𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝?~~ Madness Combat oc lore

·21·

...

The night had crept up faster than expected, knocking the boy out. He was exhausted mentally and physically from the rollercoaster of work and emotions he was put on. His dreams were non-existent, his thoughts the only thing left to accompany him in the night. With a loud and sharp bang, he lifted his head and woke up. What the fuck was that? He looked around the desolate room, not a person in sight. It was still dark outside, most likely night time. He shrugged off the noise and attempted to go back to sleep, but his worry was keeping him awake. After a good amount of time laying down and waiting to fall asleep again, he rose and went to check the source of the noise. It sounded like it came from outside, so it could be anything at this point.

He stumbled out of the front door and onto the earth in front of the small home, looking around at the dark and pale yard that was cursed by the darkness of the night. It was a new moon, so there wasn't even natural light to help the boy see out here. Damnit. He walked back inside and picked up a flashlight, turning it on and shining it on the surrounding trees and soil around the place. Nothing. He stared confusedly out into the darkness, unable to see a problem. He grumbled in annoyance and shuffled back inside, wanting to go back to sleep.

He had set the flashlight down near the door just in case and walked drowsily back over to the couch, flopping down tiredly on it. He didn't pass out just yet though, in fact he was struggling to go back to sleep like always. This kinda ticked him off,  so he was just mildly annoyed as he waited for sleep to come to him again. And then a door opened, Sarah's room's door to be exact. She had wandered out of the room to check the noise as well, and upon seeing Alex awake she asked him about it. "Did you hear that bang?" She asked with worry. She also sounded really tired. 

"Yeah." He answered shortly. "I looked, there's nothing out there." He explained to her. Her sigh of relief was barely audible, but it was better to hear that than the silence that had previously filled the air. "Oh, that's odd." She said to herself shortly after. "You having trouble sleeping?" She asked the boy, it was a mystery how she knew this, maybe she just pays close attention to detail. "Yeah." He said in response, his voice still quiet and low. He always mumbled, and his tone never raised, just low and calming. It's fairly deep too, which just adds to it. "Do you need anything to help you sleep?" She had asked as she walked over and sat down next to him. Her small figure coming closer and closer in that few seconds had raised Alex's heart rate a good amount, the butterflies starting to wake as well.

"Dunno. Maybe." He answered a bit nervously. "Maybe I could let you take the bed tonight, it's gotta help and if it doesn't I don't know what will." She offered with a caring smile. Her face was carved just right so that she always looked so kind, even when she was angry she looked gentle. Alex nodded, sitting up and stretching. She had stood up, lending the boy a hand. He took it with such care, she looked so fragile and he didn't want to break her.  He lifted himself up off the couch with her assistance and walked with her to her room. She flicked on the LED lights, the gentle and warm glow just slightly illuminating the room. It was cold, but that's fine. "Make yourself comfy, Alex. It's all yours tonight." She said drowsily to the boy, her voice calmed him but also made him so giddy and nervous, so he just tried to ignore it and get to sleep already.

"Goodniiiight." She said softly. The door closed as she left, and the boy was left alone to just sit in this room. It smelled like honey lavender, the walls were decorated with pictures and posters, a few mirrors and windows as well. The whole place was so lively even in the dark. It's amazing to try and wrap your head around how someone is capable of making a blank and empty room into this. He was too tired to try and think about that right now however, so instead he let himself sink into the cozy blankets and the soft yet stable mattress. Off to sleep he goes..

His dreams were nothing but memories that night. They weren't the bad type of memories though. They were the ones from when he was a lot younger, when he was still happy and unaware of the things going on around him. The days when his imagination was his strongest tool and the things he saw was his best friend. Those good few years where he had a candy store filled with thoughts and ideas, when he would walk on tightropes of broken dreams from the ones who fell. And now here he is. He's joined the people he used to pity, the ones he tried so desperately to better as a young and naive child. He's among the masses of people that drowned from the tidal waves of growing up.

Pretty pathetic if you ask me. At least tonight he could have a small part of that candy store from before, a break from the reality he hated facing, the same one that drove him to rip his parents away, made him like.. like this. Whatever happened to that bright and shining boy? Where is he now? He must've moved away, the Alex from 2006 isn't here and it's obvious he isn't. Because now the year is 2014, things have changed. The media has changed for sure but that wasn't of any concern right now. What was however is how the boy has changed. He's gone rogue, his eyes have grown lifeless and dull, the bags under them were dark. His expression was that of a child that was freshly traumatized despite his trauma happening so long ago. He was still a child, just not the happy and optimistic one he once was.

Tonight he was allowed to at least have a taste of that nostalgic happiness again in his dreams.