"Little Alice fell
d
o
w
n
the hOle,
bumped her head
and bruised her soul."
― Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland
Deeper down
It's a forgotten part of the world.
Deep down.
Somewhere inside the earth in a place that has never touched the sun. A border where the known and the forgotten touch.
A small water spring.
Sounds of distant waterfalls.
A small, spoiled river that is weak of magic.
A lone blue flower is glowing in this dark. It hums. Alone and untouched for ages.
It had never known life. For the longest time, the self was the only life the flower has ever known.
It was alone, and it knew nothing else.
But now, there was a strange thing. Something the flower had never recognised: A foreign intruder in its forgotten place of solitude.
A human girl huddled up against the rocky walls.
She sat on her knees and hugged her legs, her head down and covered.
She was silent.
She had cried for a long time, but now she had stopped. For an hour, maybe more, she had stayed there.
A trail of crimson blood marked the steps she took. It seeped from an open wound on her waist, covered partly by a large shrapnel.
Her skin was pale. Very pale.
And she fell to the side, revealing her face. Eyes open but devoid of hope and life.
The last sparks faded.
She breathed her last.
And the world grew darker.
.
.
.
The Importance of Being Frisk
A play by Jason Kris Bigelow(⬥︎ ︎□︎ ︎□︎ ︎⬧︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ︎⌧︎ ︎⬧︎⧫︎ ︎■︎ ︎ ■︎ ︎❖︎ ︎❒︎ ⬥︎ ︎●︎●︎)
Act Two
The living room in The Queen's house in New Home, Ebott. The room has simple furnishing and appears quaint and cosy. Faintly heard is the sound of a bustling city outside. Francisca sits by the piano and plays a familiar tune while The Royalty sits on top of it inside a flower pot.
The Royalty: "Fancy tune you're playing there."
Francisca takes her hands off the piano keys.
Francisca: "Oh, I wasn't aware you were awake, your highness. But thank you."
The Royalty: "I've always been here. From the start, in fact. You've just ignored me, assuming me to be a dead object and the fancy of a madman who talks to me."
Francisca smiles fondly.
Francisca: "Yes, my apologies, my lord."
The Royalty: "Apologies? What, are you a servant? Ah, there is no need."
Francisca: "My apologies- erm, I am… I just assumed it was polite."
The Royalty: "Polite, shcmolite. Ah. I didn't mean to make it seem like I am deriding you, lady. I was merely pointing out that politeness is a very, how does one put it, overvalued aspect of our "polite" society."
Francisca: "Pardon me, but are there any faults with that assertion?"
The Royalty: "Perhaps. One can find faults in anything if one looks hard enough. Doesn't give everything the same values."
Francisca: "How do you measure those values?"
The Royalty begins to think.
The Royalty: "I suppose it's all a subject of taste. And of one's own moral standings."
Francisca: "Well, then, according to my own moral standings, you tend to undervalue positive aspects. And being Royalty should not give you more weight than an equally learned person. Ah, no offence."
The Royalty: "Four."
Francisca: "Pardon?"
The Royalty: "That is the fourth time you apologies in this conversation."
Francisca: "Well, I suppose, then, that this is just who I am. Just a part of me. Part of being Frisk."
The Royalty: "Who is Frisk?"
Frisk: "What?"
The Royalty: "Oh? Erm, what? Sorry, what are we talking about?"
Francisca remains silent.
Francisca: "Strange. We were just talking, yet I don't remember."
The Royalty turns to a silent ponder and looks out the window.
The Royalty: "Huh. There is a group of wild birds circling a dead deer in the snow out there. What could've brought this about, I wonder?"
The sounds of distant doors opening up.
The Kid enters.
The Royalty: "Ah, MK."
The Kid: "Good morning, mister royalty. It is a snowstorm out there."
Francisca: "In the middle of September?"
The Royalty: "The climates have indeed changed, it seems. And not for the better."
Francisca: "What brings you here, MK?"
The Kid: "I'm here because- erm… no clue. First, it was due for my mum. Then it was for my previous mum and pop. The ones who are dead. And then it went back to-"
Francisca: "Ah. No matter. Your presence is fine enough."
The Royalty: "I think we are all lost, in some way, in our club. I suppose we are a society of lost creatures. Wandering through life like ghosts."
The Kid: "Like the musician? Napstablook?"
The Royalty: "Erm. Not what I was thinking of, but sure."
The Kid sits on a nearby couch.
The Kid: "So, have you heard anything from the two brothers?"
Francisca: "Which brothers?"
The Royalty: "Oh, are you talking about the two lazy rascals? Why, say, are you inquiring about them?"
The Kid: "No specific reason. It has been a long while since I've heard or seen of them, and I am curious if you have news?"
The Royalty: "Why should we know anything about them? I merely fancy one, but I can barely tolerate the other."
The Kid: "Well, I think I need to leave now. I'll be back quickly. Just need to fetch some stuff for my moms."
The Kid leaves.
Francisca: "Wait. Are you talking about the skeleton brothers?"
The Royalty: "You remember them? Colour me amazed."
Francisca: "Of course. It hasn't been a while. Has it?"
The Royalty: "Frankly, I haven't seen them since the war ended."
Francisca: "The war ended? What war?"
Francisca remembers a bit.
Francisca: "Oh, yeah. Wait, when was that again?"
The Royalty: "You're not a funny kidder."
Francisca: "Agreed. But I made fine attempts."
The Royalty: "I disagree. A fine attempt would've succeeded."
Francisca: "Perhaps. Hmm. But now that I'm pondering, when did it end-?"
Enter The Captain.
The Captain: "Evening, folks of sluggish prestige!"
Francisca: "Ah, miss Undyne. Glad to see you, as always."
The Captain hangs up her coat.
The Captain: "Ah, let me apologise for my delay. I was out fishing. Yes, dare I say that a fish was fishing."
Francisca: "Huh? Pardon me, Undyne, but-"
The Royalty: "Five."
Francisca: "Stop that! But Undyne? I am amazed. Did I hear you apologising? You?"
The Captain: "Yes! Why ever not?"
Francisca: "No reason. It just feels very uncharacteristic for a woman like you."
The Captain: "Bah! I think courtesy is less of an aspect of one's character and more of an obligation one should have in a good society. Although, you are indeed correct. I'm not one for courtesy otherwise."
Francisca: "When did The Captain of the kingdom's esteemed Royal Guard desire to appeal to "good" society."
The Captain: "I don't. I just make exceptions for people I fancy. Also, for future reference, I am an ex-captain. The war has ended, and there is no need for The Guard on the surface, remember?"
Francisca: "Oh, right. My apologies."
The Royalty: "Six."
Francisca: "You see, I have a weird… conundrum. I seem to have forgotten about the ending of the war business. Until a few moments until you came. We were just talking about it."
The Captain looks at Francisca with confusion.
The Captain: "How come?"
Francisca thinks about it quietly for a moment.
Frisk: "I think I've just been… lost. I've been unable to think about life or current events. I've had no idea what to do or where to go for some time now. Like everything I've done has been due to life forcing me on certain paths. Like my choices in this world don't matter. I am merely a puppet on strings."
Francisca shakes her head.
Francisca: "My apologies, lady captain. I did not mean to barrage you with my own worries."
The Royalty: "Seven."
The Captain: "Hah, have you forgotten about my dearest, the esteemed and scholarly Lady Alphys? The only thing greater than her beauty and intellect is her size of worries, which I help her carry like the Atlas of old carries the Earth. Oh, I suppose with such greatness of mind, there must also be a great curse. By the by, I heard that song you composed. Yes, all the way from where I was from. It sounds oh so familiar, but I cannot place it."
The Royalty: "Yes. Where indeed did you hear that?"
Francisca: "It came to me in a dream the other night. Perhaps you've dreamt it as well?"
The Captain: "Dreams are nothing fancy. Merely the pink lump that is your consciousness refilling the coal for the furnace."
The Royalty: "Huh. It appears lady Alphys has rubbed herself on you. But I cannot say I disagree. Dreams are curses. Curses of the waking world."
The Captain: "But about that song. There is something about it that awakened old memories of yore."
The Royalty: "I felt it were a song about someone specific. My song."
Francisca: "I do not even know the piano that well. In fact, I merely sat down and felt it was right to make."
The Captain: "I've played the piano for years, ever since I was a wee fish. And I do not recall ever having a similar sense."
The Royalty: "You?! Playing the piano?!"
The Captain: "Yes. Why? Do you presume it to be too weak or effeminate for me? The act of music belongs to no status or personality."
Enter The Kid.
The Royalty: "You're earlier than I expected."
The Kid: "Yo, I just had to come here."
They look at The Captain.
The Kid: "Miss Captain."
The Captain: "Ex-Captain. I've retired."
The Kid: "You're always Captain to me."
The Captain: "It's always neat to see you. What is the occasion?"
The Royalty: "They don't remember. They seem to share the same poor memory as me."
The Kid: "Oh, well, I think I finally remembered. That is why I came so quickly! There is an odd new man that is coming to visit. Says he wants to join us."
The Captain: "Beg your pardon? Surely, you don't mean some random Joe off the streets is joining our little group?"
The Royalty: "I already think we have more than enough in our little club. Some more would draw way too much attention our way."
Francisca: "I think we should give him a chance, though."
The Royalty: "Ahh, of course. There goes our bravest lady Francisca, always running headfirst into uncertainty and danger, dragging our poor souls with her."
The Captain: "I have to agree with her."
The Royalty looks at The Captain, flabbergasted.
The Royalty: "Surely you jest?! You? Taking advice from a human? The race you promised to destroy before we broke free not so long ago?"
The Captain: "Are you bringing up that horrid past?! Times change, and so do we. Besides, I want nothing to do with that madman, the king I once served, no more. I wish the man on the throne were more like ✌︎⬧︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ︎."
The Royalty: "Pardon me? I thought you were talking about ✌︎⬧︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ︎?"
The Captain: "I am. That accursed madman is nothing but trouble!"
Francisca looks at the two with confusion.
Frisk: "Huh? What are you talking about? Who are you talking about? And how are you making that odd noise with your mouth?"
The Captain: "✌︎⬧︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ︎, of course. ✌︎⬧︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ︎ is the man I hate, and ✌︎⬧︎ ︎□︎❒︎ ︎ is the man I admire."
The Royalty: "Ahh, I get it now."
Frisk: "Erm… well, I don't. They sound like the same name. Why are you talking about them like they're different people."
The Kid: "It makes perfect sense to me."
Frisk: "What? I'm sorry, but they sound like completely contradictory opinions simultaneously. Contradictory people."
The Captain: "I don't see how confusing it is for you to grasp. They are not the same, although they are."
The Royalty examines Francisca with worry.
The Royalty: "My lady. Is something the matter?"
Francisca takes a deep breath.
Francisca: "My apologies. I did not mean to worry any of you. I'm just feeling a bit under the weather. It feels hard to take things in. Take any of this in. Like life is some sort of dream-"
Enter The Shade.
The Shade: "A guest has arrived."
The Captain: "Well, what are you waiting for? Let him in?"
The Shade exits.
Francisca: "Sorry, who was that?"
The Royalty: "That is our newest butler. Since rivers, trade routes, and transport systems work differently in our new world, Riverperson had to adapt. Of course, I pitied him and offered him work. Also, because a desperate being is an easy being to hire."
Francisca: "And you didn't consult any of us beforehand?"
The Royalty looks at her with confusion.
The Royalty: "I have."
Frisk: "What? But why did you explain it to me like you never have?"
The Royalty: "Did I?"
Francisca looks bewildered.
Frisk: "I'm sorry, what is going on? No, seriously, there is something-"
Enter The Gentleman.
The Gentleman: "Salutations! I suppose this is the little adventure group I've heard and seen so much about?"
The Royalty: "If it isn't our surprise guest of honour. And look! He's another human nonetheless."
The Royalty glares at The Captain.
The Captain: "Apologies? Do you presume me to be offended? Well, if so, I am offended. But not by him, but by you. Offended that you presume me to still hold onto my old prejudices. The new monster I am today won't mind having two humans in our group."
The Kid: "Me neither."
The Royalty: "Well, we haven't decided yet."
The Gentleman: "Well, if it makes you all happy, I am not a full human."
The Gentleman removes his hat, revealing his two white canine ears that pop up.
Francisca: "And who might you be?"
The Gentleman: "Oh, I have many names. Alexander Daniels, Anton Dunce, Anno-"
The Captain: "Haven't we met before? Oh yeah, I think I saw you in my home town."
The Kid: "I saw you in Snowdin."
The Royalty: "Ah, right, of course. You were everywhere in the Underground."
Francisca: "Well, pardon me, but I don't recall ever seeing you my entire life."
The Gentleman: "You have, actually. I have, in fact, seen you a lot."
Francisca: "No offence, but I surely would've remembered meeting an old man who, instead of human ears, sports a set of dog ears."
The Gentleman: "None took! I was slightly different back in the day. Very different. I seem to recall I was even bipedal at times."
The Royalty: "Alright, what can you even offer our fine little club."
The Captain: "Frankly, I didn't even know we were an official club. Do we even have a name?"
The Royalty: "Ah, yes."
The Captain: "Great, let's hear!"
The Royalty: "Oh, my apologies, but I meant "ah yes" as in "that is a good point to keep for later". Now you, a man who is also a dog, what do you offer to us?"
Frisk: "Wait, what do we even do here-"
The Gentleman: "Well, I am a renowned sorcerer of a special sort."
The Royalty: "Bah, we already have plenty of "renowned sorcerers" running around. To be frank, we need more than that before we let any Joe, Jane, or either inside. We might as well invite sir Smiley Trashbag and his brother."
Frisk: "Smiley Trashbag? Where have I heard that before-"
The Gentleman: "I understand your hesitation, but don't fret! I'm actually a very renowned sorcerer."
The Royalty: "And dearest Alphys is a very renowned scholar and scientist, yet you don't see her around her, do you?"
The Captain: "Hey, careful."
The Kid: "He looks harmless. I say we should let him in."
Francisca: "Erm, do I get a say-"
The Royalty: "In a bit, my dear lady. Now, can you elaborate, gentleman?"
The Gentleman suddenly turns to Francisca with an odd glare.
The Gentleman: "Hey. I know you."
Francisca: "You do? Well, of course. You've said that several times already. And as I've told you several times, I do not recognise you."
The Gentleman: "Ah, I'm afraid you misunderstood me. What I just had was an epiphany of sorts. I know you, but not in the way I said so earlier."
Francisca: "Pardon?"
The scene fades a little bit, but only so that Francisca and The Gentleman are in focus. The others are being ignored.
The Gentleman: "It is hard to explain. I thought you were just a dream at first, like the others. But now I'm not so sure. Frankly, I am very unsure as to whose dream this is."
Francisca gives him a confused glare.
Francisca: "Excuse me, but I am afraid I do not understand what you mean."
The Gentleman: "I am afraid I barely do myself. Do you see me differently from the rest?"
Francisca gives him a thorough examination. She sees his face, the skeletal structure of that remains solid. That strikes her as weird, as the others have such "fluid" faces.
The others have faces that constantly seemed alter subtly as if the bones underneath shift irregularly.
Frisk: "Now that you say it, I recall something distant. There were snow and, erm, boots? Something about shoes."
Francisca reminisces about old times.
Francisca: "Who are you again?"
The Gentleman stares at her and smiles. It is a smile of pity.
The Gentleman: "Frisk, wasn't it?"
Francisca: "Frisk? Bah, that takes me back. Where did you hear that? No one has called me Frisk since-"
Francisca pauses.
Francisca: "Since… always?"
She feels a chill run up her spine.
The Gentleman: "Where are you, Frisk?"
Droplets start leaking from Frisk's clothes as if she were melting. She looks down at herself and realises she's soaked in water.
Francisca: "Why am I drenched? You're a wizard. Did you do this?"
The Gentleman: "Ahh, I see."
Francisca: "Why did you do this?! Is this some sort of prank?!"
The Gentleman: "I didn't do anything. And I think that what is happening is that you just answered my question."
Francisca: "Pardon? But I didn't say anything."
The Gentleman: "And you didn't have to. I'll have to go now. Wake up."
Frisk: "Huh?"
The Gentleman leaves. The scene resumes as it should.
Frisk: "Ok, what the fu-"
The Royalty: "...and they said, "why are you killing all these people?!", to which I replied, "The Aristocrats"."
The room fills with laughter.
The Royalty: "Anyway, that is sort of fancy I did after missing a hundred years."
Francisca(softly): "What?"
The Veteran: "Ah, a hundred years? My, my, the time flies."
Francisca(softly): "Gerson? Where did he come from?"
The Veteran: "Doesn't feel long ago since I was The Captain."
The Captain: "Then I took over, and then I also took over being the ex-captain."
Francisca(softly): "Where's that weird old man?"
The Veteran: "Alright, it was nice catching up, but I think I need to be going now."
The Kid: "Aww. Can you not stay a little longer."
The Veteran pats The Kid on the head and smiles.
The Veteran: "Oh, I so, indeed, wish I could. But my stay here puts you all in danger, especially from The Vile Huntsman. Besides, I'm overdue for a meeting."
The Veteran goes and puts on his coat and hat.
The Veteran: "Well, now I'm off. Going to meet an old friend."
The Veteran leaves.
Francisca(softly): "Gerson? W-where are you going? Please. Come back."
The Royalty looks at Francisca.
The Royalty: "Ah, Francisca! Didn't see you there."
Francisca: "Didn't see me here?! But I've been here all along, chatting with you?"
The Captain: "Have you? Eh, no offence, but all you humans look the same."
The Royalty: "Ah-HAH! So you're not over your human bigotry despite your wording earlier, lady captain!"
The Captain: "Excuse me?! That was merely a statement of observation. Not my fault I can't tell them all apart. And I don't hate them either."
Francisca: "Wait, who did you think you were talking to? I'm the only human here."
The Captain: "I thought it was the other human. The one always hanging around with you?"
Francisca: "Huh? What other human? You mean the visitor?"
The Royalty: "Never mind it. That human left Francisca long ago. Now he's solo."
The Kid: "What visitor are you inquiring about, Francisca?"
Francisca: "Huh? I am, of course, referring to that older man, the one with dog ears in place of human ones. You don't recall."
The Royalty: "Hmm, no, I can't recall. Are you sure you didn't confuse him with the dog?"
Laughter fills the room.
The Captain: "Speaking of, where is that little mutt? A friend of mine still requires him to pay back those items he stole from him."
The Royalty: "Ugh. Speaking of "stealing things, I've just heard some bad news. They say Grimes is in town."
Audible groans filled the room.
The Captain: "Not again."
Francisca: "Grimes? Who is Grimes?"
The Royalty: "Everyone knows Grimes. And as far as we all know, no one likes him all that much. Some say they do, but I honestly doubt them."
The Captain: "Add me to the countless numbers of those who don't like him very much. He follows me around too much. And he took four of my dogs, amongst many things."
Francisca "He took your dogs?!"
The Kid: "He took four of your dogs?! That can't be!"
The Captain: "Why not, pray tell?"
The Kid: "Because I heard he only took two?!"
The Captain: "Ah, that is old news! It used to be that he only took two of my dogs. But then he wasn't happy and took two more!"
Francisca: "Why would he take your dogs? For what purpose?"
The Captain: "That is indeed a good question, my lady. Because he's wicked? Or because he simply takes things? I have no idea what he wanted with those dogs, but he has them."
The Royalty: "He got me once."
The Kid: "And you're still here?"
The Royalty: "I am not, actually. I am only partly here, you see? In essence."
Frisk: "The hell does that mean, Flowey?"
The Royalty: "Who is Flowey?"
Francisca: "Oh, erm, I apologise. I just thought it was fitting to call you that. I cannot really recall why? Either way, we were talking about this Grimes figure, right?"
The Captain: "Yes. Now it was bad enough for him to snatch four of my dogs. Oh, they were such loyal boys and girls. But then he goes around and snatches more and more? I believe he only returned The Queen in jest. Poor highness is barely recognisable. Oh, and to think that dearest Alphys, the softness in my cold, strong heart, was an agent in this cruel joke-"
The Kid: "He took my parents when I was young."
The Royalty: "Now that I think about it, he has attempted to take me several more times afterwards."
Francisca: "Who is he exactly? And why does he take people? And animals?"
The Royalty: "He doesn't just take people, animals, or living things. He takes things as well."
Francisca: "That is odd. But once again, I must inquire why? For what reason or purpose?"
The Captain shrugs.
The Captain: "Taking is, simply, what Grimes does. He takes things, and we can't do anything about it. We can resist, but Grimes always comes through. And more often than not, we never see the things he takes ever again. Or, at least not in this mortal life of ours."
Francisca: "Oh, that sounds dreadful! How does Grimes get away with it?!"
The Royalty: "It is what he does, the same way fish drink water, I suppose."
The Captain: "We don't drink water, but I'll let it be for now."
Francisca: "And we just let it happen?!"
The Royalty: "What do you expect us to do? He is way too powerful."
Francisca: "We should fight him! Fight him as much as we can as a group. As beings!"
A roar of laughter fills the room.
The Royalty: "Oh, I can't believe you are serious. Fighting Grimes is like fighting gravity. Attempting to stop him for good would be attempting to stop a fundamental force of nature. Literally."
Francisca: "Alright. But what is he then? Surely he does not sound human? Or a monster?"
The Royalty: "He just is. That's what. All we can do as mortal beings is accept his presence."
The Kid: "Speaking of. I recall hearing he's heading to us. He's arriving in just a bit!"
Frisk: "What?!"
The Captain: "Ugh, in earnest? Gods, who or what is he planning on taking now."
The Royalty: "I hope it's not me. Gods! I've met him far too many times, and I can attest that he is rather unpleasant."
Francisca starts hyperventilating.
Frisk: "Oh my God, why aren't any of you freaking out?!"
The Captain: "Why? What is the purpose? He arrives either way. He always does."
The Royalty: "The one man who tried to stop and contain him never returned. Vanished from our reality."
Frisk: "Oh my God. I need to get out. I need to-"
Enter The Shade.
The Shade: "Grimes is here."
The light vanishes, the room darkens, and a foggy night is visible from the open windows.
The Shade vanishes.
It is the end.
The Captain: "Here we go. Why is he never satiated? Hasn't he taken enough from us?"
Francisca grasps her chest and pants audibly.
The Kid: "Yo, Frisk? What is wrong?"
The Captain: "Frisk, it's alright. Just fight it!"
The Royalty: "Frisk, there is no need-"
Frisk: "Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! All of you! Please! For one God damned moment, I need to think I-"
The girl paused.
Frisk! "I need to... think."
That word came from her throat like an utterly alien concept for reasons she couldn't fathom. And with it, rationality quickly followed at last.
And the world seemed to bend and shift.
"What the fuck is this?!" Frisk asked. "Why am I wearing this weird getup and... what's with my weird speaking pattern?"
The Gentleman: "What has gotten into you, dearest lady? Oh dear, have you gotten a fever?"
"Oh God, where the fuck am I?!" Frisk asked, sweating. "What is this place?! How did I get here?!"
The Royalty: "I don't know. What is the earliest thing you can remember?"
Frisk sinks into her seat.
"Erm," she began. "I remember… cold. And wetness. So cold and wet, as if I was in the middle of a deep ocean."
A deep chill crept upon the room, crawling all over her.
"There was darkness," she continued. "Darkness. It was dark, so very dark. Mostly."
A subtle blue aura begins shining from the window.
She looked up and saw that the ceiling was gone, replaced by blackness filled with very distant stars of the night sky.
"I think there was a fall," Frisk began. "An explosion, maybe. But there was something-"
Suddenly, she felt something lodge in her throat. She hurled. What flew out her mouth was crimson-red liquid. It covered her hands as she tried to hold it in.
"Wha-" Frisk began. "Is this-"
She felt immense pain in her waist.
She looked down to see something protruding from her outfit in the waist area.
The area looked stained with a reddish colour.
Slowly, she pulled up her shirt.
A wooden stake protruded from her waist, looking as if being pushed out of her from the inside. Large seeps of red, thick blood followed through.
Frisk could barely speak.
The Royalty: "Phew. Looks pretty damn rough."
"What?! What is happening?! I-I- oh God. I seem to remember now. Oh God, help me! I'm scared."
"Frisk."
Frisk glared forward and saw living, infinite darkness.
It encompassed everything in front of her, everything it passed by. It consumed half the room before consuming even the stars above.
"H-hello?" she asked. "Where are you guys?"
There was no answer. The others had left already.
"Please don't leave me," Frisk said. "I can't do this alone. Please!"
"Frisk," the encroaching darkness spoke.
Frisk fell backwards on her chair and onto the floor.
She knew who this was. She had always known who this was.
"Go away!" Frisk exclaimed, desperate.
She crawled backwards as the living darkness consumed more of the room.
"Get the fuck away!" she screamed.
But then she felt a strange sound of sheathing metal. She turned her head to her side and realised she was already in its grasp.
A large hand came from the darkness, bony and almost as shadowy as its entire being. It was hard to see the hand if one weren't aware of it.
The hand reached out, slithering across the walls, and grabbed and held something over Frisk's entire being. She could not visualise it as the truth. She could not imagine it as anything but what she expected.
To her eyes, it was a long, pointy scythe.
"Grimes," Frisk said with realisation.
"Frisk," echoed in her mind.
She could not look forward. She could look at anything but the formless thing she imagined as a large scythe hanging over her. If she did manage to look forward, she knew she would see a horrifying face, a gaping maw ready to swallow everything.
But that was all purely what she imagined, and Frisk knew it. What had arrived was older than that, older than anything she could imagine. She had seen it before, far too many times.
How many times was this? Two times? Five? Maybe more?
She could only remember two other times: her first, confused awakening and the other, where she waited until she bled to death.
What if she had died and returned many more times but forgotten? What if this was, actually, her hundredth time? Is there any hope, then?
She shut her eyes, unable to prepare herself.
"No," Frisk muttered. "I… I refuse. I refuse."
A yellow star began forming around her. Her red blood turned yellow with determination. The pieces of her fragmented soul began to gather themself.
"You hear me?" Frisk began. "I REFUSE-"
.
.
.
.
.
Frisk gasped as she rose up.
She found herself back awake at the awful familiar place. She felt the fullness of the large splinter still impaled in her waist. She looked around the area, her blurred vision still adjusting to reality.
She sat down, sighing.
Frisk recalled an odd dream. She could barely remember it. But there was this feeling about it that she couldn't describe.
She was so tired of dreams. So tired.
"No," she said. "I'm. Not. Going. To keep dying here."
She winced as she forced herself up.
"Fuck!"
The fullness in her waist was hard to ignore. She knew better this time. Better to keep it in for now.
"Ok, w-what do we got?"
She looked around the place almost frantically.
The blue, luminous flower was the only thing that immediately stood out.
Her only source of light.
She walked to it and grasped its stem. Even the walk forward proved physically painful.
And the worst was yet to come.
Frisk put all her remaining strength into her arm and began to pull.
She groaned. It was tough like it was rooted deep.
Frisk paused for a few seconds and tried again.
She slammed her teeth together as her pulling hands trembled.
It was like ripping out the veins of the earth.
"Come on!" Frisk exclaimed between winced teeth. "Come on, you stupid fucking thing! Come on!"
As she pulled, she no longer cared if the flower would keep glowing after being unrooted. At this point, she just wanted to take it.
At last! She heard a pop and a slight pull.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, eyes wide open.
She had to take a few steps back, still grasping, a sign of progress. But the flower still resisted.
"Come on!" she said with immense frustration, tears forming in her eyes. "Just a little bit more. Come. On!"
And the flower gave up and rose fast out of the ground, and the force hurled her backwards.
She groaned as she slammed into the rocky ground, and she almost thought something shattered inside her.
She panted and panted. She was so tired.
But there was warmth! Something strange and comforting.
And the illumination of the area still remained.
And so she looked at the uprooted flower in her hand, still glowing the blue light.
"Yes!" Frisk said. "Yes, yes!"
She grasped the flower tightly and lay there hugging it as if it were the most precious object in the entire world.
"I'm not letting you go," she quickly muttered. "I'm never fucking letting you go."
Tears formed again. She couldn't understand why.
Frisk lay on the rocky ground, panting. She could feel the edges of the uneven ground touch her backside. It bruised parts of her slightly. And she also felt the warmth of the flower grasping her and covering her entire body.
She did not know how much longer she lay. For an unknowable number of moments, the blinking flower in her arms was the only world she had.
Her only source of joy.
"Oh God," Frisk muttered.
She looked up. She could not even see that far above. But if she looked incredibly close, she could see tiny bluish dots. They were so small as if a fly had poked holes into the darkness.
It was the only source of The Underground world above.
And her goal.
How far did I fall? Frisk wondered.
She was beginning to feel cold.
So she forced herself to her feet, groaning and grunting as she felt the wood on her waist.
After what felt like aeons of effort, she managed to stand up and looked down at her waist, wondering how much blood she had left to lose. It was her timer.
She used the flower to light up the cavern walls. She had seen something there before, some sort of "entrance".
It did not take too long to find it. It was right in front of Frisk, on the wall.
A black tunnel. Like a gaping mouth.
The air that blew from down there felt unnatural, more unnatural than anything she had ever felt. It was an aura of isolation and dead things.
Things that were not merely forgotten but were rather never known.
Frisk wasn't sure if she was simply hallucinating that sensation or whether it was some deep evolutionary instincts buried within her biology speaking. But she sensed this was a place few had ever stepped foot in for a long time.
And now it was calling to her.
Frisk looked around her area one last time and sighed tiredly. She walked closer to the tunnel, stumbling on the uneven ground and grasping the rocky walls to hold her balance.
She rose the arm holding the flower forward, illuminating a long, dark passageway.
"A-alright," she said. "Here goes."
And Frisk stepped into the blackness, going deeper down, unsure if she would ever get out again.
Author's note:
Ok. Once again, I am sorry for the delay, and, what's this? We're back here? To the beginning?
Yes! If you are confused, then:
1. Glad to hear it.
2. Don't worry. This takes place literally moments after the cold opening chapter of this fic.
Yeah, remember that? That's kinda why I went back there. Because, as we're closing in on circling back around the timeline, I thought it fitting to sorta bring up a "reminder" chapter of sorts. Another reason I find it fitting is that I feel that we're officially in "Act 2" of this fanfic. Or rather, we've been in Act 2 for a while, now. I think the end of the Waterfall chapters and the beginning of The Valley chapters are the subsequent bridges between Acts 1 and 2. So yeah, that also means that I think this chapter should've been added there. But I didn't because I don't wanna confuse all of you readers, and I didn't think about this chapter until literally a few weeks ago.
I guess you could call this chapter a filler, and while it may be, well, believe it or not, this chapter actually does have several revelations. I'm just not being explicit about them.
This whole thing was also an excuse for me to experiment a bit with my writing and, damn, it was surprisingly enjoyable, huh. I hope it doesn't come across as "too alienating", and I hope you all can fancy this "experimental writing" I took.
Or maybe I am just horribly pretentious. Yeah. Maybe that is more accurate.
Either way, after this, we will go back in time to the time of the previous chapter, which... won't be long with what I've planned, just a heads-up.
It could change, and I will write another 20-page short story-length chapter, but we'll see.
Either way, I hope you all are still here on this long journey, and I hope to see you soon.
PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS AND CRITIQUES. As a writer, feedback is very valuable.
(And don't forget, this fanfic and AU has a discord, if you wanna check)