Run

Eighty nine

I nod. Who said that? I look around. "Um who said that?"
"I'm the plushy that you passed... the one in the chair?"
Omg that plushy is talking? I-Is it possessed?
"Yes and no, I turn into a plushy at night but I can still speak... I wasn't fast enough. So I didn't get to eat."
"O-Oh."
"There's a fresh loaf for you though."
I nod, "thank you."
"No problem."
Manuel takes a beautiful loaf of bread. It looks so good! He sighs. The plushy manages to sit up. I sigh. Manuel slices the delicious looking loaf in half. I eat some. Oh it's... it's amazing! How is this bread so good?! I love it! The buttons rearrange into a smile. It looks kinda weird. But also kinda cute. I giggle.
"There's also cookies that expire tomorrow. I was going to eat then tonight."
"Can we have some?"
"Take all of them."
"Really?"
"Mhm... what's eight cookies when I can't—I never run out of ingredients," he says his eyes changed to gold when he said that last bit but they're back purple now.
"Ok thanks!"
"There's a bedroom upstairs. The entire room brand new."
We eat the cookies and head upstairs. I look around. It's a cozy room. I sit down on a bed.
"I'll sleep on the couch, sis."
I nod. He tucks me in.

The next morning.

I walk downstairs. A gold light flows around the plushy making a man with light brown hair and purple eyes. He stumbles to his feet. I back up. He looks up.
"Oh... hi... I never... told you my name... I'm Philip."
"My name is Heejin."
"Nice to meet you... stay as long as you want... I don't care... it's nice to have company," he says a few tears forming in his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh nothing!"
He goes upstairs. He comes back down in a normal outfit and with Manuel following. I sigh. Philip's eyes land on the apron. He groans softly as gold begins to replace the purple.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh nothing," he says sounding much shyer and weaker. He puts the apron eyes as his eyes are now gold. He grabs some bread ingredients.
"Oh ok."
He smiles softly and begins making bread. I smile back. I look around. It's a cute place. I look at him again. He's silently crying but yet smiling and humming. He's in a trance and trying to fight it I think. Something definitely seems wrong with him. His eyes turn purple. He looks down to a locket. I sigh. He opens it. His eyes go wide.
"He's completely replaced me."
"Who?"
"My best friend... I might as well send the locket before he claims I stole from him again and—"
The door slams open, three burly guards grab him.
"Huff... arrest me again."
Oh my god! Tears flood his eyes. I look down. He returns hours later now half monkey. Do they just turn him into something different each time he's arrested?
"Ooh ooh yeah yeah!" He says sounding like a primate.
He sounds so weird! He just nods. His eyes go golden as he goes back to baking. I look around. His stomach growls. He tastes a dough only to groan.
"Nnngh."
"Are you ok?"
"I never liked bananas but I'm craving them so badly!"
"Maybe because you're a monkey."
"But I can't leave... if I do... nngh! Ooh ooh ah ah!"
"Huh?"
He starts to cry. Poor thing. Manuel sighs and walks out. He comes back with a bag of clothes for me and a thing of bananas for him. I smile. He grabs them with his tail. I go change my clothes. I change into a dress. He walks upstairs after I'm finished eating a banana mindlessly. I giggle. He smiles cutely when he comes back to me.
"Is that good?"
"I used to hate bananas because of the texture but now... I can't stop eating them!"
"I love bananas!"
He hands me one. We hear Manuel collapse. I go see if he's ok. He's really pale. But of course he didn't sleep well for the past few nights and that wound doesn't look any better.
"You really need rest!"
He manages to sit up. Philip picks him up using his tail. He lays him in the bed. He gets some strange things out.
"What's that?"
He grinds a liquid together.
"It will help him."
"Thank you."
"Of course."
I sit down. He pours a little bit onto the wound and wraps it. I eat my banana. He gives him a banana. I smile. He happily eats. I giggle.
"Thank you, Philip."
"You're welcome, Manuel."
I look around. He sighs then quickly walks downstairs. I sigh. He walks up with two bowls of soup.
"Can I have something to drink too?"
He gets us both some cold tea. I drink some. It's good.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
I look around. Suddenly the door opens downstairs. It's rather loud. W-Who is that? We walk downstairs. I'm kinda scared. I see a boy with the same blue eyes and tanned skin of Philip. Who is this?
"Manson?"
Manson, apparently, smiles then just tosses a bag into a chair. What is he doing? He looks over to Philip.
"Sorry it took me so long," he says.
"What?" Philip asks.
"Oh," Manson says. He does a curtesy. Philip seems more confused. Manson laughs, "It'll take more than some dark magic for me to forget who you are!"
"Huh?"
I'm so confused now.
"Come on you couldn't forget me, right? The spare in case someone killed the king aka you?"
"Wait what?"
"Oh, mom and dad probably didn't tell you that one."
Is that his brother or something?
"Wait so you're my brother?"
"Yeah. They didn't tell you?"
"No one ever tells me anything."
"True."
Oh that is his brother! Wait so he's a king? Why is he not a king now?
"Because of that stupid adopted brat!"
Adopted?
"Yeah," Manson says.
I nod.
"He did all of this. Only reason why I remember him was because of my magic preventing the spell from affecting me."
I nod. He sighs softly. I look down.
He looks over.
"I'm sorry," Philip says.
"Why the fuck are you sorry? You couldn't do anything about it!" Manson says.
I sigh. He looks over still obviously sad. I look over. He looks back then down to his feet.
"And everyone believes his lies."
I nod. I look down again. He looks over to me sadly. I look back. He sits down. I sit down too.
"It's hard not being remembered..."
I nod. It looks like he needs a hug. I hug him. He accepts it but looks confused.
"They call me the crazy man," Manson says with a smile hoping to at least slightly cheer up Philip. I sigh. Philip manages to smile but then becomes downcast. I look over.
"Thanks for trying to cheer me up."
I smile.
"Of course! You're my older brother."
I look around. He smiles cutely. Philip walks upstairs. I smile.
"He's worried about something."
"Well my brother is injured right now maybe he's worried about that."
"Oh... I'm not really good at that kind of stuff... that's more of something he's good at."
I nod.
"I've had to mostly keep myself hidden as to not give away that I remember him... I hated it so much."
"I didn't even know he was a king."
"Because he can't say a word about it."
I nod.
"He's cursed."
I nod, "I feel so bad for him."
He nods. I look away.
"I hope the people don't hate him when this is over."
"Why would they hate him?"
"They are under an illusion."
"Why would they hate him over that?"
"...they believe Yundin as the true ruler."
"Oh."
"And if the illusion is stripped what will they think?"
"They might think they were lied too."
"Mhm."
I nod.
"And they may distrust his intentions."
I nod.
"So yeah... plus his best friend doesn't remember him... she is the king's adviser."
"And if the illusion is stripped she might not be his best friend anymore?"
"Mhm... and the king's adviser needs to be the best friend of the adviser and vise versa."
I nod.
"So that will be bad."
I nod. He sighs softly. Philip quietly walks downstairs. I look at him. He looks over. I look away. He looks around. I sigh. He shivers. I look around.
"Body feels so wrong."
He puts a blanket over Philip. I nod. He sighs softly. I smile. He sighs and rests his head. I get up. He manages to smile. I giggle. He smiles. I smile back. I look around. He fixes something to eat. Then looks out the window. I notice the tear tracks. Is he ok? He groans loudly. He begins to shrink.
"No! No! It's not even sunset!" He cries.
What's going on? He painfully transforms into a doll. Oh my god. He groans.
"God damn it!" He cries.
I look down. He looks over.
"Sorry."
"For what?"
"You're now involved in my shit."
"It's not your fault."
Actually I want to help him... I probably shouldn't tell him... I sigh. He looks up cutely. I giggle.
"By the way the reason Manuel got sick was because of the wound."
"He's sick?"
"Well no, he just has an infected wound."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
I smile. His buttons form a smile. A sad smile but yet still one.