Alternatetale - The Adventure of Avery

Chapter XIII: It's No Use

Avery's POV

Time is 2 hours later- 10 pm.

    There it was. His blood. On my hands. There was regret, but also a thrill. I was on my knees, and my father's unconscious body lay beside me, with the cuts of razor-sharp spine-covered vines.

I started crying. What am I doing?! The front door opened, sending a beam of moonlight across the floor until it rested on my knees. "Kiddo?" It was Sans. I looked up and met his eyes. My eyes were glowing. "I know how this looks," I said.

"Whatever impression you got is probably true. He's not dead, just unconscious." Sans looked reproachful. "I know. It's fine. Just kill me." I said flatly, a half smile on my face.

He raised his hand, and I smiled fully. Instead of attacking me though, he teleported... and hugged me? I made a noise of surprise but returned the hug. Oh. Ow. "To be quite honest, I probably should've known. This kind of joke isn't exactly punny, though." I said in an amused tone, blood leaking from my mouth. I passed out.

I won't die. I'm in control of the timeline here. I CAN'T DIE.

*A few hours later*

    I woke up on the couch in Mom's house. "Huh?" I coughed up blood and grimaced. Fun. I thought sarcastically. "My child, you're awake. Let me heal you." she reached out a hand to me, but I waved it away.

"No. I'd rather stay like this. I deserve this." I said. I got up, and walked out the door, pulled up the teleport option, and went to "HOME". I landed at the front door, and walked inside.

The roof was gone, Akira passed out, Reaper and Akiko cleaning up, and Kazue looking around and taking notes. She looked up from her notepad and saw me. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" she shouted. Reaper and Akiko looked up, saw the blood everywhere. "Calm down," I said, "Most of it's mine." That didn't make any of them look any happier. "Okay. I get it.

I made some mistakes." I said, shrugging, and climbing up the stairs. Akira appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my wrist. "Avery," she said darkly, but in a singsong tone. Is she still drunk? "So what? I knocked someone unconscious and nearly got killed by a close friend- all in a day's work." I walked up the stairs, the taste of dried blood in my mouth. I hear Akira collapsed on the ground again.

I closed the door and locked it, walked out the window onto the small balcony, and sat next to a patch of flowers, looking at the moon. "It's no use trying to be nice. After all this... am I still myself?" I asked this question, and the wind blew it off in a warm current. It was a summer night, warm and sweet. I looked over my shoulder.

It was Astrid, the lie detecting cat, it's a real cat, not a robot cat, to my surprise. "Hey, Astrid," I said, and she walked up beside me and brushed up against me, curling up in my lap almost instantly. I felt much calmer. "Thanks." Astrid nodded and walked off.

I stayed there for a minute, then stepped back through the window and laid down on my bed. I looked at my soul- a dark film was developing over it. How ironic. I muttered, "Sanctification: Tenebrae Responsories", and the black film came off.

The other version of me looked... just like me now. I inhaled and exhaled in frustration. I couldn't bring myself to kill this shadow of me. Why did I have to pity her? I muttered another incantation under my breath, and instead of being dispelled, it turned a pure white and became a light source, sending a soft warm glow around the room.

"Come here, Faith," I said. She came and I took her hand. She was absorbed into my soul. I felt light and happy. Then, with a shock, the weight of everything I had did when I felt dark hit me. I doubled over in horror and started to cry. That's how I fell asleep, laying sideways, my eyes still red from crying.