The Tables Have Turned - Undertale Fanfiction

4 - Worry

As Frisk headed south, to the river that connected Hotland with Waterfall and Snowdin, she managed to catch a glimpse of a shadow beside her in the corner of her eye every now and then. It was not her own shadow. The light from Hotland cast a shadow on the ground in front of her and the shadow usually was behind her. She'd turned around several times, even in open areas without any hiding spots, but the owner of the strange shadow was nowhere to be found. Though, Frisk knew it was there.

Frisk arrived at the river. Just like earlier, the Riverperson was nowhere near and nor was there any trace of them, but their boat was in the water. It was not close enough for Frisk so she couldn't reach it. And even if she could, the boat seemed to be a sentient being so it probably wouldn't obey someone other than the Riverperson. Besides, the water in Hotland was too hot, despite being connected to the icy cold waters of Snowdin and Waterfall.
Frisk sighed yet again and figured she'd have to go back by foot.

She walked at her normal pace and arrived at the bed with golden flowers not too long after. And then reality hit her right in the face. The thin wooden platform she'd fallen from on her way to Hotland, was still broken and in the meantime had been soaked in the water from the water streaming down from above. She couldn't think of a safe way to climb, much less swim, up there and she was not in the mood to bother Alphys and ask for her help. Especially because she probably already was asleep and Frisk definitely did not want to be greeted by Undyne the Not-Sleeping. Or "Undying." She seemed to be invincible and could stand anything..

Except for Papyrus' incredible - with a silent cr, that is - spaghetti. That'd given her food poisoning a couple of times and was her only weak spot. Oh, and of course her tummy. Tickling could immobilise even Undyne the Undying, too. Frisk giggled silently as she remembered the time where Undyne had gone as far as demanding a law against tickling, and laughed at the memory of the angry Undyne busting into Grillby's and helping herself to some alcohol after both Asgore and Toriel had rejected her request.

~Frisk's P.O.V.~

"Well that's just perfect, isn't it?" I said to myself. I was about to shout every curseword I knew, but then again I had a strange shadow following me and I wouldn't want to make a bad impression. Especially not to some cursed shadow who'd probably watched me sleep. It'd even seen me taking baths. And it'd seen me sleeping. Speaking of scary thoughts.

Anyway, my thought bubble was popped. And not in the most pleasant way. My phone, quite aggressively, if phones can be aggressive that is, started buzzing and I could feel the vibration of that thing in my head. Heck, it was in my pocket and it was giving me a headache. I knew I should've put it on silent. I checked my phone, which informed me that it was now 2:58 am, to calm whoever was giving me a free massage using a chatting application.

Okay, putting I'm glad I didn't have my phone on silent.. that could very well have been my biggest regret from all those 16 in which years I have lived on this planet. Why?

I'd received at least 50 messages from Toriel by the time I opened our chat. A few examples of what she'd sent:
"Frisk" "where are you" "you've been gone forever" "are you staying at Alphys' lab" "Frisk" "Answer me." "I know you're receiving these" "Don't make me call you" and before I could read the final message I was being called by the one and only Toriel Dreemurr, my adoptive mother and teacher. Don't get me wrong, she's great. But she'd probably consider killing me if she knew why exactly I'd sneaked out.

"My child! You scared the living cinnamon-buttercotch pie out of me. When are you planning to get back here, hm?" was the first thing I heard when I picked up the call. My phone's volume was nearly at its lowest and I could still hear her worried voice loud and clear, even though I was not even holding my phone close to my ears and there were freaking waterfalls rushing in the background. I fudged up, big time.

"Sorry, Toriel." I apologised. "I'm kind of stuck and perhaps a little lost. I'll be home soon." Toriel seemed worried and remained silent on the other side of the line and after a very frightening silence I could hear her sigh. "I can't always protect you, can I? Be safe. Don't make me come over and get you." She hung up before I could reply and I put my phone back in my pocket.

I sighed as I looked up. No way I could get up there.. And then, because I am so darn lucky, I heard the flowers behind me rustling and something hit me in my lower back and between my shoulder blades and I fell over. Literally faceplanted into that flowerbed. Splendid, wasn't it? If that thing, whatever it was, hadn't killed me, then Toriel probably would have actually considered it, to say the least.