Fragments - A Cookie Run Fanfiction

Chapter Thrity-Seven: Open

//I'm John Cenaaa- *Pulls recorders up to nostrils and plays megalovania*//

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Tracing his fingers along the lip of the cup he had recieved a couple hours ago, the boy continued to stare at the wall, contemplating yet more unpleasant thougths from the past. He couldn't seem to rid himself of them, and it was clearly stressing him out.

The need to look around was continuing to become more and more prevelent. He showed his nervousness on his sleeve, which was not always a good practice to have.

He, himself, knew that much.

Letting his guard down in an area he was unfamiliar with usually lead him to come out of a situation at least a bit hurt. Though, he was sure that he could have suffered much worse fates if it were not for his astoundingly stupid luck, some of the time.

His thoughts turned and turned in his head. Unwelcome thoughts that kept him from getting a good nights rest, or at least being able to take in the silence of his situations. He always felt as if someone or something was looming over him, and likely- there was.

He hadn't heard the voice in a long time.

Only a couple, maybe a few days, but in comparison to how long it had been mocking him, talking down to him, and generally making him feel worse about himself- it felt like ages.

He didn't miss it. It was just concerning.

What if it was already back? What if it was just sitting there in silence this entire time, to try and get more of a feel for what everyone was like, so it could strike again the second it had the chance? What if it really was just trapped, but by the time it came back- it was going to be seeking blood?

There were just so many things that can go wrong at any given moment.

Every darkened corner felt like an enemy. Like someone or something watching him, and making fun of him as he continued to struggle with his emotional pit, and his physical predicaments.

He can't be this way. He can't afford to be a coward.. can he? He was supposed to be BRAVE. He was supposed to be helping others, not locked in a cell where he can't do anything.

He didn't hold it against the Darksides. In fact, he was thankful to them, enemies or not. Whether or not they liked him, or not. He wouldn't say it out loud- but he was thankful to them. He probably would be for a long time to come, depending on what happens.

With a bit of a deflated sigh, Gingerbrave leans his head forward onto his knees again, and he wiped at his eyes. The stress of his pent up emotions, and the general weariness made him tired. His legs were getting sore again, and he couldn't keep them up for too long. He let them back down, so he could stretch them out a little.

They were tense, and for a few moments, they were numb.

It wasn't the funny numb, where if you moved them, they would tingle, or feel like static was travelling through them. It was an unpleasant, sore numb. One that made you want to go back to not moving at all.

On the other side of the room, Dark Enchantress had grown a bit frustrated, seeming to put down the book again, after not finding any of the information she was looking for. This time, she didn't bother putting the feather back into the pages, to hold the place she was at. She was nearly sure she would need to find another book outright.

Searching for any kind of mental distraction from the let-down, the woman's eyes landed on Gingerbrave again, who was moving his legs, though they seemed to be very wobbly indeed.

There was a glint of pensiveness behind her eyes. She didn't move, for a few seconds as she considered the next thing she was going to do with careful contemplation. She knew what she could be risking, but- by this point in time- there were several things she didn't want happening.

She slightly envied the time, barely even a few days ago, when she knew she didn't really care about what the child endured.

It was too late for that.

She had already become to inadvertantly invested, and it was clearly emotional, on top of that.

Tapping her staff on the ground, the gray haired woman stood back up, and dusted her lap off, before walking over to the front of the cell that Gingerbrave was sitting in. She didn't say anything to him, for a brief time. The older lady just looked. Observed more.

Eventually, the child took notice, and he stopped moving, before apologizing to her for making noise, and looking back down at his legs. He slowly lie them back down, and folded them to where he was sitting criss-cross again.

With a small sigh, the purple-skinned leader of the dark cookies used her magic to open the door to the cell, and she stepped back, her red eyes carefully scanning the 'prisoner' she had kept.

Gingerbrave jolted a bit at the door moving, and he easily grew anxious, though he still tried to mask it behind the more calm wall he built around himself.

Dark Enchantress could tell, though. His breathing was a bit faster, and his fingers were clenching a bit. He didn't look angry, or like he was on the verge of fleeing. From what she could tell, it was nearly instinctual fright. Part of her wondered if it was because of her, herself.

Despite that other looming thought, she was nearly positive that it was general fear. Not just of her, but of confrontation in general. He likely thought he did something wrong, right?

The boy bring his knees closer to himself, before shivering a bit, and whispering sorry a couple more times, and falling into silence.

His eyes glazed over a little bit, and he started to lightly stare off into space, his lower lip quivering.

Dark Enchantres's eyes softened a little bit. She let out a brief, slow exhale. After backing up a bit more, she leans the door of the cell against the bars of a cell that was right next to it, that way there was as much walk room as possible. Then, she leans her staff against the nearby wall.

"I've given some thought to this, and you better not make me regret my decision." she started, getting the child's attention again. She waits a couple of seconds, before continuing. "I am going to let you out of your cell, so you can wander around. Depending on how it goes... I will consider setting up a room for you."

For a moment, some bits of life, or interest seemed to spark in Gingerbrave. The child seemed interested, if one might interpret excited, then he was definitely excited as well.

Dark Enchantress stood back up, before a slightly stern expression crossed her features. "However, be warned- if you attempt escaping, you will be brought right back here. Don't make me regret my decision, understood?"

After a few seconds, Gingerbrave looked directly into the woman's eyes, and nodded. A gesture that seemed to imply one of uptmost sincerety.

After a moment, the woman stepped off to the side. "Now.. let's get you standing again... hold onto the bars if you must."

((To Be Continued))