The Desolate Mind

The Sworn Sibling

Drew had fallen asleep and soon found himself in a different dream. This time, he was in a strange and abandoned place that was overrun by strange-shaped cups and latex creatures. The area was dimly lit, and the air was thick with an eerie silence that made Drew feel uneasy. He began to wander around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. But the more he explored, the more he felt lost and confused. The latex creatures seemed to be following him, and no matter how fast he ran, they always seemed to catch up. Whenever he managed to escape from the latex creatures, he heard their voices taunting him. This caused him to claw at his own head, trying to ignore the voices. As he was still a child, he started to emotionally and mentally break down.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Mary checked to make sure Drew was asleep and saw him curled up in bed. She decided to place a plushie she used as a kid on Drew's bed and said, "Sleep well, Drew."
As Drew slept peacefully, he felt a sudden nudge on his hand. He opened his eyes to find a female tiger shark latex creature standing before him. She was two years younger than Drew, and was pawing at his hand. In a surprised and scared tone, Drew asked her, "W-Who are you?"
The latex creature replied with a friendly smile, "My name's Spring! You are?"
Drew responded nervously, "M-My name is Drew. Um, what kind of latex creature are you?"
Spring let out a playful giggle, "I am a latex tiger shark!" she said using her tail to bounce around.
Curiously, Spring asked Drew, "What do you like to do in your spare time?"
Drew replied, "I like coloring, and drawing. I might try singing."
Spring smiled and said, "That sounds like fun! Maybe we can sing together sometime."
Drew smiled back and said, "Sounds like a plan!"
As Mary entered the room she told Drew more about Spring "As you may know this is Spring. She's an orphan like you, but she has a unique story. She lost her family to experiment 009." Hearing this, Drew felt a pang of sadness and turned to Spring, saying, "I'm so sorry to hear that, Spring. I can't imagine how tough this must have been for you."
As Spring gazed down at the ground, a wave of sadness washed over her. Losing her family was heartbreaking, but the thought that she would never get to be a sister to her unborn brother was even more devastating. "I never got to become a sister before," she said with a heavy heart. Drew could feel her pain and the emptiness that filled her. "Do you mean to say that you have no one left?" he asked with concern. "Yes, that's correct," Spring replied with a sigh. Drew was determined to bring a smile back to her face. "Hey, what if I become your brother?" he offered with a warm smile. Spring looked up at him, and in that moment, Drew knew that he had made her day. She hugged him tightly, and Drew knew that he had made a new friend for life.
The now-sworn siblings, Drew and Spring, were taking a leisurely stroll through the woods, enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature. They had been through a lot together, and their bond had grown stronger with each passing day. As they walked, Drew noticed that Spring was lost in thought, and when she suddenly asked him a question, it made him stop in his tracks.
"Hey Drew, can I ask you a question?" Spring's voice was hesitant, and Drew could sense that there was something serious on her mind. "Uh sure, what is it?" he replied, looking at her with a curious expression on his face.
"You don't look like your mother," Spring said softly, "in fact, you look like what they call humans rather than a wolf." Drew's confusion was evident on his face, and he asked her, "What do you mean?"
"Well," Spring explained, "you don't have fur or a tail, unlike your mother." Drew was taken aback by this observation. "That's because she isn't my actual mother," he said, "I don't even know who my actual parents are."
Spring's tiger ears perked up, and her shark tail held her up off the ground as she asked, "When did you meet your mother... the one who you live with?" Drew hesitated for a moment before replying, "Actually, I met my mother two days ago."
Spring's eyes widened in surprise, and she asked him with a mixture of curiosity and concern, "So what was your life before you met her?"
Drew took a deep breath and sighed before speaking. "Well, um, it's... it's a long story. I had a rough life before I met her, you know, with the whole losing your parents when you are born and all."
As Drew spoke, Spring listened intently, her heart aching for the pain that he had experienced in his life. She knew that she couldn't take away his pain, but she could be there for him, to listen and to offer her love and support.
They continued walking, lost in thought, until Spring broke the silence, "Drew, I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I want you to know that I care about you, and I'm here for you no matter what."
Drew looked at her with tears in his eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the kindness and compassion that she had shown him. "Thank you, Spring," he said softly, "that means a lot to me."
And with that, they continued their walk, each feeling a little lighter and a little more connected than before. Despite the pain of Drew's past, he knew that he had found a true friend in Spring, and that gave him hope for a brighter future.

Three days later

The sworn siblings, Drew and Spring, were playing in the park on a bright sunny day. Spring was running around, jumping over hurdles, and chasing butterflies. Drew was trying to keep up with her, but he seemed a little distracted.
Suddenly, Drew felt a strange feeling that began to bother him. He felt like something was weighing heavily on his mind, and he couldn't shake it off. His sclera turned black, and his pupils became white, which was a little alarming for Spring, who had never seen this before. Even his eye color became white, making him look like a ghost. Drew was wondering in his head, "Why do I feel so... afraid and alone, even when I have a friend of my own?"
Spring, who didn't notice that Drew was different, asked him, "Drew, are you okay? You seem a little distant."
"I-I'm okay. It's just something I heard," Drew said, trying to lie his way out of it as to not worry her. He didn't want to burden her with his problems, especially since he couldn't explain what was happening to him.
Spring sensed that something was off, but she didn't want to push Drew too much. She knew he would tell her when he was ready. They continued to play for a while, but Drew's strange behavior continued to bother her making her ears flatten across her head. She decided to talk to him once they were done playing.
"Drew please tell me what's wrong with you. Why are you so nervous?"
Drew instantly got worried as he felt like this was more of a personal thing he had to resolve on his own. 

"I-It's nothing, I'm serious." 

"Drew, I know something is up, just please te-" 

Drew, in a fit of frustration, looked Spring dead in the eyes and snapped at her, yelling "THIS DOESN'T INVOLVE YOU!" 

Spring was in a shocked and scared state, and she slowly began to cry as she looked up to him as a brother. "Spring, I-" Drew started, trying to apologize, but before he could, Spring ran away, leaving him all alone. 

"What's gotten into me?" Drew thought. "Is this really what I am? Why did I yell at her?" Drew was riddled with guilt, so much so that his mind felt even heavier, making him slowly lose his mind. The feeling got stronger, and he felt his eyes continuing to change into what it was turning into, causing a sharp pain throughout his body.
Drew couldn't control the changes that were happening to him. He felt like he was losing his mind. The pain was unbearable, and he couldn't focus on anything else. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, convulsing in pain.
Drew's eyes were now different, his sclera had turned completely black and his once-blue irises were now pure white, radiating a dim glow. The excruciating pain that had wracked his body moments ago had finally subsided. Overcome with regret for his earlier actions, Drew set off in the direction that Spring had gone, determined to make amends. After a while, he found her and approached her with a heartfelt apology.
"Spring, I'm so sorry for what I said earlier. I was wrong to try and deal with it all on my own. Please forgive me."
Spring was taken aback by Drew's sudden apology but couldn't help feeling a sense of relief. "I'm sorry too, Drew. I shouldn't have kept pushing you about it when I knew it was bothering you."
The two embraced, feeling much better about their situation. However, Spring couldn't help but notice that Drew's eyes were no longer blue. She hesitated to ask about them, but Drew knew that he had to tell her the truth.
"I don't know what is different, Spring. All I remember is feeling an unbearable pain that I never want to experience again."