One Helluva Ride

Chapter 19: Feelings

          Splice found themself back in their old dressing room at the studio. Back in this wretched industry that they had wanted to leave for so long. "Fuck, not this again.." They muttered, glancing at themself in the mirror. The edges of their mirror were adorned with fan mail and various gifts. Just looking at it made them feel sick to their stomach. The walls were lined with several posters of the imp in promiscuous positions.

          Unable to stay in this room any longer, Splice reached for the door. They stepped out of the dressing room and into the hallway. However, instead of finding themself in the hallway, they were on a platform. They were swarmed with lustful fans. The demons reached and grasped for Splice, tugging on their clothing and pulling them down. Splice pushed away the best they could, running desperately from the crowd of unruly demons.

          Finally, Splice saw an escape. A staircase. They sprinted toward the stairs, their breaths shallow and uneven. A figure was waiting for them at the top. They froze where they were, now trapped between the lustful mob and the dark figure. Panic rose in their chest as they tried to figure out what was the right choice.

          Splice ran into the outstretched arms of the figure. The moment they were trapped in his embrace, they knew they'd made the wrong choice. Dread pooled inside of them as they tried to push away. The figure grabbed them by the jaw, forcing them to look up at him. He seemed almost sympathetic. He squeezed Splice's cheeks roughly.

          "Shh... Don't be afraid of me, little one." The voice of the figure cooed. Splice felt as tears welled up in their eyes. "I'll be a good owner to you, pet. I promise~"

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

          Splice shot up in bed, their throat closing up and tears threatening to spill from their eyes. They backed up against the arm of the couch, hugging their knees to their chest tightly. Their chest felt tighter and tighter as they took shallow breaths. Their ribs felt like they were stabbing into their lungs. Their skin felt like it was crawling with thousands of bugs. Tears pricked at their eyes as they clawed at their arms in a useless attempt to calm themself down.

          Splice's gaze quickly darted over to the door as they heard footsteps. Millie emerged from her bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Woah- are you alright, darlin'?" She asked gingerly. Her eyes widened in realization. She carefully approached the couch. "Hey, it's alright. You're safe here." She said gently.

          Splice's tail wrapped around them tightly. They let out a soft whimper as they pushed themself away from Millie. "I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry, I-" Splice muttered, voice raspy and forced. Millie's face contorted in concern. "Mox, get the lemon candies!" She whisper-yelled. Moxxie, being a light sleeper, woke up within moments.

          Upon witnessing the scene, Moxxie quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed a jar of lemon-flavored hard candies. "It's okay, sweetheart. You'll be alright." Millie said softly. Moxxie returned with the jar, moving so fast that he nearly tripped. "H..Here.." He breathed, passing the jar to his wife.

          Millie kissed Moxxie's forehead as a show of appreciation, taking a candy from the jar and offering it to Splice. "Go on, take it. It's not poison, I promise." She said with a comforting smile. Splice hesitantly took the candy and popped it into their mouth. They immediately recoiled as their face contorted from the sourness. "There you go! Just focus on the candy." Millie instructed.

         "You're safe here." Millie comforted, inching closer to Splice. It took a few moments, but Splice eventually returned to a stable state. ".. you okay?" Millie asked gently. Splice looked away and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." They replied, feeling their cheeks burn in embarrassment. They hadn't expected to show such vulnerability in front of their co-workers. "No worries. Mox and I are always happy to help." Millie said, placing a hand on Splice's shoulder supportively.

          Splice looked away. "... You two can go back to bed now. I wouldn't want you losing sleep over me." They said with a sheepish smile. Millie waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Mox, could you go grab a few pillows? We'll be out here for the rest of the night." She called. Moxxie nodded and retreated into the bedroom. "You really don't have to do this," Splice muttered. Millie smiled warmly. "I know." She replied, squeezing Splice's shoulder affectionately.

          Moxxie returned with several pillows in his arms. "Do you think you'll be able to fall asleep again?" He asked softly. Splice offered an uncomfortable shrug. "I.. usually don't after that stuff happens." They answered. Moxxie dropped the pillows onto the couch. "No worries! I've got a bunch of musicals and movies downloaded, so we can just watch those. That usually helps me."

          Splice nodded. "Yeah.. that sounds nice." They smiled a little. Millie lit up. "Let's make a night of it! Mox, you make some popcorn. I'll go toss a blanket in the dryer to get it warm." She exclaimed, hopping off of the couch. Splice watched as they both ran off. "Is there anything I can do to help..?" Their voice died off as the two disappeared from view.

          After about fifteen minutes, Millie returned with a large blanket. She splayed it across the couch. Moments later, Moxxie entered from the kitchen. He had a large bowl of popcorn in one arm and a few mugs in the other. He carefully placed his items on the coffee table. "Sorry- it takes a while when you make it yourself." He apologized sheepishly. "And the whipped cream on the cocoa was just not working with me."

          Splice turned their attention to the items on the coffee table. The three mugs were placed carefully in front of their respective owners, with dollops of whipped cream placed on top. "I.." Splice muttered, speechless at the effort their friends had gone through. Tears pricked the corners of their eyes. "Thank you. Both of you."

          Millie ruffled Splice's hair affectionately. "Like I said, anytime." She replied, taking a seat beside Splice. Moxxie did the same. The three got underneath the blanket as Moxxie grabbed the remote. He searched his television for a musical he thought everyone would like, before turning it on. The volume was low, keeping the atmosphere comfortable for sleeping as the night progressed.