AfterTale - Another Lifetime

DON'T GIVE UP

Panic arose in my chest, I was terrified, my mothers blood was smothered on my palm. I rush to the girls' bathroom and shut the door behind me. I exhale, but soon enough it turns into hyperventilating. I hear a group of human girls giggling in the corner, sticking to the wall I inch towards the sink. I hear them muttering spiteful things about me as they strut in single file towards the door. As soon as they are gone, I kick open all the stalls, no one. Then move the janitors cleaning equipment in front of the door. Finally. I turn on all the taps and squirt as much soap on my hands as I can. I scrub my hand with tissues, and scratch at my skin with my nails. I know I have gone over board, but I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of what just happened.

Five minutes later I wander back out, shifting my bag back onto my shoulder and walk into my first class. Alphus stands at the front, facing the board. I can see her breathing, trying to control her anxiety. I am proud that she managed to make it this far, last time the school called her in to do a presentation on her work as the royal scientist, she barely made it through the front doors.

"H-hello, class. I-I am... uh... Doctor... uh... Alphus," she gulped. Her wide eyes stared at me I nodded and held up my fists in a 'stay strong' manner, she sighed.

"For a f-few years, I-I was the R-Royal scientist for the, um... the King of the the Monsters, King Asgore"

"You mean Asgore, the fluffy Gardener?" yelled out one of the human boys. All the monsters stared at him menacingly, all the other humans laughed.

I Could see something was brewing, someone, somewhere through some paper, people stared getting up and yelling, arguments broke out about cruelty and the war. Alphus stood at the front panicking. I had to do something.

I stood up and walked calmly to the front of the class –I saw someone do it in 'Brave' and it worked- but no one payed attention, so...

"SHUT UP!" I yelled. Silence.

"Everybody stop, and sit down. We are here to listen to Alphus talk to us about science, not argue over the past, we are here to learn about how we can affect our future, so stop." I glared onto the crowd. People awkwardly shuffled back to their places. I may have been a nobody now, because we have been back for years, but people still know my past, and what I did.

We sat again, Alphus continued, the day went on. I zoned out during English, all I could do was stare at Toriel, thinking of what had happened. Once the final bell had rung I ran home. I texted monster kid that I was sorry, but wanted I to be left alone for a bit.

Undyne was standing right behind the door when I opened it.

"Hey, Frisk! I was wondering whether you wanted to join me for target practice! I could really use someone to aim at NGAHHHH!", but I pushed straight passed her and ran to my room. Slamming to the door behind me. I tried to muffle my sobs in my pillow, but Flowey noticed me.

"What's wrong now, human?"

I said nothing.

"Good, it's not like I cared anyway."

I turned over and lay there for a bit, listening to each breath to calm me down. I heard sounds from downstairs, I strained my ears to hear them:

"They were acting really weird, they looked sad, I didn't know what to do,"

"Yes, Frisk did something strange today at school, she started crying when she hugged me."

"NOTHING TO FEAR, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL TALK TO THEM FOR YOU,"

"No papyrus," I whispered, but it was too late, I could hear the thuds coming up the stairs and towards my door. I lay face down on the pillow again.

"HUMAN! WHAT AILS YOU? HAVE YOU NOT HAD ENOUGH PUZZLES RECENTLY?"

"Go away, Papyrus, I appreciate your help, but I want to be left alone!"

As the words left my lips, my pillow began to freeze, my face was wet and my mouth filled with snow. Finally, alert of my surroundings I pull myself up, my face was burning hot, from the freezing snow. My shaky, breath appeared in clouds of steam, my bed had been replaced with the floor and my room was a snowy wood, running adjacent to a river. In front of me twinkled with lights from houses. Snowdin Town. I stood up, I rubbed my arms with my hands, partially hugging myself.

"WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED..."

I turn around. I stumble back, landing on my backside. I don't care about the cold, everything is out of focus except Papyrus, who stands in front of me, wearing his same old uniform, his red scarf flailing in the wind. And his head leaning on his hand. A cry slips my mouth. His expression, just like Toriel's, shifted. There was a whole new thing that he wasn't expecting.

"Paps. No... no. no! NO! NO!" I cry out. My hands cover my mouth as his body crumbles to the floor, leaving only his head lying on the ground. Trembling I crawl forward, gripping his dust before it blows of into the wind.

"BUT... ST... STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

I stare at his head it lay neatly on his scarf.

"What happened, what happened here?" I place my middle and index fingers from both hands on both of his temples, I felt that two hands would be too much for him.

"YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER!"

"Better than what Papyrus? What did I do wrong?"

His expression changes from compassion to one much more puzzled, he doesn't quite understand what is going on. Neither do I! And just like Toriel, his eyes widened.

"YOU ARE NOT THE SAME HUMAN, BUT YOU ARE AT THE SAME TIME. YOUR CLOTHES AND FACE RESEMBLE EACH OTHER, HOWEVER YOU ARE MUCH OLDER!"

"Same human as what Papyrus? What are you talking about. Why are we back in Snowdin?" I picked up his head "Come on let's go back home!" I couldn't keep this up for much longer. I knew what was going on, I had seen a monster die once, I changed the ending to that story, but it was still imprinted on my mind.

"HOME?"

"Yes, home. Our home. On the surface. Stay with me until then. Promise me this!"

"I... I PROMISE..."

Famous last words.

My hands suddenly felt empty, I stare at where Papyrus' head once was to catch the last of his dust falling on the snow.

"NO! NO! NO!" I grabbed my hair and yelled. Holding the snow, I frantically tried to re-make him. But to no avail. My face felt so puffy, I know I cried hard when it was my mum, but I didn't actually watch her dust scatter the in the wind. I pulled his scarf to my face, covering it. Pretending he was still here.

Two thin arms wrap around my body, in an embrace. My first though was sans until...

"HUMAN? YOU REALLY ARE IN A STRANGE MOOD TODAY!" I jump back in shock, there he was. Good as new. Like nothing has happened. Nothing at all.

"It's nothing, just a bad dream really spooked me, and it's still in my head."

"DO YOU... WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?"

"Not just yet. I'm still processing it all." Which was true. I hoped that it was just a bad dream, this whole day.

"I'm gonna take a quick nap. I'll be down in a bit"

Papyrus nodded, as he walked out he scratched the back of his head. He was confused. I know the feeling. I am just as confused right now.