Ven: Part 1

Ch. 18: How Did This Happen?

The pool of oil has stopped spreading.

It's starting to clump in the dust.

The heart sits in the middle, stained black and motionless.

There are sounds of stamping and neighing echoing in the cavern.

I can't tear my eyes away.

He killed himself.

Was it my fault?

Was it because I didn't listen to his story?

Did I push him?

Did I kill him?

I blink.

The heart is gone.

I panic and look around wildly.

My hand feels wet.

His heart is clutched tightly in my hand, oil drips a steady rhythm on the floor.

Why did I pick it up?

Why won't my fingers release it?

I blink.

I'm outside the cavern, the sun beats down on me.

How did I get here?

Where am I?

My ears are ringing.

Two people are dead.

That girl in Palown.

What was her name?

What was the Kings name?

Why couldn't I stop it?

I don't want anyone to die.

"Ven!"

Is that me?

Would I let this happen?

How do I stop this from happening?

"Ven!"

Hands are shaking me.

My head spins and Jacob's face swims into view.

"You did it! We're all saved! The virus is gone!" He sounds happy.

"He's dead." I say numbly.

I hold out the heart to Jacob.

"He pulled it from his own chest," my other arm moves without me, it mimes pulling my own heart out. "He thanked me."

I let go of the heart and Jacob catches it, panics, and lets it drop to the floor.

"Ven that's..." he mouths wordlessly.

My eyes look past Jacob.

There's a mass of confused looking people around the house.

Marney is sheepishly making her way over.

Everyone is alive.

Because of me.

Because of him.

"You did it, Ven," her cheeriness sounds fake. "Just in the nick of time too, we nearly got killed."

"What happened?" Something was off. I can focus on that, a problem I might be able to solve.

"Well, things were getting hairy and then Marney just sort of gave up."

"They had us beat." Marney cuts him off. "Luckily, we have you backing us up."

Jacob gives me a look and chews his lip.