Hello, author note here. I just wanted to clear something up; this story is NOT a creepypasta. The concept may be creepy, yes, but it's not supposed to be written or treated creepily. …Okay, maybe it will be a little creepy. Just a little.
Also, I know normals wake up a 6AM and the Junction opens at 8. Molly wakes up later; it's intentional. In case anyone bothered to notice o.o
And an answer to a review!
Set: Liam is supposed to resemble the SSB character, but he isn't the exact same. That's just how I pictured him. (and the SSB character has brown hair. Get your facts straight. /shot jk)
Enough from me…onto the story!
Dreams attacked Molly that night. Visions of thousands of animals, imprisoned, screaming and crying. Visions of the neon sign being grabbed. Visions of long, rolling hills.
Hills. Anderson.
Molly jolted awake with a gasp. Her webbed feet were numb. She was sweating and panting. She shivered in cold and saw the window was open. She vaguely recalled opening it, but never closing it. She was grateful for the plush, warm couch and soft tune of K.K. Ballad to calm her. She would thank Tom Nook for the furniture.
Wait, Nook's store didn't open until 10AM. Oh well, she'd tried.
Since she was awake, she decided to get some more furniture. She opened her door and was greeted by a cold blast of air and a gloomy, gray sky. The air carried the heaviness that suggested rain. Molly was full-on shuddering now. She wished she had a nice sweater, but not only did she not own one, the clothing store wouldn't be open at this time of day. She began trekking to Main Street, when she noticed something strange. Where there had once been two cherry trees, there was now a roped-off area with a sign in front. Curious, Molly looked at the writing on the sign. It read:
"This area is reserved for Jacques' new home. -Nook's Homes"
Molly smiled. A new resident sounded fun. She wondered what he'd look like.
Crunch.
Molly leaped and whirled around, stunned to see the mayor. He'd just stepped into a pile of leaves, explaining the onomatopoeia that had just happened. Her heart pounded, and not just because she wasn't used to seeing anyone when she awoke.
"You're up early," he said.
"I could say the same to you."
Liam smiled a little. "Why are you up?"
"Just my routine," Molly replied curtly. "And you?"
"Nightmares," he replied brusquely. Molly was slightly taken aback.
"Of what?"
Pain flickered in his eyes. He looked down.
"Nevermind. You wouldn't remember."
"I'm not one to forget things."
Liam raised his eyebrows and then broke off into a laugh. Molly was frustrated by this.
"And what do you mean, remember?"
"I mean, I had nightmares. About you. And everyone in this village. And the whole concept. But you don't know why, do you?" he said, saying the last part rather bitterly.
Molly froze.
What?
Nightmares? About her? About her friends? Concept of what?
A million responses went by her head, but she settled on, "I had them too."
Liam's head shot up.
"About a crowd. And the sign that woman held up. Did you see that?"
Liam looked stunned. "You remember the crowd? And the sign?"
"Uh…yes," Molly replied uncomfortably. She didn't like what was going on.
"You weren't supposed to see the crowd. Or the sign. But what do I care? Maybe they'll help you remember."
"Remember what?"
"Remember us!" He said with a sudden bout of rage. "Remember yourself! You used to love to draw, remember? Chalk was your favorite! You loved to bake cookies. You hated dust and liked cleaning your room. You had toys and your best friend was Peanut. Don't you remember, Molly Hills?!"
Molly began slowly backing away. He's insane. He's crazy.
"We were friends, Molly," he rasped. "I was your friend. Remember the dandelions? How we met?"
He began walking up to her, causing her to recede faster.
"Don't you remember your brother who died from the plagues? My sister was lost, too. Can't you even remember them?" he began slowing, tears in his eyes.
Molly whirled around and raced to her house, completely forgetting about the Junction. She slammed the door shut, breathing heavily, when something caught her eye.
The dandelions. Sitting there on the innocent, classic table, with the pretty white lace on top. Weeds.
Without a thought, she strolled up to them and swept them aside, the clay of the flowerpot hitting the ground with a loud crash! Her whole body trembled as the medicine from the Operation fought furiously against the wave of memories, threatening to bear down on her mind. (She had no awareness of this, only the feeling of sheer confusion.)
Out of the memory tsunami, a small drop squeezed through the chink in the armor, the crack in the barrier that the Operation had created.
"Stop! Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Molly yelled to nobody in particular. She gasped, taking in air, when the thunder clapped and the rain began pouring. She formed one memory.
"Hey! You! Look what I got!"
"Liam! Stop! My friends are around. They're gonna think you're my boyfriend or something gross. I don't even know you."
"But look. Seriously."
He'd extended his hand, where there had been a dandelion, just blooming.
"Wanna come over to my house? I have a whole ton in the backyard."
"…It's really pretty. But…"
"My mom bakes the best cookies ever."
"…Okay, fine."
Then came a pounding headache, followed by the floor swooping beneath her. Somehow she ended up flat on her face.
"What's happening?" Molly gasped weakly. She let out a scream as lightning exploded outside and the entire world went dark.
I~I~I~I~I~I
"What the heck happened?!"
"I like, have no idea! Filbert found her."
"W-well, I was walking along, eating some cherries, when I heard this creepy scream. I walked into her house and her dandelions were all over the floor and the flowerpot was broken! And she was DEAD!"
"She's not dead, she just passed out. Calm down."
"Purrl is right. Molly should be fine."
Molly blinked open her eyes, and the world slid into view. She moaned and turned, greeted by a stabbing pain in her head and chest. Filbert stared at her and squealed loudly. The town's residents and the mayor were in Filbert's cramped house, staring at Molly.
"What happened?" she asked after a minute.
"You fainted or something. And your dandelions broke. You got shards of clay in your chest," Liam replied.
"Ooh." Molly looked down, seeing a rather large white bandage on her feathers. Then another shooting pain went through her skull and she winced. "Did I get some in my head, too?"
"No," Purrl replied. "Why?"
"I have the mother of all headaches," Molly grunted. She wasn't one to complain, so she shut up and stared at the ceiling.
"You scared us!" Butch practically shouted. "We thought you were dead!"
"No we didn't," Purrl and Liam said at the same time. Pippy raced over to Molly.
"I bought this for you," she said, holding up a blue bag.
"What's that?"
"It's all-cure medicine! …Well, sort of. It cures the sniffles and bee stings. But I bet it'll help you!" she said eagerly.
"Alright," Molly said, reaching for it, but Pippy snatched it away.
"You're sick; I have to feed it to you," she said importantly.
"I think she can handle it," Purrl sighed. Pippy ignored her and carefully placed a white pill in Molly's mouth. She swallowed it and coughed, sending pains through her entire body. I wish I had some water with that.
Liam was eyeing her carefully. "Can I speak with her alone for a second?"
"How?" Butch said grumpily. "It's pouring rain outside and there's no second floor. Anything she hears, we hear."
Liam sighed and turned to Molly.
"Okay. But don't ask me any questions."
Pippy was staring curiously with a smile.
"I remembered," Molly whispered before he could speak. "The dandelions. And the cookies that your mom made."
Liam's eyes widened. His mouth broke into a smile.
But the world was going away again; pulling Molly away, like a mother tearing her child away from danger. Molly struggled to stay. To hold on.
"But I'm not…supposed to remember. My…can't…handle it…"
"What'd she say?" Pippy asked curiously.
"What the heck is she even talking about?" Butch said gruffly. If Molly had been more inhibited, she may have been inclined to respond. But her eyes were closing, her breath fluttering.
"We need…to undo…" Liam began saying something, but it was lost on Molly. Her eyes shut. And her consciousness was dragged away.