A different world

Chapter 5 - How Does One Move On, Anyways?

Red Steve let Sabre stay the night in his house. He let Sabre sleep in his bed, practically begging the guy to take it. Sabre did after a while. Red Steve must have had a great taste in beds(or maybe Sabre was just tired) because he slept like a rock.

The next morning, Sabre was awoken to the sound of pots and pans rattling. He begrudgingly got to his feet to find out where the sound was coming from, though he couldn't fully shake the sleep from his body. He entered the kitchen, much too sleepy to be confused. "Helloooo? You okay-?"

Sabre cut himself off when he saw Red Steve frantically checking the cupboards and throwing his things around. "Where is it?? Where is it?!"

Sabre stepped backwards as Red ran past him to inspect the living room. He watched Red run around and search the cushions, the carpet, the desk drawers, everything. What the heck had happened?

"Red?" Sabre called out as Red Steve ran past him for the second time. "Are you, um...okay?"

"I have to find it!!" He checked his fridge and then ran into the bedroom.

"What are you looking for? Why do you need it?" Sabre demanded, trying his best to keep up with him.

"I need it!" Red grunted as he lifted the coffee table.

"Red, you're not making sense." Sabre attempted to lower his voice and calm the guy down, but when he looked into Red Steve's eyes, he froze. Red moved away directly after and turned to run back into the portal room, but Sabre was stuck thinking of those eyes. Only for a second, he was met with a pair of truly desperate and rage filled eyes, wild and wide.

"What happened...?" Sabre muttered. He quit trying to stop Red's frantic search and instead stood outside, waiting for him to calm down. He didn't know the guy too well, so it wasn't like they were awesome friends, but it hurt and scared him a little to see a guy like this.

Sabre's mind wandered to similar instances, like when Alex was infected. Back then, she acted out of frustration and fear. But back then, it was for a discernible reason. Now, Red seemed near crazed.

After maybe 20 minutes, Red emerged from the door wearing a dark colored turtleneck, looking exhausted. His voice was reduced to a mumble after all that shouting. "I have somewhere to go. You're welcome to come with." No apology, no explanation. Just that. Okay.

Sabre wanted to think that crazed nature from before was gone, but he couldn't forget those eyes. The air around the two was heavy, and Sabre couldn't shake the feeling Red wasn't completely okay. Well, that was probably obvious.

Still, he most certainly did not want to be in a stranger's house alone, even if Red was scaring him a bit. And the more he explored, the closer he got to escaping this world. He nodded and walked up to Red's side, not saying a word.

The two walked in silence for a while, Red occasionally opening his mouth to speak, but then deciding against it. After maybe an hour of walking, Sabre caught sight of a tall, orange and white building in the distance. Red went inside without even hesitating. Sabre stayed outside, not wanting to intrude. And also not wanting to be around Red right now.

5 minutes later, Red walked out eerily smiling with an...Orange Steve by his side? Sabre had run-ins with literal Steve Gods, and he STILL had never, ever seen an Orange Steve. He didn't even know what he was looking at for a few seconds.

"Hi! You must be Sabre." The Orange Steve grinned and extended his hand. Sabre ignored his bewilderment as much as he could, and shook it. "I'm Orange Steve."

"It's...nice to meet you?" Sabre said nervously, looking between the two anxiously. Red was now smiling sickly sweet, as if he didn't have an episode in his house just an hour ago.