You've Missed Mouthy

Cold

(Vince the Proxy's POV)

The forest around me remains cold, freezing actually. What I wouldn't give to have Toby's disease right now. It wouldn't be pleasant in the long run, but the lack of blood flow to my legs wouldn't be bothering the hell out of me. Inside the Elementary it was warm and humid, easy place to sleep and do the other shit proxies do. Out here, the nights are frosty and cold while the day has a warm wind. But not only am I cold, I haven't found any form of water, clean or not, nor have I scavenged for any food. I'm starving, I'm cold, dehydrated, and crazy enough to complain to myself. And to top it all off, I've got a hellish migraine.

I lift one of my hands up to my head, moving my shades in order to rub my eyes. With a sigh, I let my arm wrap back around my torso in attempts to keep warm. My eyelids start to flutter closed, though I know that if I fall asleep I will not be waking up. But the leaves on the ground just look so... so comfortable... all of the sudden. I can't freeze to death in only ten minutes, can I? Or do I honestly care if I don't wake up? Shall we end this nightmare with one last dream? That... that actually sounds nice. I think I just might go for it. Knowing full well that I can die this way, I lay on the frosted ground with my shirtless back. My eyes closed, my head clear.

- - -

I can dream of anything I want so long as I'm in my own head right? Wrong. "Does that hurt?" "No." Two voices echo in my head. One deep and concerned, the other monotone and slightly robotic. "The external injury won't take long to heal. But I'm unsure if the blow effected anything internal." The deeper voice speaks again, causing me to turn around in my own dream world. I can see the two people, and recognize their faces; well, their masked faces. Back in the underground training facility, there was a medical guy with a blue mask, he's here, standing behind a chair. Jack, I think his name was Jack. One of his hands holds a pair of medical pliers, the other has a curved suture needle. Sitting in the chair before him is the other grey proxy, Mouthy. Her head it tilted to the side with her hood down. Jack lowers his hands into her messy hair, and I realize what I'm seeing. The doctor guy is stitching closed the wound I inflicted on Mouthy's head. "C-can I see it?" I mutter towards them, slowly walking closer as they ignore my question. "It doesn't hurt..." Mouthy's airy voice plays around me. "I'm sorry, this wasn't what needed to happen. I've made a mess of things. And I've ruined what little happiness you've had in this life." I voice the confession, knowing that their attention is not on me. The doctor cuts the thread on the final stitch and steps away from the proxy. "I need to get this off my chest even if you can't hear me. Sorry, Mouthy..." As I was talking, Mouthy got up off her chair to stand a few feet from me. Slowly her head turns in my direction, almost like she heard me. Expecting a reply or gesture from her, I stand there, staring into those emotionless black eyes with heavy anticipation. The girl giggles like a child, turning swiftly before rushing towards me. The speed of her sprint causes me to jump away from her, tripping on nothing to land on my back. Mouthy's giggles continue as she runs past where I fell, her feet barely touching the ground. "Kate!" Her voice echoes with excitement, urging me to roll over and look to see what is happening. As I do, I find Jack gone and two others standing where Mouthy ran to. The chaser, and Toby. Mouthy tackles Kate in a hug, the impact knocks them both to the ground, and they begin to tumble in a ball of limbs as Toby starts laughing. That laugh, that kid's god damn laugh. I remember that the clearest. I remember how that laugh would follow a stupid joke that would have an angry Masky on Toby's ass in a matter of seconds. I chuckle at the memory, a little louder than I meant to. Toby stops laughing, turning to look... at me? Directly at me. Kate and Mouthy also freeze in place, like someone pressing pause. Slowly Toby moves his hands towards his belt where his axes lay. My body tenses up, and I can hear the light sound of breathing. Things start to get cold again, and I fear that I'll wake up soon. Toby's shoulder twitches and I can barely see his brow relax as his hands pull away from his hips and lift into the air. I stare confused as he... waves at me. The motion seeming to call me towards him, but when I take a step forward, icy wind stops me and holds my feet to the floor. Breathing increases, and I push my hand forward towards Toby. Am I reaching out to grab one of them? Am I crying out for help? What the hell am I doing? As the world brightens into blinding white light, I wave back.