Funny story, when I originally wrote this chapter, I actually didn't like it. But when I reopened this file to recap before writing the next one...I actually really, really liked it a lot. Fair warning, though, I have an unironic love of symbolism. And it runs RAMPANT through Karkat's nightmare. So there is that to keep in mind while reading.

Second note, just gonna sneak this in here, if anyone wants to contact me easily and get a fairly rapid response, you can find me on tumblr; my url is happikattwuzheere.

Lastly I would just like to apologize ahead of time, but if you thought that things had already gone horribly wrong you were sorely mistaken.

Nothing's changed. It's still ridiculously hot and dry, you still feel like you're burning from the inside out, and that monster's still following you somewhere, even if you can't hear it right now. You're getting really, really fucking sick of the colors white and red, because they're still the only colors around you in this other world, all you see as you follow this red path to who gives a fuck where. Somewhere cool, hopefully. Somewhere safe.

Every once in a while, you hear whispers. Most of them make you pick up your pace because you are not looking forward to another run in with that demon, but this one voice keeps coming back now and then, and you'd slow down and try to listen...

It feels like forever since you last heard that voice. You kind of miss it. It was comforting, in a way you can't explain. Like your only friend out here.

Actually, it almost reminds you of something...There was something you were doing, someone who did...something that had you...upset, maybe? It's hard to remember anything that isn't this world of heat and pain...

"Heh."

You freeze instantly. That voice sounded identical to the voice that's been calming you, but in the same instant that it's a perfect match, it's completely wrong...And the shadow that it casts, the one that falls over you from behind, it's not right, the shape is wrong, he doesn't have horns... You turn slowly to look, and see a shadowy, lanky figure with glowing eyes - violent, indigo circles rimmed in red, the only part of the demon-thing that isn't a shadow.

You want to run, but your feet are frozen. You want to scream, but your throat is sealed shut by the same force that has you nailed to the ground. You want to at least get away, but your eyes are locked to his...And then he latches what feel like claws around your neck and draws you in close, until those eyes are all you see, and he smiles with pointed black teeth, far wider than anything should be able to...

"DID YOU REALLY THINK...I'd be that easy to get rid of, motherfucker?" And he laughs, cruelly, throwing you right into Gamzee's house. You're cleaning up the house a bit, because you need something to do, and you're in a pretty good mood for once because Gamzee's been sober for two weeks now, which is a pretty big deal considering this is Gamzee. To be honest, you were really only pretending to be sure that he'd do it; you figured he's sneak off and try to get high while you weren't around, but he didn't. You have to hand it to him, you think as you dig under the bathroom sink for cleaning supplies, he's got more self control than you would've thought. You feel kinda bad for not trusting him mo-

Your hand brushes against something that shouldn't be here. A paper bag, stuffed way in the back behind the cleaning supplies. Curious, you pull it out and look inside and oh fuck no.

Fuck trusting Gamzee. Fuck that liar, just...did it suddenly get hotter in here...He fucking promised you he'd...Even though a part of you knew that this wouldn't be simple, this...He's been hiding this for two weeks after he promised to...!

You storm out of the bathroom, the bag clenched in your fist, and throw it down on the couch next to Gamzee, who's watching the fucking TV like nothing's wrong...were the walls always red...He jumps slightly, but you start off yelling before he can say a word. "The fuck is this, Gamzee?" You keep ranting at him for a couple minutes, while he sits there, silently, his expression darkening with irritation - the fucker's not even sorry, he's got the nerve to actually be angry at you, when he's the one who broke his fucking promise...why is it so hot here anyway...!

You pause for breath, and he speaks, in an infuriatingly calm voice. "I didn't promise you I'd quit, Karkat."

"Wha- the fuck you didn't, you-!"

"I promised to motherfucking try to quit, Karkat. And I haven't motherfucking touched that since I made that promise, I - "

"THEN WHY THE FUCK IS IT STILL IN THE HOUSE! Goddamit, you half-assed, backstabbing, spineless FUCK of a liar, I can't believe I actually thought I could trust you!"

And the next thing you know, you've stormed out of the house without looking back...

"You really should look back, motherfucker." And then the maniacal giggling starts, and you're back in the weird world, all sprawled out on the ground in front of that demon thing that thinks it's okay to talk like Gamzee. And it's laughing at you mercilessly, and suddenly everything about him makes sense...

You spontaneously regain control of your body, and run like your life depends on it. Because there is a really fucking good chance that it does. But as you're going, the shadow suddenly reappears in front of you and you jolt awake, or half awake anyway. Everything's still red and white and fuzzy and hot and dry, but the shapes look vaguely like Gamzee's room...And that shape by the bed isn't Gamzee. You hear the laughing in your ears, taunting you, telling you how you should have known he'd leave, he didn't even care about you enough to get rid of the fucking drugs, should have known, but you don't let yourself believe it, can't believe it won't believe it -

You think a voice calls your name out, and you swing your head toward the sound, and the world spins all around you. You try to ask where Gamzee is, but you can barely understand your own voice...You must have gotten something out, because the blurry figure responds with words as blurry as its outline, but you make out one soul-shattering word: "Gone."

Everything crumbles around you.

Everything turns into dust, right before your eyes - everything is red sand, and even the white sky crumbles into blackness, and the path in front of you - the ground in front of you, even - starts to disintegrate. As you take a step back, you bump into a looming figure, still casting a horned shadow on the ground. You don't even bother to look, you just stare at the shadow...and the shadow points. You look, and there's a second path, branching off from the first. This one's not red, it's dust-colored, and it's shaded over by actual trees, and it looks so cool and inviting... You blink, and still not looking back, you start heading down the tunnel, and everything starts slipping away...


See, NOW things have gone horribly wrong.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA