Chapter 3: Patrick

It has now been a couple of days since Red paid a visit to the Krusty Krab. No one has seen him since that day.

Patrick was snoring loudly, sleeping on his chair underneath his rock. Drops of drool escaped his mouth. He soon began to twitch, as though he were having a nightmare. He had visions of Spongebob playing many of the various activities that they enjoy. Jellyfishing, blowing bubbles, playing board games, and so on. But with each activity, Patrick saw Spongebob fade away.
"No." he mumbled. "Spongebob where are you? Come back." He couldn't stop Spongebob from fading away. When there was no sign of his best friend left, Patrick kept hearing a voice. Spongebob's voice. A tear came to his eye as he slept. "Why, Patrick?" Spongebob's voice eerily echoed through Patrick's dream. "Spongebob?" said Patrick.

He sat bolt upright, tears streaming down his face. "What, where am I!?" Patrick shouted. He looked around and saw only his room of sand in his rock. "Whew." he said. "Just a bad dream." Patrick wiped the tears and sweat from his face.

He decided to get a drink to calm himself down.
He reached for a cup in his cabinet of sand. He reached into his fridge and poured himself a glass of lemonade. "Ah," said Patrick. "nothing like a glass of lemonade to help you relax after a super scary nightmare." He leaned back in his chair, trying to relax. As Patrick tried took his glass for a sip of his drink, he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He remembered what Red had said to them. (Wow Patrick remembered something) Patrick sighed. He looked at his glass of lemonade in his hand. Then before his eyes, the ice cubes in the cup began to become more spherical.
"Huh?" Patrick said to himself. A face began to form in his glass. A familiar face. A disappointed face. "Spongebob?" Patrick asked. "Some friend you are." the face seemed to say in Spongebob's voice.
Patrick began to hyperventilate. "My lemonade!' He cried. "Spongebob turned into my lemonade!" "You abandoned me Patrick." Spongebob's voice said. "But…but I-" Patrick stuttered. "How could you Patrick?" the Spongebob vision said. "You're my best friend."
Patrick began to tear up. He held the glass of lemonade close to him and hugged it tight. It broke within three seconds. "Spongebob!" Patrick cried out. He began to bawl loudly. "Spongebob, I'm sorry!" he cried. Patrick stopped for a moment he licked the remaining lemonade off of his face. "Tasty." he said. Despite this, he still felt guilt welling up in his being. "I need to get out of the house." said Patrick.

He lifted up his rock dome and left, deciding to take a walk. He went down the street, passing various shops and houses, including the now closed Krusty Krab. It was a Sunday after all.

He kept thinking about the vision he saw.
He felt even more guilty as the words he heard sunk in. A Jellyfish buzzed by. "Oooooh." Patrick said, staring at the jellyfish and giggling like a child. Out of nowhere Patrick pulled a net from his Bermuda trunks and ran after the little critter. "Come back." He said.
He tried to catch the jelly, but tripped over a pebble and fell flat on his face. Patrick manage to get himself back up. He was greeted by another vision. The jellyfish's bell had been replaced by Spongebob's head. Patrick somewhat smiled. The Spongebob jelly bell did the traditional Spongebob laugh. Patrick laughed along. He felt slightly better. But then the vision of his friend vanished and the Jellyfish buzzed away.

"Wait!" Patrick called. "Come back!" He ran after the Jellyfish but then he tripped on another pebble.
"Not again!" Patrick said, his voice muffled by the sand. He lifted himself up and sighed. "I didn't think I'd miss Spongebob this much." he said. Patrick sat down on a nearby park bench, and began to cry again. "What am I going to do?" he asked to himself. Patrick wasn't alone.
In the nearby alleyway, a figure stood, watching Patrick's every move. It was none other than Red. As he watched the sad sea star, he heaved a heavy sigh. It was like he felt compassionate toward the fellow.

But he remembered that he needed to lay low. Red watched him for a few seconds longer, feeling sorry for him. He said a silent prayer for the guy, asking God to look after him, before silently moving off into the darkness and out of sight.