Dear little brother...

Chapter 5 - Basil

I open my eyes, staring at the blank room.

"Welcome to White Space, you have been disappointing people for as long as you can remember."

This is just a weird dream... but I feel so drawn to it, it holds something that I cannot withstand but something that is so conventionally attractive to my soul. I look side to side, nothing. Infront of me is a plant pot, cool... I guess. Beside it is a journal.

Your journal. Would you like to open it?

Yes «
No

Journal entry #??? :
Today, I slept and took care of my plant. It's leaves are so lovely.

Journal entry #143 :
Its all my fault.

That caught me off guard. Kind of like... Mari... what even happened that day? I cant remember now, but I know that whatever it is, I will hate myself tomorrow for it. If tomorrow even comes. I get up, staring at the bloodied tissue box beside me. "Waiting for something to happen?" I hear a voice off in the distance. I catch a glimpse of Mari, please come back.. I walk up to it, she fades away and I see Sunny. He looks back at me, distorted, and black tar oozing out of his body. I look at his eye. After a split second he shrivels away. A key drops on the ground. Whats this? There is a piece of tape attached to it.

"Do not forget."

Forget what?

A door appears and a lightbulb hangs from the ceiling. I look into it, something stares me down, silently. I fall onto my knees and back up. I look behind me, no something. I feel safe. I look back into the lightbulb: nothing. Thank god. I open the door, I am not met with anything.

I open my eyes. It is clear that Kel, Hero and Aubrey had been here. No sign of Sunny... oh no. I begin to remember. Breath in ... breath out ... a familiar voice is trying to comfort me. This time, it works. Thank you, silhouette. Im sorry for what I've done. Im sorry for hurting your brother. I can remember Sunny's, still breathing body on the bathroom floor, smeared with blood. His eye completely cut open as blood spoons out and I watch him drop onto the tiles. My best friend... will you ever forgive me? I ruined your life, we all could have made it if it weren't for me. I look down at the flooring tiles, I see blood. My heart drops and I rub my eyes, still nothing. I exhale. Everything will be okay. I sit back into my bed, comfortably, I'll go get Sunny later. But I'm completely exhausted.. And hungry but I dont deserve to be cured after what I've done. I sit back and relax in a cat sleep. Hero walks in. "Oh, Basil, youre awake!" Hero's stature is really kind. "Where are Aubrey and Kel?" I ask. Hero lets out I sigh. "I have to talk to you about something..." a lump forms in my throat. What could it be? Did Sunny confess? Is it about the fight? Did something happen to Kel and Aubrey?

"Its about sunny..." I get nervous.
"He.."

"Jumped of the hospital roof.."

Hero looks like he is about to cry. He comes up to me and hugs me, "He's in a better place now..." something surrounds me in a dark aura. I can almost imagine Sunny's corpse splattered on the concrete. I see something at the door, it's... Sunny? He Walks over to me, my eyes are fixed on.. him. Sunny, he lost to something. No, no... this can't be happening. I choke on tears and hug Hero tighter. Why do I always mess things up? If I wasn't such a weakling I could've helped Sunny.

They'll never know.
I need to let Sunny rest.
They'll despise him, even in the afterlife. He won't get an ounce of rest if his friends dont forgive him.
They dont get it.
They dont know that it was something... behind him

Sunny, I swear to protect you. And I will keep our secret safe. Even if the world around me is melting without you. I know that you didn't do it. You wouldn't have. That's not something Sunny would do. Something grabs hold of me, tired, I go back to rest. Hero sits there next to me. "I understand, it's tough. Please dont do it, too... Basil..." he searches through my drawer. Nothing. "Im sorry, Basil. I just want you to be safe." He is trying to assure my safety. He wipes his eyes. "I know that you probably need a moment, Basil. Just know that I will always be here for you." He Walks out of the room, presumably waiting. I hate myself, but his sweet words still travel through my state of disillusion.

I can't do it.
Their reactions were horrifying last time, and I doubt that that they were any less horrifying than last time.
I'll just pretend it never happened, now that Sunny is gone. It's easier said than done. But I dont have any energy right now. So maybe later.

Hands of red suddenly pull me off of my bed. I see a bloodied figure. Staring down at me from above. He signals the hands to grab me. I get pushed down, deeper and deeper into despair. I try to scream, no reaction. I deserve this. I just sit there, in my own hellhole. This is what Sunny had to deal with FOR FOUR YEARS WITHOUT ME. I grab the potted plant next to me. Without thinking, I smash it onto the ground. I pick up a shard. An eye for an eye, right? I hold it towards my self

3...2..-

I get pushed it to the shard by something. I feel bloody liquid pour down my face, I can hear it drip onto the floor. It hurts... so bad. The world around me starts to shake. I get a ringing in my ears. The bloodied figure comes back through a door. I hear it creak. It stares at me. I black out.

"BASIL?!"