SeptiplierAntiseptiplier: New Year New Me

Chapter 28

Mark's POV (memory)

I found myself in a place unknown to me. The ground was painted green, unlike the hot coals, stone, and obsidian that is commonly seen in Hell.

I started searching for civilization and came across an orphanage.

Then realisation hit me, I was on Earth. How did I not notice this sooner? I tried to pay no mind to it, it is more important that I find shelter.

I walked towards the orphanage and I saw a boy wearing a mask outside on the front steps. He turned his head in my direction, curious about what my intentions are.

"Hello there, what is your name?" I asked the young boy politely.

"...Cry" He said shyly. "What is your name?"

"It's Mark. Do you know where we are?" I couldn't go around telling strangers my true identity. The name Anti called me while he was choking on his own blood and words came to mind, it looks like that will be my name here on Earth.

Cry explained where I am, but only very minimal and obvious statements. He spoke nervously as if I am the first person he has ever met. Then he asked me a question that I didn't expect.

"Where do you live?" Cry tilted his head slightly in curiosity. I found this odd, nobody ever seems to care about how I have managed to survive this long.

"Nowhere..." I decided to be honest.

"You don't have a home? Here, follow me." Cry took my hand in order to lead me somewhere.

He took me inside the orphanage and into a bedroom. Miraculously, nobody acknowledged our presence.

He pointed towards the closet and motioned for me to go inside.

Cry offered to hide me inside the orphanage until I find a place to live and that he would smuggle things into his room necessary for my survival. Having no better option, I agreed.

Eventually, I lost track of how much time I spent hiding away from the outside world in Cry's room. We bonded during that time period however. It may have gotten boring at times, but Cry was there to raise me up when I fell down.

On one eventful day, I left the orphanage in search of a new place to stay. I found the abandoned ruins of an old house.

What was left of the concrete walls was scorched and turned black. Most of the roof was gone as well. I made a bed out of old scraps that survived the inferno and laid down.

I stared into the abyss of the night sky with my back leaning against the hard, cold concrete. Collections of freckled stars were in my view.

I propped my head and elbows up to admire the Earthly atmosphere. Then I saw something, a single shooting star darting across the sky like a teardrop. I made a wish.

That I could belong here.

I want to be here. It was so very lonely in Hell, wandering day after day trying to find somewhere I belong. Now I finally made a friend.

I felt something wet in my eye, what is this feeling? I soon realised I was crying, a new emotion. Tears turned into sobs as I buried my head in my make-shift pillow.

I poured my heart out that night and fell asleep from the sudden intense new emotion I was experiencing.

I have lived there ever since and have been good friends with Cry to this day.

And every day I pondered what became of Anti and his whereabouts. For all I knew back then, he was dead.