One Simple World

Chapter 3: Distrusted Simply

Frisk's Point of View:

My head felt so heavy when I finally opened my eyes. It was hard to move, and I felt like I was heavier than I was before. The weight of everything just... held me down. I felt like my eyes were so dry... They stung so much...

Well, well... you finally got up.

Of course, I couldn't escape that cruel ghost if I wanted to.

It seemed Chara ignored the mental comment I made whileshe floated only a short distance from me. She hummed as she inspected the location we were in while I was still struggling to look much past her. Her focus was rather not on me for once. It was rather... nice.

While she was distracted, I was able to take some reasonable time to come to. With careful, methodical movements, I was able to sit up and carefully look about the room I was in.

It actually looked like a young girl's bedroom. The walls were pink, and surprisinglyso was the furniture too. Very little was colored differentlyother than the floor and perhaps one of the sheets on the bed I was on. It may have been a lighter version of pink, leaning toward white. Though my tired eyes ended up seeing more of the pink hue then not. I could see even some of the toys were pink as well.

I wondered if they were all pink...

I pulled myself from the bed and set my feet onto the floorboards. They did not make a sound as I walked on the tips of my toes. Quietly exploring that place while I could just seemed like the right idea. I wasn't sure just how right or wrong Chara was, and if she was distracted, it was wise to learn what I could.

The wardrobe was the first place I looked at. Opening it, the hinges were quiet until halfway open. The second they started to squeak; I halted them with my hands. I had enough view to look inside with the small night light in the room to the side. Inside actually were some clothes that looked like the ones that Chara wore in her ghostly form. Striped shirts of green and yellow were hung from hangers, while brown pants were folded and set on the shelves. There was perhaps a single dress or two in there as well, but they honestly looked a tad old and covered in a thin layer of dust. I hardly thought that they had been worn.

I checked every drawer as well. As I went to the other layers, I noticed that there were more of the older clothes inside, other colors, shapes and sizes. Not all of them could have fit Chara, some of them even looked a little more boy-like.

But I didn't know for a fact if Chara liked to dress like a girl or a boy... and I wasn't about to ask her.

I felt along the inside of them all, checking everything just in case there was something that could be useful at some point or another. There was nothing in the corners, nothing in the clothes themselves, I tried to feel upward into the upper cavities of the wardrobe to find something that felt like... duct tape?

"What..." I instantly kept my voice down and turned to look if Chara was paying any attention to me. Thankfully, she wasn't. She was still focused on the room itself and actually traveled out into the wall to see somethingelse away from me. I knew she couldn't go far, but I had to know what my options were.

I pulled out the entire drawer to see what there was up in that corner. With better access then, I reached my arm in to get a better handle on that wad of tape.

Pulling it out, I saw that there was indeed, a large walled up ball of duck tape in my hands. I thought that was strange, so I tried to pull it apart. The tape had been there for so long, it was like cement.

I was going to need something to help pull it apart, or maybe cut it?

I kept looking through the room while pocketing the wad of duck tape. After putting back the shelf I'd pulled out and exploring everything, I checked the toy box next. There had to be something that maybe could help me?

But there was nothing in there besides stuffed animals...

I could only sigh as I looked in there. And I could only guess that the wad of tape was probably nothing special.

I checked under the bed next, but there was nothing other than space. No boxes, nothing of importance, nothing. And there was clearly no other way out of the room besides through the door. Was there nothing else that I could do besides head out that way?

But the choice was made for me, or I ran out of time. A soft knock came to the door, one that I could barely hear.

"C-come in?"

The door slowly creaked open and there was the woman I'd seen some time ago. She stood there quietly in the doorway, carrying something on a plate in. Food maybe? I hadn't eaten in a while, would that be okay?

"Oh, you'reawake my child. It's so good to see that." She carefully kneeled down to me while setting the item on the side table. I got a good look at it before she took most of my attention, and I saw it was pie.

I drooled at the sight.

"I had hoped that you'd feel better, that maybe you could eat and explain what was going on. Here." She reached back for a moment to grab the slice of pie. "Perhaps it is not wise to have pie for breakfast, but you looked rather hungry. And I have more food if you require or want it."

"R-really?"

I could have food? It smelled really good... cinnamon? Maybe butterscotch? Maybe both? Either way it smelled really good...

The woman only smiled brightly at me. "Would you like to join me at the dinner table? Or would you rather eat here?"

"Um..." I pausedfor a moment. I would have loved to have a home cooked meal with Angel at a real table again... "The table please."

"Right this way little one."

I was led out of the room that led to a cream-colored hallway with some bright yellow flowers that bloomed in a pot on their other thing I noticed was two other doors in that hallway. One had a sign on it to say "Do Not Enter. Repairs." The other door wasn't marked or anything. It made me curious about the renovated room, what was going on in there? Was it something that was dangerous?

It did make me slightly worried back to whatever Chara had mentioned to me before. She said this woman kept her trapped here until she died. So... was that room maybe where she was trapped? Was it dangerous? What exactly was in there?

"My child?"

I nearly gasped, startled from my strong gaze as the woman paused to watch me. She stood there, holding the piece of pie in her hand like a waitress. Carefully, she came back over to me. She paused when she saw me standing by the door with the sign on it.

"Oh! Did that startle you? I am sorry, my child. A wind gust came, breaking a branch off my lovely tree out front, and hit that room, putting a hole in the ceiling that I've been working on fixing. I had to redo the ceiling, roof and floor when water fell inside and ruined the hardwood floors I had. Would you like to see inside?"

I blinked at her, but nodded softly. The woman carefully opened the door so I could peek inside, and what I saw was a room where all the furniture was covered by plastic and was pushed away from some corner where I saw a bucket under. There was a small leak from the ceiling with a branch stuck through. It was also a big branch, not a small one. It was bigger than my belly. I saw the floor was dark and looked like it was frail, breaking.

I could also see a new pile of wood inside the room. Lumber? It was stacked in a pile to the side, slightly uncovered with a saw next to it to shape it correctly to fix the home. Everything else was away from the hole and covered, so there wasn't much else I could see without uncovering everything. After seeing that, I pulled back a bit and the woman closed the door.

"Does that make you feel better, my child?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh, my child... it's alright." She held out a hand for me once she stood again, the other hand still held the pie slice, which appeared to have cooled off at that point. "Come now, come eat. I have other food, but let's get something quickly into you. I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards."

I was led away back into the hallway past the other two rooms, then into a large entry space. I saw there was a dramatic set of stairs to the basement there that I gazed at, yet I was tugged past it.

I wonder if that was a space she didn't want me heading toward.

"Here my child, have a seat."

Past that dramatic entrance to the basement, I saw that there was a fireplace with a worn blue chair in front of it and books lined on the arm rest. Just past it was a large dining table where I saw a few other foods, the rest of the pie that was cut for me, some vegetables, and a piece of chicken I think. I drooled, seeing all the food. I struggled not to as I sat eager for it.

"Okay my child, now eat up."

She placed the food in front of me and it was difficult not to just hurl it all down. I knew it had been a while since I ate and the last time something like that happened, my sister warned me I would get sick from eating too fast. I didn't listen to her, so I got sick...

Angel...

My mind went back to my sister again. I had to find her... one way or another.

My motions slowed down, and the woman looked at me hesitantly. "My child? Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry... I'm worried about my sister..."

"Oh goodness... I rememberyou saying that at my door when you came to my home." Her gaze looked sad as she focused on me. "Could you tell me what happened?"

"Angel... we fell... it was my fault we were there..." Instantly my lips began to wobble and tears welled in my eyes. "We fell... and she protected me... but we got separated in the fall... I don't know where she is... or if she's..."

"Oh! Oh dear!" The woman stood suddenly at that notion. "My child, I can run out quickly and check the site where you fell. Do you remember where you fell?"

"Um..." I blinked, trying to think back to anything I could. If she was going to help me, then I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask, right? "I remember... yellow flowers..."

"Oh dear..." She didn't continue her thought, but she rushed out from the chair she'd briefly sat in. "Just to remind you my child, I am Toriel. And here, let me pass you this phone so you can contact me while I step out."

She set down a pink device on the table for me while she hurried to the other room, only peeking her head back in one last time before she headed back to the front door.

"Eat up! And I'll be back shortly! Stay by the fire and away from the basement! There's a leak down there and it's very cold!"

The door squeaked open and shut at her comment. She then rushed away while I remainedthere at the table. My appetite was fairly low at that time, I'd eaten enough to get by. It was still quiet while Chara had left me alone. While I was at the table, just simply staring at all the food, I noticed a butter knife that was at the table.

Would that be enough to break open the duck tape?

I grabbed it and roughly tried to use the shallow blade to cut open the duck tape wad. It took a while, there honestly was nothing that was making it any faster since it was such a dull utensil. With time, the bonds began to break, and I soon noticed something wrapped in an old washcloth. Unraveling the white material showed me something small, hand held, and silver in color. I saw there was some little piece of metal that stood out like a button.

Was it bad that I wanted to press it?

But pressing it did nothing. It also didn't have a normal button shape to it. It kinda looked like a baby shell? Or something like that. But it was when I pushed on its side that the item did something. Out flashed a blade from hidden inside, and I stared at it in horror. It was sharp... verysharp.

It was a switchblade...

Later That Day:

Toriel had been gone roughly an hour before I started to move about again. I ate what I could and traveled into the basement. I felt something strange down there, so I had to investigate. I'd really hoped that Chara's words weren't true... but even with how nice that lady was, I had to see it to believe it.

Once I'd made it down the stairs and into the basement, I could see some shelves that were there with some canned goods and what not, filled thick. Other items piled up on either side, making it look like a thick wall.

But I knew better, Angel used to do things like that to make me think the space I was in was smaller than it actually was...

I pulled back a few items on the side. It seemed Toriel had piled them really thick. After moving a few boxes that were quite heavy out of the way, there was a narrow path to beyond. A long purple hallway was ahead.

And there was Chara.

I was wondering when you'd come down here. Oh? And it looks like you found my knife.That seemed to please her as she floated there. So? What do you think of my killer?

"D-did she really do it?" I couldn't help but doubt the ghost attached to me. "She doesn't act like a killer. And if she gave me something bad, it would have hurt me by now."

Chara's gaze narrowed at me. Well now, isn't someone smart?

"Angel always was telling me not to take something from someone, since it could be bad."

Your sister was smart. Too bad you killed her.

"I didn't!"

"My child?! Where are you?"

Uh oh...Chara floated over to me with such a devious smile. She's back~

"My child!"

Turning away from Chara, I noticed Toriel rushing down the hallway toward me. Fear was laced all over her face until she managed to make her way to me. Once I was in sight, she made sure to snatch up my arm.

"My child! What are you doing down here?! I told you not to come down here! It's too dangerous!"

"Did you find Angel?"

It was the only thing I wanted to know. I had to find my sister... I know she'd do the same thing for me.

"My child, follow me upstairs and I'll tell you."

"Why can't you tell me here?"

"My child, you'll catch a cold, and up ahead is a leak!"

"No there isn't, it's just a door up ahead."

I'd already looked ahead; I knew what was there as I explored. It was only a door where a cold breeze came from. Really cold, like AC or winter. Was it possible that Angel was out there?

"My child, you are coming upstairs!"

"NO!" I yanked hard on her. I had to actually use my magic to help get her grip off of me. I slipped out of her grip. I managed to get a few feet away from her before she could grab me again. "I want my sister! I want Angel!"

Maybe under it all I did believe Chara. I hardly knew her, but she did know this woman. It was clear as she commented on it, telling me about her. And I was scared... scared that she was going to try and keep me there. She still wouldn't say what she found out about my sister.

"My child... please..."She kneeled herself next to me. She tried to appear unaggressive to me. "You're sister... I saw that she had fallen into a deeper area of the underground. Outside of the ruins. She isn't alive... because even if she didn't pass from the impact... other monsters are out there that are not as kind as myself. They wish for another soul to break the barrier that traps us here. Have you not heard of that?"

"No... no, no, no!"

I didn't want to hear it. Angel actually being dead. Chara always threw it in my face, but... to have it so blatantly told to me...

I had to get through that door.

"I'm going to find her!"

I stepped away from her toward the door, looking quickly for any level or anything to help me escape. I had to get out, I had to try and find her...

"NO!"

The almost roaring voice started me and I had seconds to react before Toriel tried to grab me. I was just able to escape her grip as I backed up to the door behind me.

"I will NOT let another child die at his hands! I know you miss your sister, but you are only safe here!" Toriel screeched at me. "Why don't you understand that?!"

She's not going to let you leave...Chara's haunting words were in my ear while my eyes were glued to the once kind woman above. Are you going to let her imprison you like she did me?
"S-stop! Just stop!"

She's gonna get you~

"Stop fighting me my child! Get out of my way so I can destroy this passage!"

"No! Leave me alone!"

So frightened, I couldn't even summon my magic, but I was able to grab the cold item I kept in my pocket. The switch bladecame out, blade directed toward Toriel while she towered over me.

"Where..." The woman breathed hotly and fire began dancing off the edge of her fingertips. "Where... did you find that?"

"I don't want to hurt you! Leave me alone!"

Like she's gonna do that? Come Francine... you know better...

"Where did you get that?!"

And Toriel came flying at me. In a single ditch effort to protect myself, my few chains danced around me so that I was protected from her fieryclaws, keeping them away from me, I swung blindly.

I just wanted her to go away... I wanted my sister...

I felt the blade hit something...

When I looked up, my wild swing had cut through the chest of Toriel... The blade had been so sharp, it was hard for me to even notice that it had sunken so deeply into her chest as she trembled before me, claws forced aside and fire still crackling on her fingers. But those flames dimmed as her face sank, turned hurtful, and looked at me with so much pain.

She collapsedbefore me. On her knees she fell. Her arms were pulled back to her to assist with holding herself up while blood poured from the wound.

"M-my child..." Toriel held out a single shaky hand while the weapon fell to the ground, my fingers could no longer bear holding it. "I-I'm sorry... I-I just... wanted you safe... as I'm s-sure your sister would have..."

A thought that never crossed my mind. That someone else actually cared otherthanjust my sister. It had been so long...

"Y-you must be strong now... if you leave this place... others will hunt you..."

The blood that came from her body began to glow orange and I soon saw the fresh drops that spilled from her started turning to dust. Her chest began and it slowly spread to other areas of her body. Her body was cast in an orange light that faded to a wispygrey ash as it peeled away from her.

Then a dark feeling took a shockingly tough hold of me.

Get her soul you idiot!

I refused.

From her chest appeared a cracked white soul with a deep gash along from one corner to another. The dark feeling tried to make me reach out for the soul, but I struggled with all my might to let it go. Toriel's soul shattered, and her body entirely became dust, scattering on the light wind that came from the door behind me.

"Oh my God..."

I killed her...

We almost had it!My head whipped around to see ghostly hands grabbing and taking control of my body. I screamed as Chara's ghost seemed to latch onto me, sinking herself into my skin. I couldn't push her away, she just kept merging herself with me.

Before I knew it, I felt my subconsciousness fade and it was Chara's voice I heard ring in my head as my body stood against my command.

We're going to get a soul the next time a power monster appears before us. And once we get that soul, we're going to destroy the entire human race, Francine. You're not getting rid of me. Now that you've killed someone, even to protect yourself, I can take over your body now.

"N-no!"

Not everything seemed to work the way Chara wanted it. She couldn't get my body to move as I fought her commands with all of my will power.

Oh, stop fighting me. Like I'm going to listen to what youhave to say? Murderer.

I still tried to fight her, but she was so strong... She made me go back into Toriel's home, gather food and warmer clothes in a backpack, before I was forced to open those closed doors and step beyond them.

Witch's Note:

And here be the end of another heartbreaking chapter… Chara taking advantage of heightened emotions that weren't controlled to her advantage. Now she has at least partial control of Frisk's body. A rather horrid situation when you think about it. Frisk was a frightened child who was desperate for any clue to find her sister Angel. Toriel didn't want any other human souls to die, so her trying to keep Frisk safe wasn't wrong, but both women went about it in the wrong way.

This all lead to the first death, Toriel, by a blade that was found only in this separate timeline.

And who knows what this will do to delicate Frisk's mental stability.

Mystic Girl: Oh my God… I really hate this…

Me: Oh, I know, and I know it's not going to get any better.
Mystic Girl: I'm not looking forward to the other deaths!

Me: Oh well, let's not lament over it too much. Let's get to review!

Thechaosmaster: Well now, you and Red seem to be doing well there, Chaos! I'm glad to see you doing well. I'm glad to hear your talking about your writing once more and hopefully we do see it soon. And I agree, Hotland was a rough part to write, which is part of the reason why I had the mini arcs to help after Angel lost her arm. It helped to bring in parts of Hotland while not being consistently there, if that helps you at all with what your struggles are.

MysticBoywastaken: Oh no! Mystic Boy! Don't cry!

I don't want to give out too much information about it yet, but I wanted to put it on everyone's radar. You'll hear more soon about the final book.

But hold tight for the story with Chara, I can't say for certain if there will be growth or not yet, because that may ruin your experience, which is the last thing I want to do.

Shadow8Phantom: Oh Shadow! Always picking each chapter apart and having myself and Mystic Girl squealing on the opposite side. You're the first to mention or suspect that Angel may not be dead. I'd hate to reveal that plot line before it happens so I sadly can't answer that, but you'll discover your answer soon.

Frisk was barely holding it together, and unfortunately, Chara took advantage of this situation which led to Toriel's death and the loss of her total use of her body. How much and to what degree is yet to be known. To see the extent of the damage may take a while, or perhaps it may be too far gone? Or progressive? We'll have to see.

As for my response to Chaos, I'd like to think you all know me pretty well that I don't like doing things exactly as they are supposed to happen. XD But revealing if that bit is true or not would ruin what's to come, and make you think of my plot line too much. Your too good at that already! XD

But Flowey? Also the first person to mention him and his lack of appearance. But that would ruin a lot if I said too much too soon… But we'll see him eventually…

Dasansi: Dasansi! Oh my goodness! Its been so long! Hello! We're hanging in there, issues with our own lives but trying to steamroll through as best we can with our own situations. What about you? We haven't see you since during the final battle in the last book!?

Ah, you caught wind of the notice of the final book? I don't want to say much about it now, since we still have another 17 chapters to get through, but what I will say, is that for the time being, it will be my final book for the Undertale series. I won't say more then that, but it should give you and the others some tasty bits to much on for a while and think about.

There is still so much to cover…

But here once more we have another end… and a rough one. Frisk and Chara have merged and managed to make their way onto the snowy mountains of the path to Snowdin, so what will happen along the way.

And one curious thing to keep in mind… Chara makes a mention of something… 'she just needs one soul'…

Mystic Girl: You're being all secretive on them again! Don't be so cryptic!

Me: But I'm not going to reveal it all before they get a chance to experience it and enjoy it! Come on, Sis. You know me better then that. And you don't have to wait as long either, short story.

Mystic Girl: Oh, I'm very well aware. And I hate it. I hate that I love it, but hate it.

Me: Fair enough, so let's cut it here. We have far more work to do.

Mystic Girl: Wait a minute! We didn't get to talk about the final book!

Me: Nope! That's for later! So let's get going!

Mystic Girl: You fucking-

Me: (Places a hand over her mouth as she screaming at me.) Love you all and see you next week!

Halloween Witch and Mystic Girl