Relic

Chapter 5: Fuzzball

 R lays back, sipping on his favourite cappuccino, enjoying the blend of whipped cream and caramel on a cool summer day, rocking on his swing chair. Birds sing all around him, seemingly in tune with the flow of the world. He gazes at a colourful flower garden, watching the plants sway gently in the breeze. He hears laughter nearby, getting closer to him. It's them. The girls. Seeing the smiles on their faces brings one to his own. Ram notices him and runs over with a huge grin.

R stands and walks towards her. She stops. Right as they were about to hug, she stops. Her happy face twists into one of horror. Her fingers fall off. Orange rot creeps up her body. She screams one last time, before her throat withers and the sound turns into gurgles. Flare and Jeanne scream, before they too succumb to the decaying orange matter. R tries to reach out for them, to no avail. He digs into the pile that used to be three, living girls. He scrapes at it as though expecting to find them hiding away beneath it. "No..." he says. "No!"

He shoots up from his bed. Sweat pours down his back. His heart gripped by palpitations. He sighs. "Nightmare?" Moxy asks. He turns to his left. Moxy stares at him with concern, her bra still in her hand. R buries his face into his hand. "Yeah."

"Wanna talk about it?" She asks, idly putting on her clothes.

R pauses a moment, gathering his words before he speaks. "It was a summers day. Bright sun, cool wind, drinking on a cappuccino on a swinging bench."

"That one again? With your daughter?"

"Heh... you'd think so. But no. I saw the girls."

"Girls?"

"Ram, Flare and Jeanne. The ones you rescued from Fontana a while back."

"Those girls? They were in your dream?"

"Yeah. Then, you know how it goes. They rotted... by my power going out of control."

"I don't have to tell you what it means to lose in your control, do I?"

"Of course not. Means I have to take that dose before I actually lose control. I know."

"You'll be fine. I know you won't let your power go haywire." Moxy says, tying up her hair. With her clothes on, she gives R one last kiss before heading out. "Don't be a stranger." She winks, before jumping from his balcony, flying into the sky. R hangs his leg over the side of the bed. "What do I do about the mess downstairs?" He asks himself, looking over at his phone.

Meanwhile, the girls can be seen leaving one of Monsieur's hotels. Calavera waves goodbye to the girls. "Who knew Monsieur owned a hotel here?" Jeanne says to the others, waving bye to Calavera. "When I first heard about him, he sounded like an asshole."

"Ram, you always think everyone's an asshole."

"I'm usually right. I didn't expect him to house Rels for free here. Where does he get his money?" Ram thinks to herself.

Jeanne puts on a smile. She strains her face to make her smile perfect, but she can feel her mask slipping. In her mind lurk whispers and painful memories. "You're worthless." "You can't do anything." "Why try when you'll fail?" "Just give up and die. Make it easier on everyone."

She can feel an overwhelming presence constantly following her, weighing on her shoulders. Its whispers are unceasing. She thinks back on the countless decisions and mistakes she's made. Even recently when she abandoned the girls and tore up their room. She thinks, maybe she should die? She only burdens everyone around her. Only causes problems. She can't give anything in return.

As always, she shakes her head and pushes the thoughts down. Deep within her until she can no longer hear the whispers. Until she can no longer see the pain in her mind. She adjusts her glasses tightly to her face. Ever since she got these, it's been easier to hide her thoughts behind her mask. She has to thank R again for these. Maybe get him a gift?