★ Paranoia

Chapter 59

January 9th, 2024

Day Seventeen

JJ didn't actually believe that Banana Kid was gone, but he didn't think it could hurt to check.

Besides, he was feeling motivated to hurt him some more. The ordeal with the hallucinations earlier had made him feel powerless, and he would do anything to make it so that he felt on top again. He refused to feel overpowered ever again, ever since prison.

When JJ stumbled to the door, he turned the doorknob quietly multiple times, back and forth. His intent was to mess with Banana Kid's mind; to make him question to himself if he was really hearing it, and if he was really coming back. Then, after a while of that, he entered, closing the door behind him and keeping the room encased in darkness for now.

"It's funny how you thought you could get away with trying to have any influence over anyone, let alone my sweetness." He began. "You're nothing. You try to act all high and mighty by stupidly rolling into death's path constantly, trying to make yourself look like a hero. But all you're doing is distracting yourself from the truth. You aren't special, and you aren't worthy enough to anybody. You're a freak of nature, and nothing more than food. Your only benefit is that you taste so addictingly delicious... if it weren't for the fact that you have to be whole for those men to accept you, you'd be reduced to nothing in my stomach by now. I know I messed up last time and cut you open, but how could I help myself? Besides, it's not like you didn't deserve it."

He started relaying in his head all the reasons he resented Banana Kid, and it motivated him to drop his psychological torment attempt by staying in darkness. He flicked on the light, his face leaving behind his previous teasing attitude, but once he looked forward, it would change for a third time.

Nobody was attached to the board.

JJ refused to believe it, and furiously rubbed his eyes to see if this was another hallucination. But when Banana Kid didn't reappear, the panic set in immediately.

"My vessel. My ticket to freedom. My guarantee to live."

JJ tore through the room, searching every nook and cranny for a trace of him. When he found nothing, involuntary wails and terrified whimpers arose from his throat, and he rushed out into the hallway, unable to control his emotions anymore.

"Where is he? Where is he? How could he have escaped? I need to find him- my death will be solidified on January 12th if I don't!"

JJ started to run faster and faster. The hallucination had been right.

At this point, he couldn't even think straight. He kept sprinting forward, trying to look every place at once. He had to be somewhere. He had to b-

Suddenly, he saw a figure hesitantly moving in his direction, but JJ couldn't stop himself in time. He crashed into the person, taking them both to the ground. When he landed on top of them, he felt the familiar feeling of Mikey's plastron underneath him, causing him to recognize the turtle hybrid before JJ even recovered from his fall and saw Mikey's face. He found Mikey's presence and warmth so delightful that he didn't move on purpose for a minute, trying to have him as close as possible.

JJ's short moment of solace amidst his panic ended when Mikey kicked him off, not in a harsh or fast way, but in a one that confirmed he was irritated. Mikey muttered something to himself as he stood up, refusing to meet JJ's eyes as he did the same. However, JJ struggled more because legs were still trembling from everything he'd previously endured in the room.

"You're just the person I want to see right now." JJ choked out, but he hardly had time to be happy, as all the images of him and Mikey's future outside of the base started to deteriorate before his very eyes. If he didn't have Banana Kid, then those men would refuse him, and he'd die on January 12th and be taken away from Mikey. He shook harder, panic rushing through his body so hard that it made him feel hot. Sweat lined his face.