A Look Through Your Eyes

Chapter 4

All Frisk could think of was trying to keep her mind off Chara and the nightmares, but thinking of forgetting it made her remember. She sighed and walked into the kitchen. She needed to focus on other things. She looked around for something to do and saw that the dishwasher was full, and clean. Vainly hoping that she would be able to keep her mind on one thing, she opened the dishwasher and began to unload it. First, she stacked all the plates on the counter, then the cups and bowls. She put the silverware away in the silverware drawer, then picked up the plates. She looked at the shelf far above her. Maybe this wasn't the most plausible task for me to do... She thought to herself. She took a deep breath, setting the plates back on the counter. She turned around and used her arms to push herself up onto the marble surface. She carefully got to her knees, facing the cabinet. She picked up the plates, bending her body backwards to try to get them in front of her. She managed to open the cabinet and put away the plates, but as she closed the cabinet, she lost her balance. With a gasp, Frisk fell over backwards off the counter. She didn't fall far, though, before soft arms caught her. Frisk looked up into the kind, loving eyes of Toriel, who had come into the kitchen just in time to catch her falling child. Toriel set Frisk down on her feet, patting her head lightly.

"Good morning, my child. Have you been up for long?" She inquired. Frisk just shrugged, smiling. "Have you eaten yet?" Toriel asked. Frisk shook her head and Toriel smiled.

"Then let's finish putting these away and make some pancakes!" She suggested. Frisk grinned and nodded happily. She put away the cups and bowls on the lower shelves, and Toriel put away the dishes on the higher shelves. In a few minutes, they were done, the kitchen all cleaned up, ready to be ruined again.

"I'll get the ingredients!" Frisk announced. She looked at their cork board of recipes, scanning across until she found the one she was looking for.

Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 buttercup

Frisk blinked and reread the last line.

1/2 cup of butter

She frowned as she briefly recalled the audio tapes she heard in Alphys' underground lab. Mistaking cups of butter for buttercups...

"Frisk, is everything alright?" Toriel called. Frisk looked up, her hand trembling slightly.

"I..." She began. She couldn't find the right words. The nightmares, the hallucinations, the fear... "I don't want to make pancakes anymore..." She breathed, the recipe fluttering out of her hands onto the floor. Toriel walked over and embraced the scared child in a warm hug.

"Shh...it's okay, Frisk." She comforted. Frisk was just shaking her head, holding on to Toriel's arm that was wrapped around her. Now I know who I was protecting by keeping you here... The child squeezed her eyes closed, still shaking her head.

"No no no..." She repeated, tears beginning to form in her eyes. It's kill or be killed... Toriel's concern escalated and she grabbed her phone. She dialed in the number as Frisk curled in on herself, her nightmares and demons consuming her, screaming in her ears, clawing at her hands that were covering her face. She trembled as the events of Chara's insanity played in her head as if it was her own past...

"Dr. Alphys? This is Toriel. I need your help straightaway. Something's wrong with Frisk."