Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

Cold Reception: Chapter 3

The featured song is Subconscious by VanilluxePavilion

Chapter Warnings: Injury, mild blood (marrow)

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Goth stirred slightly at a buzzing noise in the distance as a shiver ran through him. When he shifted, a dull pain shot through his skull by his left eye socket. Clutching at his skull, he hissed as his fingers touched upon a crack where something wet and sticky lined the edges; was he bleeding?

He tried slowly opening his eyes. Darkness met his vision, but not the kind that nighttime brought; this was darkness from lack of sight... in both eyes. Something was wrong with his eye; was he completely blind now?!

Trying not to panic, Goth began feeling around sluggishly; he felt the cold, wet ground beneath him and the tug of damp clothing surrounding him. Snow? He was... outside? That's right, he fell... maybe? Everything that wasn't numb felt sore... and it hurt to think. He felt so cold... and so tired...

A ringtone and a dim flash to his left caught his attention; that meant he wasn't completely blind... just mostly. Slowly dragging himself towards the light, a small rectangular object came into view... his phone. Letting out a groan, Goth reached for the device; even this small effort seemed to sap his energy. As his hand closed upon the plastic casing, he hastily swiped his thumb across the screen in a long-practiced motion and drew the phone close to his skull.

The sound of footsteps and breathing answered him. "Goth, thank the stars you finally picked up! Where are you?" It was Palette's voice. Goth breathed out a quiet laugh and the voice on the other end took on a worried tone, "... Goth?"

"P-," Goth tried to speak, but his voice felt frozen along with the rest of his body, "pa... let-te," Goth gasped out slowly, trying to answer Palette's question despite his hazy thoughts, "I... h... idunno... fell... 'sc-cold... hurs... can'see... s'blurry..." Each raspy word felt like energy seeping out of him.

"Goth, you're not making any sense; where are you?" the taller skeleton's voice urged over the phone.

Goth tried gathering his thoughts together; it hurt so much to think. Where had he been again? He fell... where? He was... the..., "Th-the park...," he realized, "I... w-waswalkng... p-pas'atree... n'slipped... now... headhurs... cold... n'tired..." A blip was heard from the phone.

That noise sounded familiar... and then it hit him. The battery; that sound was a warning that the battery was dying. Dread sank into Goth and he whimpered, tears leaking from his eye sockets at the thought of losing Palette's voice in the cold darkness.

He tried to compose himself and steady his breathing amidst the wave of fear, "... m'scared... I... don'wanna... b-bealone... please... h-helpme..." A breathy sob escaped Goth's mouth as the phone blipped again.

"It'll be okay, Goth! I'm at the West park entrance now!" He heard Palette shout. Goth let out a faint sigh of relief; his crush was already that close? "Mister Reaper's looking too! I promise you'll be okay!" the skeleton repeated as he willed himself to listen to their words. "I won't leave you alone! Never! You-"

Silence... the light next to the small skeleton's skull was gone; Palette's voice was gone. His phone had finally given up, the battery having burned through everything it had to give. He was alone, with only the wind and the hazy darkness surrounding him. Goth curled up where he lay, clutching the dead phone to his chest as weak sobs shook him. "P... pa...lette," he tried to call out between wet gasps, straining to be heard over the wind.

Palette was coming; he might even be nearby, listening for any sign of him. No matter how much he tried to raise his voice, though, the wind only seemed to swallow his weak attempts.