"White lie"

"Sickness" Cactusbuds/My friend

It has been a few months, or so it seemed, without Jack. The group of misfits had been waiting for his
arrival and they couldn't tell how long it had really been. Time wasn't exactly relevant here. It was
frustrating, but the worst thing of all was Jack's fate. Of course, Dave knew exactly how Jack was not
coming back. And he was stuck with the guilt of never letting anyone know about it. A fear strikes within
him as his heart drops. How would they react to the news? Will they cry? Laugh? Smile? Dave's
conscience couldn't take the pressure of lying to these poor innocent people. That Jack would come back
safe and sound. That he was stopping his alternative self and happy now. That he wasn't dead in a ditch
somewhere. It was... well a tricky situation. Dave wouldn't just walk up to Jack's sister and brother and
say "He's dead, sorry!" That was too ruthless. He couldn't lie either. The line between right and wrong
always blurred for Dave. Even like this he was confused. Lately Dave had been working with Blackjack,
who seemed to know everything but knew so little. The false confidence of Blackjack made Dave think of
himself at times. Nonetheless, Dave cherished the dog, a gift from his dead friend. Best friend even. At
the moment Dave was sitting alone in a field of grass with Blackjack, his eyes narrow as he looked at the
sky. The grass was a dark purple. Meanwhile the sky is a gradient of orange, yellow, and red. Fireflies
infested the now lit area, their lights making it feel warm. But truly it was cold and just black outside. Dave
had his happiest day, finally. But the thing is, he didn't feel happy. That bear was full of shit, and Dave
knew it. But suddenly the black and purple dog sniffed the ground, rolling around happily. This was the
first time in a week Dave saw him play around. Whenever Blackjack acted like an actual dog he smiled.
The moment was ruined however, by Dave being deep in thought. He started to wonder why he was here.
Why wasn't he with Jack right now? His beloved Tangerine. Was he doomed to be alone...? Did the
universe pick him in question to die and see his sportsy again? As questions hit him like bullets, the side
effects came with it. He felt almost nauseous, lightheaded at the minimum. This was one hell of a
headache. The sharp pain was indescribable, and almost made him cry out with pain. The strength of
Dave was overpowering this, and he forced himself to keep a straight face. Going back to the metaphor,
imagine lead hitting your body all at once, the metal piercing stabbing your skin. This was the
representation of Dave's feelings and pain. Before Dave could mention how he should get going, he
noticed the fireflies around him being attacked by Blackjack. The dog swatted at them, happily oblivious
for the time being. Dave smiled, but felt his head get hit again. "Fuck!" He shouted, raising his voice.
Everyday the pressure was getting to him more and more. Blackjack turned around, stopping his playful
manner and looking bewildered by Dave's sudden cursing. There was no point in hiding his pain, and he
went clean about his feelings. Or at least the physical ones.