Cookie Run: HeartBreak.

⚠︎ Double GingerBrights

⚠︎ - mention of death, injuries, beer, swearing, implied abuse, assault, manipulation methods, mention of villainous acts

after wiping her shoes on the doormat, the child stepped inside the manor. she had her brown hair up in a side ponytail and was wearing a detective outfit with different shades of brown.
"where did you come from?" Cheesecake asked her.
"well... i stood outside for a bit after my dad came here just to see if he was okay, but then i heard concerned voices..." she said.
"wait... Walnut?"
Almond exited the kitchen to see the girl.
"Almond, there you are! is everything okay? do you guys need my help?" she asked.
"Walnut... what are you doing here?"
"i'm gonna help you."
"i don't think we need help."
"but GingerBrave is fainted! this means i have to investigate."
"Walnut, you're not experienced enough to take on a case like this..."
"sure i am! you can trust me."
"but you-"
"Almond... please trust in your own daughter. i want to do the things you do right now, and that is investigating crime scenes and interrogating suspects... i learn from you, so please let me solve this one case."
"...alright, but if you're ever stuck, come and get me."
Almond smiled at Walnut as she stepped inside the kitchen and looked at GingerBrave. she knelt down next to him and was careful to lift him up.
"you're not... phased by this?" Strawberry asked.
"nope. i've seen lots of dead bodies, actually."
"as a child?" Sparkling asked.
"well, that's kinda what happens when you like helping with your dad's detective work!"
she took a look at his forehead and saw the cuts on it from glass.
"hmm... he has glass on his forehead, but from what?" she asked.
"it's a beer bottle. there's beer all over this floor!" Mint Choco stated.
"and GingerBright ran out of here before we found him..." Strawberry stated.
"does anyone know where GingerBright is?" Walnut asked.
"no, she ran somewhere else... probably upstairs" Skater said.
"before we head upstairs, did anyone here see anything suspicious recently?"
"i did... when i headed to the bathroom after our ball, the door was locked, and i heard a muffled voice... it sounded like someone was trying to yell for help, but they couldn't..." Cocoa stated.
"the bathroom is upstairs, by the way" Mint Choco said.
"G... Gin... Bright wasn't... Briightt..." Zombie moaned.
"yeah... she didn't really look like herself..." Strawberry said.
"so if there was beer involved and GingerBright didn't seem like herself... then this must be an imposter we're dealing with!" Walnut said.
"right! we should go upstairs now"

the cookies made their way upstairs to the bathroom. Walnut tried rattling the door to get it to open, but it didn't work.
"oh! i'm gonna look through the little hole! then we'll see what's in there!" Skater said as he attempted to see inside the bathroom, but it was too blurry for him to see anything.
"GingerBright! are you in there?" Mint Choco asked.
they didn't hear a sound from the bathroom. suddenly, they heard a nearby door open and looked over to see GingerBright coming out of Cheesecake's dad's office.
"guys, there you are!" GingerBright said as she ran up to hug her friends before being stopped by Strawberry.
"s-stay back...!" she said.
"what? why...?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.
"what did you do to GingerBrave?" Skater asked sternly.
"what are you talking about...? i didn't do anything to him..."
"stop hiding, please! why did you hurt him...?" Cocoa asked. she was on the verge of tears.
"i didn't! i seriously don't know what you're talking about!"
"who's in the bathroom?" Skater asked.
"uhh... the cat."
"you're just making shit up at this point..." Sparkling said angrily.
"the cat...? my cat? don't worry, kitty! i'll get you out of there!" Cheesecake said while trying to fiddle with the door handle.
"that won't work... GingerBright, how much do you know about your friends?" Walnut asked.
"i know... that they're amazing people and a bunch of believers!"
"what did you experience with them in the past?"
"well..."
GingerBright paused for a while, which made the other cookies more suspicious. suddenly, they heard a loud thud from inside of the bathroom.
"GingerBright...! i know you're in there... we'll find a way to get you out, okay?" Strawberry said.
"isn't there a key to this door somewhere, Cheesecake?" Skater asked.
"actually, there is! i'll be right back" she said before heading to her dad's room.
GingerBright put her ear to the door and her eyes started to tear up.
"GingerBright... why'd you pause...?" Strawberry asked the one with them.
"..."
"it's okay. you can let it out."
"no, i can't...!"
"wow... what happened to you?" Skater asked.
"i can't... say anything..."
"why? why can't you say anything about this...?" Sparkling asked.
after that, she sighed and pointed at the door. she then pointed down and wrapped her arms around herself. she pointed at herself and slid her thumb across her neck.
"wait... someone in there's threatening to kill-"
Strawberry was cut off when GingerBright put her hands over her mouth to prevent her from speaking.
"i'm back!" Cheesecake said while walking back with the keys. GingerBright then put her hand on her shoulder.
"please... don't open it..." she whispered.
"but we all have to get to the bottom of this! this is for GingerBrave's sake!"
Cheesecake unlocked the door and tried to open it, but the person inside the bathroom was pulling it closed. they let go for a second, but then pulled GingerBright in.
"GingerBright...!" Strawberry yelled.
"how long are we going to be here...?" Cocoa asked in sorrow.
"as long as it takes... we have to save GingerBright!" Walnut responded.
suddenly, they heard speaking from inside the bathroom. the cookies had no choice but to listen.
"p-please... don't make me do this..." GingerBright said.
"it'll be okay! it'll only be for a little while" the other voice said.
"exactly how long is a little while...?"
"i don't know... maybe, forever? i could just be you for the rest of my life... and you could be me in exchange. you'll get hell, though."
"i... don't want to be you... just let me go...!"
"NO!"
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
once they heard GingerBright's scream, they rushed in and saw a terrifying sight before their eyes. a man had thrown GingerBright on the ground, and she had bruises on her body. a rope was next to them both, along with a role of duct tape. the man was standing over her, holding her knee-high socks in his hand. it appeared he tried to grab her skirt and shirt, too.
"you... leave GingerBright alone!" Strawberry said to the man.
"oh... you found me. guess this means i lost!" he said.
"i should've known this was you're doing..." Walnut said.
"and what are you gonna do about this, Miss Detective? this girl walked in on me, so i decided right then and there to take her place."
"why were you in my bathroom?" Cheesecake asked.
"didn't you invite me?"
"oh... right. i thought you've changed, but i was wrong..."
"dude... why did you do that to GingerBrave...?" Skater asked.
"he was alone, so it was the perfect time to strike" the man responded.
"it was YOU!"
the cookies heard a voice behind them. it was Almond, and GingerBrave was with him.
"GingerBrave! are you okay?" Strawberry asked, running up to hug him.
"he's fine. it might take a while for him to recover, though" Almond responded.
"that's good, at least..."
"you... why did you come back to screw things over for us?" Almond asked the man.
"i simply get bored... doesn't everybody need some excitement every now and then?" the man responded.
"excitement? do you think messing with kids like this is fun?"
"no... it's just entertaining to see everyone's reactions. i don't know how i became this person... but i feel great! being evil is so fun!"
GingerBright slowly crawled out of the room towards her friends, who gently hugged her.
"tch... i'll have you arrested the next time you commit some inhumane act like this" Almond said.
"that's fine, Mister Detective... after all, i'd love to be arrested by you~" he responded.
Almond then dragged him out of the room and out of the manor. he drove him to a broken house nearby and left him there. he then drove back to the manor because his daughter was there.
"GingerBright... is everything okay? can you stand?" Skater asked.
"yeah... i'm glad he's gone..." she responded.
Mint Choco brought her socks and shoes back to her, and she put them back on.
"damn... what a shit show today..." Sparkling said.
"you're right... i wish i was able to offer more help" Walnut said.
"it's okay, Walnut... you're still learning how to be a great detective!" Strawberry said.
"thank you."
"GingerBrave... are you okay?" GingerBright asked.
"yes...! i barely remember things, though..." he responded.
"as for that man... i thought he changed! i haven't seen him in so long..." Cheesecake said.
"who the hell... was that man?" GingerBrave asked.
"he's a dangerous man... he's been committing crimes ever since his family died."
"he's done things like this more times than you'd think..." Mint Choco said.
"he's a wicked thief... please be careful when crossing paths with him!" Cocoa said.
"exactly... he has a fitting name as well... Roguefort" Sparkling said.
"no way..."

____________________

note: another chapter finished! in the previous chapter, i forgot that Buttercream Choco was Cheesecake's grandpa instead of her dad, but this story isn't canon. also, if anyone wants me to take out that one part, i'll replace it with an alternative. i decided to add it because this story was meant to be scary and horrifying. i don't support any of those terrible actions towards kids. that's a disclaimer for the next chapter as well.

- Sky