Pretending

10: Search Party

Breakfast seemed more like a chore now. It had been a day since I did...that. I almost tear up at the thought of it now. I knew it wasn't right. But I didn't want to die too. He would have been gotten rid of anyways. But what did Fan do to deserve that? Sure, that stuff on the spaceship was weird, but I don't think he needed to die. At least, not that early. But maybe I did him a favor. Now that he's dead, he wouldn't have to watch everyone else die. Maybe, that was better for him. But sooner or later, his body will be found, and Test Tube will get every single ounce of the blame. I hadn't even thought of that. Test Tube would be the only suspect. The only other object that knows the code to her lab is Lightbulb. But, she would never kill anyone. Especially when they can't be revived. At least MePhone's back. He got back the morning OJ died. He said that he was postponing the next episode of season 2 until MeLife was working again. At least we didn't have to worry about not leaving the hotel. But eventually, someone's gonna wonder why I keep leaving. Someone's gonna wonder why I keep going to the forest. Someone's gonna know eventually. God, I need to stop thinking so much. It keeps giving me headaches.

I managed to climb out of my bed sleepless, and stumble my way down the stairs to the main room. It looked about as normal as any day would. But not this day. Many of the objects living here were huddled up near the couch, including Balloon and Nickel. I'm surprised that they're that close to eachother and not screaming in each other's faces. Guess they made up during season 3. I couldn't make out anything they were saying through my tiredness. Only a crowd of voices. I swear I could hear Fan in that crowd. But he wasn't there. He was down in Test Tube's lab, dead on the floor. Because of me. I almost fell over when my mind went back to that.

"Oh, hey Trophy."

Soap was in the group, and she somehow noticed me through the mess of voices coming from it. I weakly waved to her as I went to the couch. The soft cushions felt extra soft, somehow. I'm not gonna question it.

"What's going on?" I asked her, already having an idea what what it was.

"Well...Fan's gone missing. We can't find him anywhere. We're putting together a search party to find him. You wanna join?"

I had to keep up the act. Don't want to look suspicious. As much as I just wanted to cry out my true self to everyone, I knew I couldn't. I would end up just like Fan.

"Nah."

"Geez, he could be dead for all we know! MePhone can't revive him! Can't you just act a little considerate for once?!" Knife yelled.

"Can't you stop being a hotheaded prick for once?"

"Oh, now you're gonna get it!"

Knife walked up to me, preparing for a fight. He didn't really have to worry about punishment, since Paper could barely even properly discipline himself. I braced myself for the oncoming flurry of fists, but I had something better.

"Hey, don't think you want blood on your hands. Might make ya even more suspicious. So put the fists down before they get handcuffed."

I knew there was nothing he could do about that. He walked back towards t he group, giving me a hate filled glare that said "next time". Looks like they were about to start searching.

As the group walked out the door, Soap had gave me a friendly smile before leaving to find Fan's corpse, sitting in a room full of toxic gas, in the depths of Test Tube's lab.

I felt drowsiness overtake me, bringing me to the sleep I had missed out on.

This black void again. I held expected for me to start moving, fall into the room that Fan died in, and see his ghost attack me. So I walked. And kept walking. I expected to fall after every step. But I didn't. I just kept moving, waiting for the jumpscare that would never come. Eventually, I saw something. Someone. I knew who it was. Fan's ghost was sitting on a rock, in this void, crying. there were holes burnt into his body where his lungs would be. All of his edges were charred. And that weird tail that that ghosts had, it made gas. The very same gas that had killed him. I felt horrible. Eventually, I reached him. His sobbing was just nothing but sadness. I almost cried too. I went to pat his back, but my hand went straight through him. He noticed me. He jumped back, floating.

"AAAH! T...Trophy? Why are...why are you here?"

"Fan...I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that. I had to. But I can't tell you why. I don't want to die too."

"I...but...you..."

"Fan, I'm not going to leave you like this. I'll bring you back. But for now, I have to keep doing this. Just remember...You won't be dead forever."

"But...OJ...he..."

"Hey, don't worry about him. I know he hates me more than ever now. I know his greatest wish would be to drag me to hell and torture me for eternity. You just need to convince him that I didn't want to do that. That I'm on his side."

"I...I'll try..."

"Hey, I don't think a spooky waterfall can talk to a ghost. So you should probably cut off the waterworks before you go to him."

"I just...it hurt so much...to see her doing that..."

"I know. It hurt me too. Just remember: I-"

"TROPHY! WAKE UP!"

"GAAH! WHAT THE HE-"

"Knife! Calm down!"

"How can I calm down?! Fan's dead!"

Looks like they found him faster than I thought.

"I...what happened?"

"Trophy, Fan's body was found in Test Tube's lab. She keeps denying that she had killed him, but no one else could've gotten in there!"

Looks like she was getting the boot. But that would be the best punishment for her. I just had to hope that she wouldn't die too. But if she did, my job would only be easier. I had to care. But I felt like I couldn't. So I just sat there. Sat there, on that couch, in the hotel, and let everyone punish Test Tube for something she didn't do.