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Octavius stares at the old rotten-down house in front of them. Suddenly, they wish they never volunteered to go in with the other three. Slowly, Octavius pushes the door open with a 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐤 and finally with much reluctance, they went in. One after the other, they leave the other Losers outside. Four pairs of footsteps pound against the old worn-down floorboards, echoing throughout the house.
They peered around the house as they saw it was filled with cobwebs and dust. It reeks and Octavius plugs their nose gaging at the smell. "I wouldn't open my mouth if I were you-" Riley commented from beside Willow. "Why?" Octavius asks while breathing through their mouth. "Because then you're eating it." Riley smirks at Octavius's horrified face, they gag again a second later. "Shut up, stupid!" Riley laughs at Octavius as all four of them walk through the house making their way around through the rooms.
"Octa. ." A voice sounded to their right, it sounded familiar, Octavius looks to their right to see a shadow in the room. "Octa come here!" It whispered quietly yet hurriedly, they recognize the voice, Riley calls them into the room. So they go. Octavius wanders into the room curiously, wondering. What did Riley find? Only when Octavius enters the room, no one's there. They double check the room and nothing changed.
"Octa?" The voice comes from behind them, they turn around to see Riley just outside the door as it swings shut. There's bangs on the door and Riley screaming on the other side. "Octa! Octa! Octavius!" Octavius runs to the door and tries to open it only to find it stuck shut. No matter how much they tried to open the door, it wouldn't open. "Riley? Riley!"
"Poor sad Octavius can't open the door. ." The voice taunts-laughing from behind Octavius making them freeze up. It makes another screeching laugh, it gets closer by the sound of it and Octavius turns around slowly. Looming or them ominously it smiles, a clown stares back at them.
Blinking, Riley now stands in front of them, glaring at Octavius with venomous hatred. "You're all alone now Octavius Younge. ." The use of their full name makes them shiver in fear. Horror slowly building up in them.
"No. . I'm not!" Octavius barely gets out, it being just above a whisper. Too frightened to stand up for themselves. They didn't know what it truly was, but they knew, it was dangerous. It could kill them with one wrong move and it would be all over.
"All alone. . Poor little Octavius. ." Riley makes a sad face, pouting. "They left you. ."
Now that they realize, the bangs stopped at the door. No more screaming can be heard. It's just us, alone. 𝐔𝐬, 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. Fear builds up faster like running water, and it feels like it's harder to breathe for Octavius. They pant trying to catch their breath, trying not to freak out as they stare down the creature in front of them.
Octavius freezes in their spot, stuck, like they're a statue frozen by Medusa. "Sad little Octavius. . No friends to help you." Riley mocks getting closer making Octavius back up and into the door behind them. Trapping them.
The room gets bigger and bigger, darker and darker. The more bigger it and darker it gets, the more Octavius's anxiety gets worse. The more they fill with fear. Octavius crouches down into a ball and curls in on themselves, rocking back and forth. Desperately trying to hold on.
Riley's voice echoes around the room, saying horrible things to Octavius. How they were never friends. How it was all just pretend. That all of the stuff they've been through means nothing. That they were just a pity case. That it was all just a stupid joke.
That's what breaks Octavius.
He screams 𝑵𝒐! Over and over and over again. Tears fill their eyes as they try to block out the powerful voice screaming at them. Laughing at them. Desperately trying to believe that it wasn't true. That they were friends. It wasn't pretend. It means everything. They weren't a pity case. That it wasn't just a stupid joke.
But they can't.
They sob, heart wrenching sobs as the process repeats its self over and over just with different people.
𝑺𝑨𝑲𝑰
𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑲
𝑨𝑴𝒀
𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑲𝑬𝑻
𝑳𝑼𝑪𝑨𝑺
𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑶𝑾
𝑺𝑶𝑳
"It was just a stupid dare. ." Riley spits out one more time, doing the final hit towards Octavius's fragile heart. It shatters into pieces, small tiny pieces. The feeling of hopelessness overwhelms them. Powering over all the sadness, the distress, the sorrow, and mostly, the loneliness.
Had it really all been a lie? It can't have been, right? Riley jokes around a lot but not like this. It just can't be true. .
Despite everything the creature told them, they scream out for 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 one person, the one whose been through it all, the one whose been there since the start, the one person who could make everything better, make everything disappear.
Riley.
They scream for Riley, Not Sol, Not Willow. Riley. With hands over their ears they scream, over and over hoping. Hoping Riley will come for them. To save them. They shake, trembling as they cry for Riley.
"I'm here!" Something touches Octavius making them flinch back and cry out once more. "Riley!" Their voice raw with emotion, cracks as they sob. "Octa!" Riley's voice powers through making them flinch again.
Please stop it! Stop it! 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒑!
There's a hand rubbing his head, in a way Octavius knows the only person who knows how to comfort them. Riley. Truly Riley. Slowly Octavius opens their eyes to see a blurry messed up Riley right in front of their eyes looking panicked.
Riley's here.
She's here.
But. .
She's not.
She left!
Riley left them, alone. She promised she wouldn't do that. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫. But she did. She wasn't here, she left. sʜᴇ ʟᴇғᴛ!
They sniffle coughing out a broken sob, backing away from Riley standing up. Octavius too wrapped up in their head and their own emotions, doesn't know what happened to Riley but more betrayed that She wasn't here.
"You left me!" Octavius began and before Riley could get a word in they continued. "You left me alone, you weren't here, how could you do that?!" Their voice cracked and broke with how much they screamed, sobbed.
And despite all that, they broke down in Riley's arms, sobbing out their small fragile broken heart, and finally, they get the closure they so desired.
