Something nagged at him, like that kid from school who rambled effusively (and rather excessively) about a trading card game that no one bat an eye at.
"I might only be an apparition at the moment, but I still harbor emotions, and possess the ability to derive pleasure or anguish from them."
He snapped his head left and right, a pitch black void surrounding him. It wasn't his imagination, he heard something, he was sure of it. "It's merely me: Your distress, your anguish, your pleasure." Able to hear his thoughts now. Wonderful! "Of course I can! I'm part of you."
"No you're not!" He now stood atop a large body of water. Droplets fell from the darkness above, sending ripples through the water, traveling till he saw them no more. "You're trying to deceive me! You're that figure from yesterday!"
His eyes traced one of the droplets, one that stood out among the rest. It fell at an increasingly slowing pace, pure darkness wavering vehemently, like a flame, before it sped up, and crashed into the water, sending out ripples that went halfway up to his knees.
The image of his own reflection rippled in the liquid, until it settled, revealing the figure he encountered the other day.
"I'm happy to have made your acquaintance." The young man kneeled down on the rippling water. "I just want to help you, Andrew."
"I didn't ask for your help! I didn't ask for your fucking acquaintance! And I definitely didn't ask for your worthless presence either." Realization struck him immediately after the last word left his mouth. The apparition laughed at him hysterically. Andrew depicted its laugh as taunting.
"Words hurt, Andrew. And it hurts more knowing you can't undo, or alter, what you did. Nor can you apologize for what you said." He didn't so much as flinch as he felt a hand being laid upon his shoulder, his sudden urge for refuge and comfort clouding his mind. "Worst part is…" The apparition was no longer where Andrew's reflection used to be; it was instead kneeling in front of him, its eyes shimmering with benevolence, captivating him. "You know she would forgive you."
Tears cascaded down his cheeks. He looked off into the distance, avoiding the eyes of the apparition. "I don't want to be like her. I don't want to hurt others like she did." His voice was low, you could hardly hear it above the sounds of the rippling water. "I won't be like her, will I?"
The apparition embraced him. The comforting sensation on Andrew's shoulder was now spread out over his entire body, the benevolence from the apparition's eyes now crushing him from all sides.
"I can help you, Andrew. I can turn things back to how they were a month ago. You won't have to say sorry. You won't have to seek out comfort. And you won't have to be like her, Andrew." Andrew's tears slowly subsided. He leaned into the apparition. "All you have to do…" The comfort and benevolence slowly shifted into distress and melancholy. "Is…" A low growl accompanied the apparition's manic grin. "Submit."
"No!"
Out of breath and nauseous, Andrew found himself in a bathroom, made of porcelain, undressed with a towel around his waist, and a toothbrush in his mouth.
He heaved a sigh, gazing up at the mirror, displeased at finding the apparition in place of his reflection.
"Just leave me alone." He reached up to one of the side cabinets, grabbing a deodorant, and applying it to his armpits.
"The more you ignore me the more control I'll gain."
"Go be someone else's nuisance, why don'tcha."
"You're mean."
"No, you're mean!"
"How so?"
"You're the one trying to deceive me. And you also don't seem to know the first thing about privacy. Ever thought about not bothering a man as he stands half naked from a shower at five in the morning!"
"Six." Andrew glared at his watch, sitting in the corner of the faucet: Five past six.
Andrew sighed deeply, leaning against the faucet. "Are you intending to abuse my disposition to try and nag me till I abide by your every command?"
"Yes!"
He resorted to glare at the apparition, tracing any evidence of a lie on its face (in spite of it lacking any ability to morph into anything that even resembles an innate expression, none the less one that expresses a desired emotion to a meaningful degree).
He heaved a sigh, his pointless glaring leading nowhere. "Why me?"
"You're special."
"...And!"
"Why spoil the fun."
"You piece of-" A loud crash pierced his ears, resounding from the other room.
"There's no place like home Andrew. You'll miss it eventually. And when you do I'll be there to sweep up the remains that want to go, and then carry the rest as a trophy of your poor judgment. Heed my 'whispers' while you still can."
Andrew didn't even get a word out before the apparition disappeared, leaving him with the sight of his dripping hair, and his eyes, shifting red and yellow before turning brown. "Say hi to the monkey for me."
The bathroom door was thrown open, a purple monkey with an arm for a tail jumping hysterically from one place to another.
Andrew tried, and failed miserably, to get the monkey to calm down. It threw the contents of the cabinets out on the floor, scrubbed each porcelain surface with soap (which might have caused him to fall, face first, into the, clean, toilet at one point) and grabbed Andrew's watch before exiting the bathroom.
Stumbling out of the bathroom, Andrew chased after the monkey. "Give me back my watch!"
What remained to be seen of the room was not a pretty sight. The bed sheets were thrown up into the air, spinning around with the fan in the ceiling, the contents of every cabinet were scattered across every nook and cranny of the room, and a large painting had been, conveniently for the little rascal, thrown of the wall without thought, leaning diagonally within the small entrance hall, blocking of Andrew's direct path to the monkey.
"Piece of fucking garbage." He said, heaving the painting to the side.
The monkey now stood on the bed, inspecting Andrew's watch. "Aipom!" The monkey said, showing him the watch excitedly.
Bewilderingly enough the young man found himself amused at the monkey's behavior. He figured it would be better to reason with it rather than taking his watch back through sheer force. "That watch just so happens to have belonged to my grandma." The monkey's attention was now set on the young man. "She gave it to me when she was on life support; apparently a gift from her old fiancé, before she met my grandpa. I'd prefer to have it within my possession if you're done using it."
"Aipom!" The monkey nodded happily, throwing its arms up in the air, causing it to throw the watch backwards involuntarily. The monkey scrambled after the watch, throwing its fingerless hands forward. It unfortunately bounced off the monkey's hands, falling out of the window, and hitting the ground with an audible thud.
Andrew had been present at the window to see the watch fall, powerless as it chattered into multiple smaller pieces on the ground.
Another trip to the shower and a few scrambled eggs later Andrew sat at the kitchen table. A few drawn-out hours of search had paid off as he assembled the pieces of his watch, a non-harmonious ticking resounding in his ears, half a dozen cogs still on the table.
The monkey had long since gone to its own secluded area, lead by fright and that sweet scent of turd that still lingered in the air.
Professor Rowan walked past him, wearing the same attire as the day before; a pair of boxers and a lab coat (very stylish). His hair flared upwards, grogginess lining his baggy eyes, as he grabbed a pot of still brewing coffee, ignoring the caffein filled beverage that still poured out of the machine.
The older man's eyes widened upon noticing Andrew, a sheepish grin now plastered on his face. "Oh, sorry! I forgot you're here."
An awkward silence settled between the two, both trying to ignore Rowan's get up. "I, um…I'll go dress myself more appropriately." He turned off the coffee maker before leaving, cup in hand with text on the front reading 'World's Brightest Professor'.
Silence ensued, occasionally broken by the ticking of Andrew's clock. The randomness behind it intrigued him. It would sometimes tick after one second, then others it would tick after three, then two, then suddenly thirty. There were no discernable patterns either. It would tick once from anywhere between one and an infinite number of seconds. And yet he found meaning behind it. He perceived each tick as its own story, a tale told in the span of one to an infinite number of seconds, each one unique among the rest, and every single one more interesting than the last.
The moment didn't last though, as the young man made out the sound of rustling outside of the open window. He observed the bushes outside, hardly noticing the yellow and red object grazing his field of vision, moving away from him at a hastened pace.
He dashed towards the entrance, leaving the watch on the kitchen table, a few moments passing before it finally ticked.
Why did she come back? Why didn't she wait until he left? She'd have been screwed if the professor had seen her. She wasn't even ready to apologize anyway, and she had surely been heard by someone when falling off the windowsill.
Her ears twitched suddenly. She glanced behind herself, spotting Andrew who had thrown the laboratory doors open. His eyes settled directly on her, and he started placing one foot in front of the other in a fast paced sprint.
She ran with renewed vigor away from her pursuer, panting as she reached a pace she'd never gone before.
The distance between the two grew the more they ran. Andrew was ready to collapse at any moment, running harder than he'd ever ran before.
"Aipom! Could you get the scanners going?" Professor Rowan shouted, exiting his room. He had changed into a blue sweater and a pair of brown jeans, lab coat still draped over his shoulders.
"Aipom!" The purple monkey exclaimed, running up a pair of stairs, before turning a corner, leaving the professor's line of sight.
"Hey lad! Wanna see something-" He cut himself off upon entering the kitchen, taking note of said lad missing. He shrugged, "Eh! I suppose he'll come back." He walked over to the kitchen counter, refilling his cup.
"Fletchling!" He gasped, eyes widening as he turned around hastily. He laughed upon seeing a pair of two birds with red heads, predominantly gray bodies and black tails with white stripes.
"The summer is upon us. It's fun seeing you lads make the most of it." He went up to the window, petting the two lads, and enjoying the summer breeze, the sun high in the sky. "A lot warmer in Kalos isn't it. Maybe I should go sometime?"
"Ling, fletchling!"
"Fletch-ling!" Both lads spread their wings, pushing themselves high up into the air.
Rowan took a sip of his coffee, watching as the two lads were carried by the winds. "Pokémon are such interesting creatures." He filled his cup one more time before leaving the kitchen.
Andrew's watch was still on the table. It was silent for multiple moments, before it finally ticked.
Aluette ran with all her might. Her legs were burning and her breath was caught in her throat as tears flew from her eyes.
She slid to a halt, reaching a cliff, thankfully stopping on the precipice.
Her pulse heightened, she was breathing unevenly and tears flooded her vision. She felt lonely and empty. It was the opposite of when she was around Andrew. He brought her warmth, and comfort. She thought back to the first time they met, her lips turning upwards slightly.
It was almost a month ago. Aluette was running away from three, green, bug-like creatures with wings and scythes as arms. Her attempts at thievery had gone less than ideal, and she was unfortunately paying the price. They overpowered her in both strength and numbers, in spite of her having a significant elemental advantage.
They had eventually caught up to her, ruthlessly beat her to the ground, taken back their belongings, and kept beating her into the ground. She was on the verge of fainting, tears endlessly streaming out of her eyes, and cuts and bruises exposed to the open air.
They ended up kicking her away with a powerful strike to the stomach, causing her to fly about a dozen meters before hitting a rock. She ended up fainting on the spot, too drained and injured to fight her fleeting consciousness.
When she came to, she was in his arms. His handsomeness left her heart fluttering, almost fainting once more. And yet his appearance paled compared to his kindness. He'd watched over her, used all his resources to bring her back to full health, and he didn't ask for anything in return (not to mention how good the pets he gave her were).
Once she'd recovered she would spend days expressing her gratitude by bringing him the best berries and fruits she could find. She adored the way he, both kindly and humbly, turned down her offers at first, yielding only once she pleadingly stared at him; her pink eyes (an unusual color for her kind) impossible for the young man to resist.
Her smile went ear to ear reminiscing those moments, tail wagging exuberantly. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and a blush was starting to form beneath her fur.
But then she thought back to what happened yesterday. Her smile quickly turned upside down into a frown, tail slowly descending to the ground, tears forming in her eyes again. Her regret was immeasurable, piercing through her like a hot knife through butter.
Why did she run? Why did she run when all she wanted was to apologize, to tell him how awfully she behaved? Why did she run when all she wanted was to have him comfort her, have him whisper sweet nothings into her ear with his charming voice? Why did she run when all she wanted was to have him make her smile, make her feel unbothered by her conflicts, make her laugh at one of his stupid jokes that managed to put dadjokes to shame (most of them were hilarious though)? Why, when all she wanted was to have him show her that irreplaceable kindness that never failed to put a smile on her face?
Unbeknownst to her, a figure, clad in shadows, stood behind her, within the treeline.
Andrew's fast paced running had slowly turned into a jog, which had turned into a young man hunched down in the most pathetic position of his life, panting heavily.
He started swaying back and forth, nausea hitting him like a truck. His legs gave way to gravity, arms instinctively catching him before he hit the ground. "Damnit!" He grunted, legs unresponsive as he pushed against the ground.
"Give up!" The young man looked up, staring at the apparition in front of him. "You're not doing your body any favors." He didn't bother listening, using every last bit of his strength to push against the ground. "You won't find her anyway. She's long gone by now."
"Like hell I care." He kept pushing until he finally hit the ground, every last bit of his strength expended. He sighed deeply, "I told you to leave me alone."
"And I told you to heed my 'whispers'."
"Fuck off!"
"Your time is running thin, Andrew. Let me help you while I still can."
"Fat chance! Like you're actually helping me!" The apparition grabbed the young man by the shirt, throwing him against a tree, where he slid down into a seated position.
The apparition stood face to face with Andrew, emotionless eyes staring at him, with shadowy swirls, wavering aggressively. "You don't know what's coming! My 'whispers' are a means of keeping you safe, Andrew."
"Oh I feel very safe knowing an apparition stands in front of me, intent on using my trauma as a means of controlling me. Thanks for asking!"
"All you need to do is submit, and I will keep the ones you care about safe."
Andrew glared daggers at the apparition, its lies even clearer to him than daylight. "Get out of my face you poor excuse of a sexton."
The apparition drifted backwards slightly, "If you're so adamant over an apology, then who am I to deny your wish."
A gust of wind breezed through the air, quickly intensifying till it turned into a gale. The trees moved to cover the sun, casting a shadow over both of them.
Andrew suddenly started sinking into the ground, grass and dirt being shoved aside to make room for the young man.
"What are you doing!" The young man shouted, flailing side to side, trying to free his legs from the parting ground to no avail.
"I'm helping you find her. Let's hope you don't disturb her."
"What do you mean?" He doubled his efforts, scraping at the forest floor with his bare hands. It was all in vein though as he was dug deeper and deeper into the ground.
"She's resting. I'm so sorry!"
"No! No she's not, you bastard!"
The apparition reached within his shadowy body. Andrew's eyes widened as the shadowy figure revealed an unmoving, fox-like creature in its grasp. "She's taken her last breath."
Andrew didn't hear a word, his fixation solely set on Aluette.
"Don't worry!" Said the apparition, breaking the young man out of his trance. "I'll bury her carcass, along with you."
Andrew sunk even deeper, ground already up to his chest. "No! This isn't real! This is just another one of your illusions!"
The ground was already up to his throat, not a single sign of slowing down. "This is not real!" The air above him was replaced with dirt. No sign of the young man remained above the ground.
"Aipom!" The purple monkey was entranced by the machine in front of itself.
Professor Rowan chuckled at the monkey's behavior. "You've seen this machine do its wonders multiple times before. I fail to understand how this is any different."
"Aipom!" The monkey yelled out exuberantly, ignoring the professor who laughed hysterically.
The machine was under the process of scanning a creature, bearing the resemblance of a monkey with a stick in its hair. It was green in color, its tail and ears colored brown and its snout and arms colored orange. "Grookey!" It yelled back, waving to the purple monkey.
"The scan is almost finished." Said Rowan, bringing his cup to his lips. Disappointment washed over him upon finding that the cup was empty. He sighed, turning and walking in the direction of the room's door. "I'm gonna go get some more coffee. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
"Aipom!" The purple monkey nodded.
The green monkey competently hit the ground below him with his stick. "Grookey!"
The professor yawned upon entering the kitchen. "Man, the sun's still up." He said, looking out the still open window. The sun was still high above the horizon. The professor guessed the time to be about three pm.
Rowan walked up to the kitchen counter, pouring coffee into his cup. He took a sip of his beverage, audibly displaying his satisfaction with a humm before making his way out of the kitchen.
He took notice of Andrew's watch. Multiple cogs still layed on the kitchen table, the watch silent as Rowan stared at it, entranced by the hour hand spinning laps around the clock, the minute hand fixed in place.
An audible crash reverberated throughout the building, breaking the professor's trance. "Goddamnit! I told you guys to behave!" He ran out the kitchen, leaving the watch on the table.
The watch ticked as the minute hand moved, the hour hand stopping entirely, and slowly started making its way around the clock once more.
