himself, not once looking back at the three people still surrounding the table. The boy just needed time to calm down… this sounded so much easier than it actually was. Greg had tried to make him happy, that much Wirt had noticed even though his mind was far far away, but hadn't succeeded. The younger boy probably blamed himself for not being able to cheer him up…
He couldn't focus! Wirt walked down the corridor, heading toward the bathroom. How much did he need to be alone this moment, even though on the inside he yearned for his family.
The boy walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind himself, leaning against the door and starring ahead onto the white tiles that made up the wall. A feeling loneliness slowly got through to him. Wasn't that what he wanted? To be alone?
Wirt was alone, would always be alone. His breathing got faster. It felt like the air was becoming thicker with each moment, it got harder for Wirth to breath. No. He was not alone. Wirt tried to calm himself.
In and Out.
He had Greg, his mom, and even Greg's father. They all were there for him. They were family.
In and Out.
They would always be there for him. Nothing would change in the near future.
In and Out.
He would not turn into an insane wrack. He would not turn even more paranoid than he was after The Unknown.
In and Out.
He would go to college this September and nothing was going to stop him. He had his life before himself and nothing was going to hold him back.
In
And
Out
When he finally calmed down he sat on the floor, back still pressed to the locked door. Wirt stood up, legs still feeling like jelly. "Everything is okay." He stated, walking towards the sink. His hand gripping tightly around the sink. Wirt splashed cold water onto his face, trying to clear his mind. He looked up-
He needed a moment to realize that he was the loud scream was his own. Wirt was just too focused on what was staring back at him from inside the mirror. Those were not his eyes. Those were… he felt as if he was going to puke.
Pastel blue, pastel green, pastel red. Three colors glowing from inside his eye sockets, illuminating his whole face with a creepy light.
Those were not his eyes. This was NOT him. It couldn't be…
He blinked and the being in the mirror did the same. This could not be true. Those were… he was too afraid to admit it even in his mind. But there was no denying the truth, no matter how cruel it was. Those were The Beasts eyes.
The eyes of the creature he supposedly defeated. And yet they were staring right back at Wirt as if they were his and his alone.
His mind was spinning, his thoughts running in circles. Just one word was repeating over and over again. No.
His hands gripped the sink even tighter when he heard a knock on the door.
"-irt! Wirt!" That was his mom's voice. She sounded utterly terrified. "Wirt! What happened! Are you okay! Let us in!"
Wirt swallowed, looking back into the mirror only to avert his eyes imitate. No, the glowing orbs that now replaced his eyes. The boy didn't dare to speak up, too scared of what his voice might sound like.
"Open the door!" He heard Greg's father shout, hammering against the door. Wirt backed away like an animal faced with danger, glowing orbs wide. They couldn't come in. Not now. Not when he… when he… What would they think when they saw his… his eyes.
"Please, Wirt…" His mother sounded desperate, hurt and close to tears.
Something rammed against the door and Wirt shuttered. The word no kept circling through his mind, becoming more and more painful every second. More and more his world became blurred, the sounds muffled. Everything grew distant.
He vaguely heard the door being thrown open and people rushing into the room before everything turned black.
Erica knew that being a mother wasn't easy. Heck, it was difficult before everything went downhill… before Wirts father had left her.
They had tried out, for Wirts sake but in the end, they broke up, disappearing out of each other's lives. Wirt was old enough to realize what was going on by then. He was okay with it though, at least he said that.
He hadn't been okay with the divorce when Erica married Jonathan.
He seemed to hate the older man, not talking to him for a half year. But it kind of worked out somehow- things always seemed to work out. Wirt still despised the new half of their small family but he kept this mostly to himself.
Until Halloween. Until her kids almost died. God, had Erica been terrified. She had never been this scared in all of her life and she hoped she would never have to worry like this again. But Wirt and Greg returned. They acted differently than before- but Erica assumed that it was normal after having almost died. Both her boys got along way better than before, Wirt seemed to accept Greg and Jonathan as a family (finally after all those years) and Greg seemed to look up to Greg even more.
She didn't know what had happened exactly that night -Wirt always avoided her questions-, but she didn't care. They were fine. That was all that mattered for her.
That was until Greg talked about the forest he calls The Unknown. The place where he said both of them landed after falling into the lake. Greg's stories were terrifying but the boy didn't seem like he himself felt that way. He told her and Jonathan about all the people and animals they had met. About The Beast, they defeated. (The Beast scarred Erica, it sounded like a monster straight out of a horror movie.)
Erica researched near-death experiences after she found was remotely similar to what Greg said. Was it just all the imagination of her youngest? That was what Erica thought before he saw Wirts reaction.
Wirt looked down every time Greg talked about the forest. Looking… maybe a bit melancholic? Yearning? But also scared? Terrified? Erica couldn't get a grip on it but after asking her older son, he confirmed: Yes, he remembered the same. He remembered The Unknown.
It scared Erica because maybe, just maybe they really had experienced all this. She started to call The Unknown a hallucination, trying to avoid the topic.
When Wirt turned 18, everything was fine. The accident was left far behind. But now… now she stood in the bathroom, looking down at her collapsed son, not knowing how to act.
"Mom…" she turned around. Greg's voice was weak, eyes full of tears. Just looking at him was enough to pull her out of her trance.
"Greg dear, could you please go and open the door to Wirts room?" The boy nodded and hurried away. Erica turned around. "Jonathan, we have to carry him into his bed. Help me." She demanded.
They needed some time but after a short, while they put down Wirt into his bed, the boy still unconscious. Erica sat down next to her son, her hand touching his cold and pale face.
"Will he be okay, Mom?" Greg entered the room, whispering to not wake up Wirt.
"I hope so…" was all she could say. "I… I can't say anything for sure."
"Does Wirt have to go back to the hospital?"
"Probably…" Erica looked up. Smiling at Greg. "Mind getting your father?"
"Uhu." He stated, leaving the room only to return seconds later.
"He is still unconscious?" Jonathan asked as he stepped into the room. "I haven't called an ambulance yet… But I think I should. Just to be on the safe side…"
"Please…" Erica stated, nodding. "Just… have you seen it too?" She asked, hoping that her husband would understand what she meant.
He turned around, a knowing look in his eyes as he nodded. Greg started to look at both of them, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Ah, nothing important," Jonathan stated. "Wanna come with me?"
"Yeah…" Greg answered, still unsure, and left the room. He returned shortly after, running towards his brother's bed. He brushed away his brother's hair and kissed him on the forehead. "Wake up soon. Dear brother o' mine."
Erica couldn't help but smile at the gesture. She looked back at Wirt.
So, Jonathan had seen it too. She hadn't imagined the pastel colored light of Wirts eyes, moments before he closed them.
What was happening?
AN:
Hey People. This Story is Crossposted on AO3. (Same Name)
I hope you like it.