the absurdity of life [Undertale]

in which the skeleton and the fish lady buy an apartment

One day our father came home.

I had never met him until that day. But he hated me. He smiled, that odd-looking man, and then he started to punch and kick me. I was seven, Sans was ten. He was out buying groceries. Dad started yelling, saying that out of the two of us he'd always liked Sans more. Sans was smarter. Sans was going to be a scientist like Dad. That was what he always told me. He wanted to be a scientist. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I just wanted to make people happy, but when I told Dad that he only hit harder. I yelled for Sans, but, he wasn't home.

I've never felt more trapped in my life. I was sure I was going to die.

I open the door and groceries fall out of my arms. I hear screaming, I hear angry yelling, I hear Papyrus telling Dad to stop. I sprint to his room.

The scene is so cliche it's nearly comical. Dad raises his hand high, then slams it down onto Papyrus again, again, again, and for a moment the world is on mute. I don't hear Papyrus screaming my name, followed by the word "help". I don't hear Dad telling Papyrus that he's a worthless, ignorant child. I just stand there, as still as possible. I'm afraid to interfere with the world in front of me. It seems so perfect, in a sense, it's a self-sustaining action, there's good dynamics in light and body form. A director could have spent hours trying to get this scene just right!

I haven't seen Dad since that strange, murky time in one's life when dreams and reality have only a thin, easy-to-overlook border. I've never seen Papyrus cry so much. He has a pained expression on his face. I want to cradle him like I did years ago, back when I had wanted to be held myself. I am distanced from the current situation. I'm a passing psychologist observing the relationship between an absent father and his young, innocent son. He's taking all his anger out on the child because he believes his youngest is least likely to follow in his footsteps. A famous scientist. A naive, confused little boy. Then, suddenly, as if anyone else is controlling my body, I try to pull Dad off of Papyrus. I can hear the yelling now because it's aimed towards me.

Suddenly, Sans started pulling Dad back. My whole body was sore, but here was Sans coming to save me. It didn't make any sense. Why did Dad hate me? He said I was worthless.

Should I believe

Sans looks around warily.

"Relax, it's our new home. We're going to have a good life here, okay?"

I hope.

Light pours in through the windows, changing the color of the wood flooring from brown to a light golden hue. The entire apartment seems to glow divinely. I walk to the living room on the right. Just as pictured, it's spacious, with a ten-foot ceiling and stylish modern furniture. I continue into the kitchen. It seems complete, but I don't think I'll do much cooking.

The bedroom has a giant king size being framed by two narrow windows. How lucky we are to get a corner property! I take the decorative pillows and form a soft, cotton wall between the two sides of the bed. I don't want to touch Sans with anything other than my hands.

I make my way back to the entryway. The bathroom looks clean, but that's not where my mind is.

Three months.

It's been three months since

I have lived in a void. I'm there right now, but I'm also in a generic apartment near the geographic heart of New Home. But I'm also within Papyrus, trying to see out of his eyes before noticing that I'm covered in dust.

I'm everywhere. If you open a filing cabinet you'll find me under every letter. I'm nowhere. If I died right now, there'd be no physical evidence that I ever existed. I'm somewhere indeterminate. I'll get back to you on where, exactly, if I ever find out.

If you counted every bone in my body, you probably could've done something to make somebody's day just a little bit brighter in the same amount of time.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. But does the shoulder belong to me or

"Sans."

He must be delusional.

I'll catch him in moments of sudden genius where he'll say something both profound and grounded in reality. He spends most of his time staring, like he's solving an eternal algebraic equation.

Maybe he sees Papyrus.

I want to see Papyrus.

I'll have to ask Sans what his secret is.

Papyrus is the whole reason we're here now.

Not the whole reason.

Also Sans.

I've been his minder since then. My old house was alright, but we both needed a change of scenery. My house was full of memories, which can be a very wonderful part of a house unless your best friend has just died.