Seeing Buttons

Chapter 17 (T)

A decent chunk of this chapter is the reason most of those trigger warnings exist btw, it's really fun if you can read it though.
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Chapter 17: Binds and Blades

Wilbur and Tommy stood in the lift as it slowly reached the top.

"She is getting angry, she does not want you to win. You must hurry!"

"Yes Coraline I get it."

"Is she that talkative?" Wilbur asked.

Tommy nodded in response.

"You must hurry, she will not let you win."

"What's she saying?"

"Hurry up, were gonna die, she's getting angry. That kinda thing." Tommy shrugged, and Wilbur nodded.

"Y'know, I may have helped her build these, but I never got to actually see them. I'm kind of curious as to what she did with the others."

Soon the lift reached the top and they walked back through the garden. There was a thin layer of mist covering the ground. It looked anything but welcoming.

"Wait, you're the one who told her how to do all of our friends weren't you?"

"Yep. She molded them right in front of me." Wilbur shuddered. "It wasn't fun."

"I bet. Speaking of which, I think the next place to check is her flat, the lower one. What about you."

"I'm fine with that."

"Cool." It went quiet for a bit.

"So you saw the Other Fawn?"

"Yeah."

"Were you drooling over her?" Tommy asked.

"... I was scared for her. The Beldam tortures all her creations. She looked so scared. She's forced to live a painful cycle of remolding and imitation."

"I keep trying to lighten the mood and you keep ruining it, Wil. Can you loose-"

Wilbur froze.

"What? What is it?"

"She's here." Wilbur whispered.

Tommy looked around. They were almost to the porch. There was no one there. He looked behind them. Nothing. He looked down the steps and saw nothing either. He looked back to the porch and jumped.

There she was, just standing there. She looked menacing.

Tommy looked to Wilbur, he'd gone rigid.

Tommy looked back to the Beldam. She still had a small smile on her face but it looked forced. Her lips were pressed tightly together. She was frustrated. Perhaps even infuriated.

"I'm winning." Tommy said smugly. If he was going to play a game he might as well have a little fun.

"I know." Her voice was strained. She was trying to keep her sickly sweet tone, and was actively failing.

"Tommy, you know I love you." She grinned.

"You've got a messed up kind of love lady." She didn't love him. Not like a mother, but like how someone loves money. Or how a kid wants a new toy dispite having plenty. It was greed, not love. Not by any form of the word.

"I don't want your love." Tommy looked back to Wilbur. Still frozen from fear.

"Look what you've done to my brother, nothing you're going to try is going to help me. I don't want anything from you."