I reeled upright from the couch. Simply trudging to the kitchen took every drop of my energy. My eyes glanced at the telephone.
I can't call Holly right now, I thought. It won't work. If she finds out- she can't find out. Shaking my head, I closed my fingers around the refrigerator door handle. The door whined as it opened. What was I expecting, really? An entire buffet of delectables? Pizza pockets? Leftovers from- I slammed the fridge shut. I had no motivation to eat anyway.
"Nngh," I groaned, rubbing my swimming headache. I leaned against the counter island. Movement from the corner of my eye startled my aching heart; fists clenched, I looked up. One of the Bidybabs crawled across the couch. I turned away. He's not coming back. I slid into one of the chairs at the dining table and let my head droop. My small, slow breaths reflected off the table's surface. My brain replayed the same stupid things millions and millions of times over. I slammed my fist onto the table. I did it twice.
"Hey, Michael?" asked a clown animatronic woman inside my body.
"What is it?"
"We have an idea," she offered, "that might help your current mental state." I tightened my grip on the table edge.
"Going out for a walk always seemed to help you in the past-" Funtime Foxy continued for Baby; I interrupted as my spine stiffened, "No, I- I can't. I can't go out. They'll know."
"Michael-" Baby began to protest, but I stopped her there.
"You c-can't make me do it," I mumbled lethargically. I lowered my head once more. I can't go out. I can't do it again.
A few minutes later, I pushed myself to stand with a sigh, "I've got nothing else better to do anyway." I reached for the front door lock when my hand stopped in place. My fingers twitched.
"Foxy," Baby began to nag, but he blurted out swiftly, "We cannot go out there looking like this! We'll gather the wrong kind of attention!" I glanced at the blood-caked hospital gown still hanging from my upper body.
Grody, the vain side of me commented. I made my way to the bathroom in a slow, autonomous motion. One blink, and there in the mirror stood a freak. His body bore a dark, ugly green like that of the undead, and haphazard splotches of reddish-purple decay surrounded the cracks stretching down his arms.
What's wrong with me? He said I was decaying- I was- why is this happening? I can't take another shower. I can't do that. I have to know why! My racing thoughts prevented me from focusing on the task at hand. I was about to go pry that old piece of bubble gum off the living room table when the muscles in my hands locked up.
"What are you doing?" I blurted out immediately.
"I'm helping you," Baby replied in a monotone, "so calm down." I watched my hands search through the cabinets. All I had to do was breathe. With damp clumps of tissue paper, hydroxide, and hand soap, she cleared my skin of its crusted maroon stains. Cleaning my face did not make it any less grotesque. Baby found the gauze wrap at an alarming speed and carefully wound it from shoulder to finger. Then she grabbed the comb and hair gel. As she attempted to style my hair in the odd half-spikey mullet I usually went for, clusters of loose hair tangled between my fingers.
"Stop! Just stop!" I screeched. Baby let my arms fall to my sides. Like a wedding veil or a goth 'do, my now thin and slick hair dangled partially over my face. Tears gathered in my eyes as my irises began a steady glow.
"I'm getting uglier and uglier," I lamented.
"Yes, you are," Funtime Foxy remarked. My lip trembled. He added quickly, "But it seems you can't help that, can you?"
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After an awkward moment of allowing Ennard to clothe me, I stepped into the main hallway. I kicked aside a chunk of a broken vase. My fingers closed around the front door handle.
Open it. I didn't want to. My breath grew heavier with every second that I procrastinated. I could feel myself drifting.
"Hey, stupid! You wanna go get some waffles?"
What if she stood behind the door, bouncing on her pristine-white platform sneakers?
"Of course I want waffles! I love waffles so much!" I would laugh in reply, then give her the biggest embrace ever.
I opened the front door and swallowed back my throbbing heartbeat. She's not coming back. One step, two steps- I carefully put one foot after the other to leave the tiny porch. My head swam, my mind fogged, and my body numbed. I didn't realise for the longest time when I collapsed to my knees. The rocky gravel prodded my palms. Breathing became one of the hardest things to accomplish; my lungs felt heavy- I was drowning. I tore my eyes away from what was left of her.
"I'm so s-" Baby began, but I didn't want to hear it. I blankly muttered something about the mail and stumbled toward the overflowing mailbox sticking out from overgrown grass.
Bill, spam mail, pizza pockets sweepstakes thing, bill, college and higher education ads that I never read, freaking expensive medical bill from the CAT scan, LDS missionary pamphlets, and an envelope… addressed to "Eggs Benedict"?
I ripped open the envelope and held up a paycheck; the amount was 15 dollars, and the name written was that breakfast dish. My face twisted into a scowl. I can't cash this shit if my name isn't on it. Growling, I crumpled the paper in a fist and threw it across the lawn. It bounced off the window of an 80s Chevette. I choked on my breath. Mabel's dad's car!
"We can't leave that in the driveway," Circus Baby commented, "or else the police could have something to blame us for." I wrung my hands, nodding.
"Right. So I- we have to m-move it."
Gritting my back teeth, I opened the driver's seat and scanned the area for the ignition key. She had the key in her pocket. I sighed. Before shutting the door, I shifted the car into neutral gear.
"We'll help you!" Funtime Foxy announced as I placed my hands on the backside of the car. I anchored my feet into the gravel and lifted my shoulder blades.
"And go," I mouthed. We pushed the car forward, going way faster than I'd anticipated. Rocks crackled underneath the groaning wheels. Every few feet, I stopped to ensure we weren't tearing up the bushes. We managed to get the car off the driveway and halfway behind the house where some trees helped hide it; nobody could see it so long as they weren't looking for it. I dusted off my hands and took a breath. Solved one problem.
"Thanks," I said quietly. The Funtime animatronics all replied with their own sort of "you're welcome". I pivoted on my heel, now set to move forward. A sparkle of light caught the corner of my eye. Don't look at it. I turned back and knelt in the grass anyway. My heart plummeted to my organs.
It still has blood on it!
I scrambled away on all fours. My gut twisted violently. Somehow, I thought that, by being close to that weapon, it would magically teleport to my hand.
"Michael, please try not to throw up," Baby warned me while I clutched my midsection. "Breathe." I did as I was told, gasping at first until I found a rhythm. One, two. In, out. Three, four-
"Hello again!"
"AHHH!" I shrilled and clambered to my feet. My shoe made contact with a plastic rabbit ear. Bon-Bon stumbled back from the force, then reset his position in front of me.
"I'm sorry!" I blurted when I saw the damage. The top half of his left ear no longer kept upright above his head. Bon-Bon lifted his paws.
"Oh, that's okay!" he chirped. "You didn't mean to." Sighing, I brushed dirt off my jeans, mumbling, "Okay, good." Bon-Bon kept his eyes trained on me. For a second, I wondered if he was broken.
"Hey, I'm not really in the mood for one of your little games," I said, and I turned to leave.
"Wait, where are you going?" Bon-Bon cried on my heels.
"Out," I replied simply. Somebody in my gut shifted and I grabbed the mailbox for support.
"Can Bon-Bon come with us? Please, PLEASE?" Funtime Freddy begged as his voice wavered with excitement. I glanced around the area.
"Uh…" That would draw MORE attention to have a blue-and-pink rabbit following me.
"Michael has a point!" Funtime Foxy joined in to argue at Freddy. "We already stand out enough!" Bon-Bon looked up at me as if he could hear exactly what was going on in my head. I'm not sure if he actually could. I fumbled with the belt loops on my jeans. Does it really matter? I hope nobody asks anything.
"Okay. Bon-Bon can come, I guess," I gave in before any more robots had a chance to sway my opinion. Bon-Bon hopped in place.
"Yay!"
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I finally left the driveway. After a few blocks down, I noticed Bon-Bon lagging behind. I decided to let her sit on my shoulder. The warm air of the early afternoon filled my lungs as I walked. I didn't have the energy to put a confident swing in my step, but I kept my head up and concentrated on getting down the sidewalk. Very few neighbours dwelled outside; other than that, it felt like a kinda normal day. Birds chirped, dogs barked, the breeze rushed past.
Just a normal walk. Just a normal day.
Someone stepped out onto their porch. No! I tossed my jacket hood over my head and yanked the strings.
"Yo, what's up? Everything okay?" I heard the guy say to my back, along with the clicks of his wife's heels on the porch as well. Their whispers about me carried through the wind.
"I'm f-f-fine," I wheezed, accidentally turning halfway to face them. I winced at my robotic stutter. The couple's eyes met mine and I watched their faces drain of colour. Behind me, the old cat lady rose from her rocking chair. I could feel eyes all the way down the street piercing arrows into my body with their nosy gazes.
"What's that thing on his shoulder?"
"Look at his face!"
"This is exactly why we're Mormons now, dear."
Startled, I rounded the block's corner and pulled my jacket closer to my body. No no no- what do I do? They're all staring at me! And not because I'm sexy!
"Let's go to the park," suggested Baby. Funtime Foxy jumped in, "Nobody will want to go there if they know we're there! Also, we can play basketball again!"
"I-I-I don't want to do that," I whispered, tugging at the gauze tape on my arms. My knees buckled under the weight of stares and anxiety. I focused on breathing.
One, two. I knew I couldn't do this- I- things aren't normal. I'm not normal. Mabel- she's not here- she-
A little boy wheeled his bicycle into the garage across the street. He caught his mother's gossip about me and looked my way. Staring at the sidewalk now, I sped up my pace. I chewed on the end of the jacket string.
Maybe I should go to the park- no no, I can't. If someone's there- if Sasha is there! I can't go-
My body collided with a much larger one; I bounced off a one-striped polo. Ennard stopped my stumble to prevent a fall. My mouth opened to utter an apology, but I couldn't get anything out.
"Good afternoon, young man," grunted Mr Sanderson. "What's up with the weird rabbit thing you got there?" He wore a small smile all too familiar. Bon-Bon climbed off my shoulder after giving the man an enthusiastic wave. The realisation that I'd automated directly to Mabel's house wrenched every organ in my body.
"Uh… um… I, uh-h…" my throat tightened against my words. I fiddled with my clammy hands. I wished I could self-destruct right there on the pavement.
"You alright there, young man?" the man's expression softened just a little at my terrified and terrifying countenance. He leaned over to examine me, squinting slightly. I could've pissed my pants then. He knows. He knows what I did.
"Michael, you're making us look suspicious," Baby pointed out; her voice carried an edge of worry. "You have to calm down." I crushed my tongue between my teeth. Where's chewing gum when I need it?!
"Ah, I forgot to go get my glasses. For a second, I thought your eyes were really glowing," Mr Sanderson half-heartedly chuckled.
"H-h-hah, yeah, m-my eyes don't- don't glow or anything," I tried to wheeze through my rapid breaths. What do I do? Oh no, oh shit!
"I think we should run-" Funtime Freddy started, but both Baby and Foxy spat, "NO!" Mr Sanderson's smile faded the longer he stared at me.
"Say," he began with a snap of his finger, "you're, uh- you're that boy, aren't you? The hasty awkward one from Mabel's graduation. You're always here to see her."
"S-sure," I answered without thinking.
"Mark, was it?"
"Okay."
Mr Sanderson's eyes darkened. His back hunched as he leaned even closer. I made an involuntary squeak.
"I haven't seen my daughter around in a little while," he scowled, his tone low and careful, "and word has it that you were the last person around her. Is she-"
"No!" I shot, to which he raised an eyebrow and I shrank back. "I mean, uh- I'm, I- I d-didn't-"
"What are you acting so scaredy for?" Mr Sanderson hissed with a slight grin on his face. My entire body was shaking now. What is it with Sandersons and always smiling?
"What happened to my daughter?!" Mabel's father barked suddenly, lunging even closer. I flinched and gathered fists on instinct. Something warm dripped onto my chin. I finally registered the tears on my cheeks.
"She's- sh-she- h- she's-" I couldn't form any words. I couldn't tell him anything.
"NOW WE RUN!" Funtime Freddy hollered in my head. Before anyone could protest, I felt my limbs being ripped away from my control.
"I'm sorry!" was the only thing I could get out to Sanderson. Freddy whirled us around and thrust my arms and legs forward. We broke into a sprint. The other Funtimes scolded Freddy. A few feet behind us, we heard the loud booming noise of bootsteps on our tail.
"He's after us!" I panicked. "He's actually after us!" My heart thumped loudly against my ribcage. I watched my feet strike the ground at a rapid, rhythmic pace.
"You better NOT have hurt her!" bellowed Mr Sanderson. Ennard glanced over our shoulder. For an old man, Sanderson kept up his own pace. His bald head glimmered with sweat. Bon-Bon couldn't keep up with us; he remained at a fair distance behind. As we turned our head back to check on him, Mr Sanderson let out a yelp. Bon-Bon's buck teeth enclosed around the man's ankle. Sanderson stumbled and tripped over the robot rabbit.
"YEAHHH! GET 'EM, BON-BON!" Freddy exclaimed, putting a little bounce in our sprint. We increased our speed again.
"Over the fence!" Funtime Foxy yelled and pointed my finger at it approaching. I watched my limbs scramble to get a grip of the tall wooden fence. Ennard swung one leg over, then my entire upper body. I crashed face-first into a concrete brick. A crack echoed in my head. My vision suddenly doubled, then blurred and dulled in colour.
I broke my face again! I screamed in my head. Ennard scrambled away from the fence. We crawled behind a garden trellis. I listened to my rampant breathing, peering through the flowers. We waited. I could hardly hear anything with the thumping and ticking of my organs sounding off.
"Where is he? Is he gone? Are we safe?" I asked.
"I don't know," Circus Baby whispered back to me. Just in case, we remained among that random neighbour's garden for what seemed like decades. Eventually, my muscles grew lighter- Ennard let go of their control. I rose to my feet carefully. I registered something wet on my face and wiped it on my fingers. A deep red-black colour tainted the gauze. I gasped and found the source quickly, flickering weakly in the grass.
"My eye!"
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Walking home proved to be much more of a task without proper depth perception. A few of my neighbours stopped to stare once more, whispering their concerns; other neighbours fled to their houses upon the sight of me. I took every step carefully and obeyed instructions from Ennard. My stomach and teeth were clenched the entire time. Thankfully, we didn't run into Mr Sanderson again; he must have gone back inside the house. We didn't see Bon-Bon either.
"Why did- why didn't you just use my voice to make me t-talk or something?" I mumbled to Funtime Foxy. I reached for the front door handle and missed. Damn.
"What was I supposed to say, young Afton?" he snapped in response and gestured with my hands. "'Sorry I killed your daughter. Please don't instantly kill me'?" I opened the front door, glad that I didn't bother to lock it beforehand.
"I don't know," I sighed.