Are You There God? It's Me Jeremy (Technical Difficulties)

chapter 24: trust

(a/n: wow.. last chapter was published in April, that's 4 months, a third of a year ago...)

You never answered my question.

Jeremy sighed for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour. Usually it was Squip who did the long suffering sighs, but the man had been keeping the conversation going, keeping Jeremy distracted, it was the only way to keep him moving. The teen felt drained, and tired. He couldn't remember the last time he had energy that wasn't just the rush of adrenaline that left him feeling guilty too soon after.

"Your question...will I help Michael as soon as I meet him? That depends, what exactly am I supposed to do? You haven't exactly been very open about the details of this 'mission', have you, Squip?" Jeremy wondered how strange he looked crossing his arms and talking to nothing. It reminded him of watching Fight Club with Michael. Did that make the Squip his Tyler Durden? The person he desperately wished he could be? The person he obsessed over, the person he, dare he say it, loved? No. Of course not. Squip wasn't some god to worship, even if he was strange and sometimes seemed like an ethereal creature. Even if he sometimes made Jeremy want to get on his knees and worship him with the way he commands a room, his manipulative words like prayers to recite, Jeremy his loyal disciple who would kill for him. No, that wasn't it.

Very well, I suppose there is some point where I must put all of my trust in you. Jeremy, your mission, which you are forced to accept, is to steal something very valuable from your friends. See, while you were gone, they've grown quite competent, even done some experimenting with dangerous things, as my sources say. They've created a...device.

Jeremy wondered just how "competent" they had become without him there to offer his own stupid ideas. He wondered who had taken over as "leader", and if the crown would fall back to him once he found them. What device could his friends even make? They weren't the brightest of people. Then again, a group is only as strong as their weakest link, and with Jeremy gone, they must be a lot stronger.

Jeremy, you realize that you have single-handedly killed people, right? You are not as stupid as you think, in fact you're very clever, when used correctly.

Jeremy shuddered at the memory. "Not that helpful Squip, but points for effort I guess. Now, what is this device and why is it so important to you?"

He could feel Squip's hesitance, like a part of his brain was just stale air. Well, I am still unsure of what you would do if you knew.

Jeremy felt curiosity and a hint of anger settle in his gut. "Trust, Squip, remember?"

Right, trust. This device....

..as far as we know..

...this device could potentially wipe out all squips.

Jeremy gasped in a while of emotions, barely able to name a single one he felt, though he was sure it was all of them. This could end the apocalypse. This could save everyone. This could give everyone their normal lives back. This could...

This could give Jeremy his old life back. This could bring Jeremy back to that life he had before, with his friends, without the leeching parasite that was Squip. Without Squip. Without the man who has kept him mostly sane through this. Back to his old life, where he was just an insignificant speck on the Earth. Back to the life where he didn't matter, where he wasn't the only thing that could save the squips. Back to the world where he was on life's losing streak.