Silhouette of a Wilted Flower

Pink

Omori's eyes snapped open, or at least tried to.

Something bright blinded him, and he raised his arms to shield his face from its intensity. What the hell was that? Was someone shining a flashlight in his face?!

His thoughts muddled and blurred together. One question popped up in his mind with clarity.

Where am I?

The barn. Stranger. The portrait. Was he still in the barn?

No, he should be in his room now...but why was it raining if he was in his room? No, it couldn't be raining. It only rained in Rain Town... Was he in Rain Town, then? How the hell did he get in Rain Town?

No...no, it wasn't raining anymore. Why did he think that anyway? He was in his room...in his room. Stupid morning fog was being extra foggy today...

What was this horrible presence he felt hovering over him? It was a very familiar feeling. The one that gave off that sickening sensation that everything was about to go wrong-

Omori fully opened his eyes and fixed them on two shining white ones. They glowed warmly and cast a lovely- ahem, he means awful sheen on the shadow boy's cheeks.

The detestable smirk on Stranger's face widened. "Morning, Omori. Sleep well?" He stopped leaning over the bed and casually sat on the dresser. "Have any dreams?"

It was too goddamn early in the morning for this.

Omori leapt off the bed and swung his knife for Stranger's throat in a single fluid movement.

In one fell swoop, Omori cleanly chopped off Stranger's head.

He could feel the satisfying sensation of flesh and bone being sliced through. Crimson would splatter. The head of his enemy would roll-

Stranger smirked, his head very much still attached to his body and incredibly, frustratingly, infuriatingly smug.

Omori scowled and tried again, slower this time. The knife went through his neck, and Omori could feel the sensation of it slicing through something, but visually it only phased in and out of Stranger's body.

...What the hell.

Omori poked at Stranger. His finger pressed firmly against a delightfully soft belly, and it didn't pass through. Then why-

He glanced up at Stranger's smug face again, and there was his answer clear as day.

This damn shadow. He's messing with me...

The smugness on the shadow boy's face was infuriating. "So, I suppose no dreams then?"

Omori bared his teeth and gave up the embarrassingly futile attempt at cutting Stranger's head off. He settled for pointing the knife at the shadow's neck. "Stop fooling around. How dare you trick me?"

"Listen, Omori. In all honesty, that barn thing was on you." Stranger replied. "I didn't force you to follow me, did I? You stomped into there on your own accord. Don't blame others for your own mistakes."

A vein bulged in Omori's brain.

How dare he?! Who did this scum think he was talking to like that? The king did not make mistakes! Accusing the king of making an error was...was...

How dare this shadow!

No one speaks to the king in such a way. Such an offense deserves severe punishment...

His tongue. I'll cut his tongue out. Let's see how snarky you'll be after I remove your ability to talk, you cocky little-

"Oh, before you do that, I have a quick question."