Game Over (Andley)

Where the Dreamers Go

Andy stood in the darkness, his head holding a small remainder of the dull headache. What had happened?
Where was he?

"Hello?" He called. "Is- Is anyone here? Anybody?" He bit his lip, arms hugging himself tightly.

There was no response. Not even an echo back.
"I just want to go home..." He whispered quietly and rubbed his arms.

"You are home."

The response caused Andy to snap his head back up. That was his voice, but he didn't say that. In front of him, stood.. himself? But it wasn't himself...
Well, it was. But this version of himself was dressed in plain black skinny jeans, and a pull-over Bengals sweatshirt. Andy smiled faintly. His favorite football team...
"Who are you?" Andy asked cautiously.
The other Andy, the one standing in front of him, smiled crookedly. "You."
"Wait, what?"
"I know, right? Kinda cool."

Andy took a few steps back, suddenly realizing the odd breeze on his legs. He looked down and saw he was wearing nothing but a scratchy hospital gown. "What the hell?" He squeaked.
"That's the not cool part..." His other self sighed heavily. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Andy stared at him, eyes wide. "Um- Uh- I remember.. Um. I remember being in- in the video game and helping Eve save all of the rebels from the dungeons and then-"
"Ah, ah. No. That wasn't real."

Deep in his stomach, Andy felt his heart plummet. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. "What do you mean." Andy demanded, gritting his teeth. "It had to be. I felt every-"
"We're the same person, Andy. Do you want to tell yourself that you are lying to yourself?"

Andy opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. This was making his headache so much worse... Ugh...
"The life you dreamt of was just that... Something you dreamt up." His other self sighed. "So.. Danny, Ashley, William, CC, Jinxx, Jake, Eve- Actually, well, her real name is Alicia, I guess if we're gonna be technical here- They're all real people in the real world. In your life. But you were living in a... fake reality."
"Then who am I... what's happening..."
"You're Andrew Dennis Biersack. 22. Lead singer of the American rock band, Black Veil Brides, currently in the studio for your third record... And now you're in a coma..." The other Andy finished quietly, folding his arms over his chest. "Honestly, I'd rather not get into the gruesome details..."
Andy gulped and sat down on the floor. "Then why do you know what I don't know? Shouldn't we know the same things...?"

His alternate self gave him a sad grin and sat down as well. "I don't know why, to be honest. But what I do know is that when you slipped into comatose, we split. I got to experience what people call the 'out of body experience,' and you... got to live this out in a separate reality as if this was never a thing."

Andy looked down sadly, hair hanging over his face. "I wish I could've had what you did. I want to know what's happening. I hate not knowing."
"Don't even say that. You have no idea what it was like." He spat at Andy. "I had to watch Ashley cry over our limp body. I had to watch him talk to the doctors, and hear that- They want to let us die, Andy. They're telling him that we have a low chance of survival and it's best to just pull the plug now. I had to see the rest of the band come in with balloons and teddy bears, fans sent letters and cards and gifts- Ashley read every single one. Every god damn letter, every god damn card. He read them out loud for us. He would always say he didn't want us to forget. He didn't want us to forget the sound of his voice. Ashley, he- he slept in the room with us for two fucking weeks before the nurses kicked him out. It was heartbreaking... CC had to come and drag him out. Why can't we just fucking wake up already!?" He screamed, looking around at the nothingness around them.

Andy's eyes, as well as his other self's, were full of tears as he listened. Ashley... CC... The band. The fans.

"Oh my god." He whispered brokenly.
"Yeah. While you got to believe you were living a good life, I was here... Watching."
Andy closed his eyes. "What happened... Please tell me what happened."
His other self made eye contact and looked away again.

"I don't know much... But- hit by a car. That's all I know, and it's all I care to know."

Andy nodded quietly, and they both sat in silence.
There was a sudden shake that startled the both of them, and a raging beeping sound that rattled the silence.

"Andy." The other looked at him. "How did you get back here- to your subconscious."
"I- I have no idea." Andy blinked. "I just.. woke up here."
The other opened his mouth to respond but something cut him off.

"Andy?! Nurse- Somebody?! It's beeping- Andy, baby, please, wake up! Open your eyes!" A loud voice boomed in his head, echoing and bouncing around.
Then all of a sudden, the both of them disappeared and the two crystal eyes snapped open, met with the blinding light of the room. They rapidly moved side to side, frantic and wild as he panicked and tried assessing what was going on. He tried to sit up, he tried to speak, but the tubes that had just been removed from him had left his throat raw and dry.

"It's a miracle..." An unfamiliar voice whispered. He looked to his left and saw a nurse holding the tubes that were previously keeping Andy alive, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

He looked to his right and saw Ashley, brown eyes glazed with fresh tears. He said nothing. He just stared. As soon as their eyes met, Ashley broke down all over again, grabbing Andy's hand. "Baby blue... Oh my god, baby, you did it.. You woke up..." He sobbed.
Andy smiled, dry, cracked lips mouthing a few words. They were unable to be heard, as his voice hadn't been used in three and a half months, but Ashley knew what he said. He smiled through his tears.

"I love you too, baby blue. I love you too..." Ashley kissed his knuckles.
Andy laid his head back against the stiff pillow and gazed at the ceiling. He woke up. He did it... He pulled through.
So it really was all a dream, then? The game? F.E.A.R.? His life as a game-tester?
It was all fake? Fabricated?

"Mr. Biersack needs his rest, Mr. Purdy." The nurse informed calmly. "It'd be best if you-"

"I'm not leaving him. He needs me here." Ashley said stubbornly.
The nurse sighed and nodded, leaving to go inform the doctor of Andy's awakening.

A/N: hopefully this cleared up confusion lmao