The End is Just the Beginning (a Bad End Friends story)

Chapter 24

Morty was lying in his bed, shivering even though he wasn't even cold. His shaking hands were gripping the edge of his blanket, which he got tangled in during his restless sleep.

Wirt did not take lightly to what Morty and the twins did to the boy. He was livid when he heard about the nameless little brother through Bipper defending them. For someone with so much knowledge, he was an idiot sometimes.

Bipper never told Wirt that Mabel was involved in the killing, so Morty stayed quiet as well. He hated every second of Mabel going free.

Morty finally sat up in bed, wiping the sweat off his forehead from the recurring nightmares he had been having for the past few days. The ones Wirt gave them as punishment.

Morty stood up and got ready for the day, throwing on normal clothes, brushing his hair and teeth, and tying his shoes. Right when he finished, he heard something.

"Knock, knock," A voice said quietly.

Morty turned around to see Bipper leaning against the far wall.

"Couldn't really knock with the elevator, and you didn't hear me come in while you were brushing your teeth," he said.

Morty studied Bipper. He was still wearing his pajama shirt and socks instead of his normal priest suit and dress shoes, his hair was a mess, and the bags under his eyes were so dark they looked like bruises.

"You look like shit," Morty said.

"You don't look much better," Bipper shot back.

He was right. Morty did have the same bags and pasty skin, but at least his hair was fine, and he made an effort to wear normal clothes.

"Nightmares?" Morty asked, patting the edge of his bed beside him.

"Kinda," Bipper said, sitting down next to him.

"What do you mean? Did Wirt not punish you?" Morty asked. "Was it because I did the actual murdering?"

"No, he did punish me," Bipper said as he flopped onto the mattress. "It's just a little different."

Morty hesitated for a second but leaned back onto the bed as well. "How so?"

Bipper shrugged.

"No, tell me," Morty demanded, looking over to the other boy. "You got me interested. That isn't fair if you leave me hanging like that."

Bipper laughed a little. "Well since you asked so nicely," he sarcastically said. His small grin fell away as he continued. "I used to be a dream demon. My powers were confined to the dreamscape, but in this body, I can't control those parts of my powers. Almost every night, I pick up a nightmare of one of those in this house.

"Now when Wirt gave you nightmares, which isn't something I know he could do, he made it so I had to watch what you were going through. They really are terrible dreams. You have never really had dreams before, so it's like your mind targets everything you've ever done that you regret or are scared of. And all I can do is watch helplessly as it plays out, night after night."

Morty looked at Bipper in surprise. "You sound so..."

"Long winded?" Bipper said.

"Concerned," Morty corrected, which shut Bipper up. They stared at the ceiling for a second. "Thank you."

"Why?" Bipper said, obviously not used to those words.

"I'm surprised you care enough. It sounds like you would have helped if you could. Why?" Morty said, still looking at the roof.

Bipper shrugged again. "I dunno. I guess I care about all of the heathens living here, but with you it isn't a family-like bond. It's friendship. You are my best friend. You are really the only one I would hang out with if I had the choice, and... I don't want you to be in pain." He choked out the last bit causing Morty to turn.