Ataxia [OMORI]

[Paramnesia]

"So... you scribbled out my photos... and I covered for you?" Basil asked for clarification.

"I know, it's probably hard to believe, but the others can vouch for me that that's what happened..." Sunny said in a desperate way, begging Basil to believe him.

"I believe you, don't worry. I'm just... I'm surprised, I'm confused, and I'm a bit angry. Not at you, but at Aubrey..." Basil sighed. They had been standing in the middle of the store for too long. "Let's just get out of here."

Sunny nodded in agreement and went up to the checkout. As he did, he zoned out, not engaging the employee in conversation. He handed over payment unconsciously, taking the change, too. He was thinking about something. Why was Basil so quick to accept that he'd have done something so... strange?

Walking outside, the sight of a head of pink hair snapped Sunny from his fugue. Uh oh. His eyes refocused, and there she was. Aubrey, leaning against the fence in the parking lot, talking to Kim. Why did it have to be Kim of all people.

Aubrey waved them over with a smile. Before Sunny could try and signal that as a bad idea, Basil started walking over. Sunny rushed to go after him, his heart sinking.

By the time he had caught up, Basil was already opening his mouth to speak to Aubrey. "Sunny told me everything," he started with. Sunny cringed, knowing this could get him a violent reaction from Aubrey.

"I just want you to know, I'm not going to... to..." Basil's eyes diverted to Kim. He looked terrified. Sunny recalled what Basil had described. His experience in the candy shop. "Y-You're the one who... the time in the candy shop... you..."

Kim raised an eyebrow, "What about the candy shop?" Basil seemed to be having trouble breathing.

Answering on Basil's behalf, Sunny spoke, "He remembered the time you beat him up in the candy store just a bit ago."

"Which time? I did that a couple of times, I think. Does he remember the date?" Kim asked curiously.

Sunny glanced back at Basil. He was now hyperventilating. "I think we should go."

"Right. See you guys around, and tell Basil I'm sorry, I guess," Kim said with a wave. Aubrey seemed angry but refrained from speaking for whatever reason.

As Sunny guided Basil by the hand away from them, Aubrey looked like she whispered something to Kim. Not much he could do about that. It seemed that yet again, Sunny fucked everything up.

Sunny brought Basil to a bench outside of the park and sat with him. Basil gripped his chest with desperation. He was shedding tears without really crying. His shoulders were slouched in a defeated sort of way.

It was honestly enough for Sunny to tear up a little, too. Basil looked so shaken that it made Sunny upset on his behalf. He saw his vision blur for a beat.

"Hey, Basil... uh..." Sunny almost asked a stupid question. Of course he wasn't alright. That was blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes. He elected to change his choice in words, "Do you want to go home?"

"I want to go home. I want to go to my home. I want to see grandma again. I'm so sick of all of this. These things I can't understand, these memories I've lost. I don't want to remember anymore. I want to go back," Basil outlined how he felt in a quite easy to follow way. Sunny was quite thankful. He wasn't so good with emotions, usually.

Having it explained made things way easier. "Basil..." Maybe it wasn't that easy. What can you even say to that? "I'm sorry..."

Basil just kept crying instead of responding. Obviously, Sunny wasn't exactly expecting an "it's okay," but a response at all would've been nice.

"Let's go back home, Basil," Sunny insisted, kind of feeling awkward sitting next to a crying boy in public.

He didn't respond. He just stood up, still crying, and held his head steady. "Alright, guess we'll go–" Sunny cut himself off as Basil started to walk across the street on his own.

Rushing after him in a panic, Sunny quickly took Basil's hand. "Careful!" Basil ripped his hand out of Sunny's grasp. Sunny looked up at Basil.

"Okay, look, I don't want you to get hurt. Please, just let me make sure you don't fall!"

"I'm fine!" Basil said a bit louder than he seemed to expect. "I just... I need some time alone."

Basil walked ahead. Sunny followed behind. He almost wanted to act selfishly and just ask what the hell Basil wanted from him, but he held back. At a time like this, asking such a thing might just push Basil into Sunny-hating territory.

The two walked about a meter apart from each other for the entire walk back home. Sunny kept repeating words in his mind. "He hates you. You're worthless." Basil waited for Sunny at the front door to his home. It caught Sunny off-guard, so he almost stopped before he'd get too near.

After realizing the choice was deliberate, Sunny walked up to the door and opened it. His head hurt from thinking so much. "Sunny," Basil began.

Sunny didn't answer. He walked inside, taking off his shoes roughly. The back of Sunny's head was all Basil saw as he called out once more, "Sunny!"

He didn't turn around. He went through the doorway to the staircase and could be heard travelling up to the second floor.

Basil was stunned. Sunny wasn't. He entered his room and shut the door. He always did so quietly, hating the loud noise of doors slamming.

It was so infuriating. Everything was. Why did Sunny have to be alive? Everything is such a chore. There's no pleasure in anything he does. Why eat? Why cook? Why talk? Why do anything? The barren walls of his room besides an ancient Captain Spaceboy poster didn't offer any comfort, with the thoughts running through his mind.

Sunny climbed into his bed and lay down on his pillow. Sleep was good practice for when he'd finally die for good.