The Swamp

Chapter Four: A Night to Remember

When he came to, the first thing he saw was Garfield's concerned face hovering over his. His entire body felt like it was burning to a crisp. He groaned, tried to move, but Garfield gently held him to the ground.

"Holy shit. I'm so glad you're okay. Can you speak? Don't try to move. Wow. I thought you were dead. Seriously, don't try to move."

He hugged him, nestling his head onto Shrek's chest. Shrek didn't have the strength to hold him, but he smiled. He felt loved, even now.

"Garfield?"

"Hm?"

"Who's Jon? What happened to him?"

"Oh, um...Jon was my ex-boyfriend. We were together for a long time, but we...we ended up falling out of love. I was resentful. I wanted a better life, so I summoned the devil and entered into the contract I'm currently in. He would give me a job, this job, King of Mondays, in exchange for Jon's life - he didn't kill him, at least not then, but Jon's been suspended in limbo this whole time. His soul is dead...has been, for years, but the body...I believe the body is dead now too. It's better this way. I...."

Garfield didn't need to finish. Shrek understood. Weakly, shaking, he places one arm atop the cat which rested on his chest.

"There's just one thing," Garfield said, more cheerfully but slowly, biding his time. "I don't think we can leave."

Shrek grunted in surprise, trying to get up. Garfield fought against him but was overpowered. "Please, Shrek, don't try to fight him. He'll just turn you to soup like everyone else! I can't lose you!" That made him pause. He was right, and Shrek knew it. But still, a voice in the back of his head nagged, Garfield would be fine without you. He can hold a job. You can't. Maybe you can't live without him, but he could definitely live without you, no matter what he tells you.

He brushed off the thought. I have a mission. More important than me. More important than all this shit. I gotta get us outta here.

"What do you mean we can't leave?" Shrek asked.

"Shadow said you were living-dead now, like me. Trapped until he lets you out himself. I got to take trips to the surface for my work, but now that I'm resigned I'm no longer contractually living-dead and he should be obligated by the terms of the contract to let me go, but..."

"So we just need to bully him into letting us out, right?"

"I mean, yeah, but there's no way he'll actually agree to it. If he keeps us both, there's a chance he could try and force me back into a contract, with your life as collateral."

"I think I have another way. Only if Shadow doesn't budge," Shrek said, assuredly.

Garfield got to his feet, helping the ogre up with great difficulty. They locked hands again, Garfield clinging to Shrek's right arm.

Shrek noticed he could see a lot more now. He supposed the dead, even the living-dead, could see a lot better down here than living could. The throne glowed, far off in the distance, and a path was inlaid into the ground which led all the way there (he supposed they'd been kicked out of the meeting after all that had happened). But, surrounding the path were hundreds of demons which all licked their dry, flaky lips while eyeing the two of them hungrily. Shrek continued on regardless, and they seemed to back off as they passed, perhaps warded off by their exuded confidence. Or maybe because they recognized Garfield as one of their own. It didn't take long to return to the throne, where Shadow now sat alone. He rolled his eyes when he saw them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the former King of Mondays come crawling back to me."

"Save it, asshole." Shrek pointed a stern finger at the deity. "You're bringing us back to the surface, or I'm spilling your stupid soup all over your stupid lap and burning off your stupid dick so your stupid boyfriend Sonic can't gargle on it anymore." Garfield looked at Shrek with awe, eyes sparkling in the red glow of the throne. He'd become so assertive, so admirable. It made him proud.