The Serpent and His Girl

Broken

      Heart pounding, Archie sits up in bed. Wiping his forehead, he realizes he's soaking wet, a cold sweat covering his body. He's been awoken by yet another nightmare, only, this time he feels as if it was all too real.

  Ever since his blonde best friend went missing, he barely slept, he barely ate, and felt his whole sense of purpose change. He went from going to football practice after school to searching in the woods, frantically calling her name, praying for a whisper of a response. Each night was the same for him as well: get a quick burger at Pop's, inhale it, then search for Betty until at least three in the morning. These past two days have been hell, and as he tiptoes towards the window, across from Betty's, a picture of the two of them on his nightstand catches his eye.

The tears come hot and fast, surprising Archie at how many flow out. He sinks to the floor, unable to see or hold himself up he's crying so hard. After a few minutes, a pair of arms wrap around him, rubbing his back.

"Shhhh...Archie. It'll be all right, son. They'll find her." Fred Andrews comforts his son, who's now burying his head in Fred's shoulder. But Archie knows that it won't be, not for a very long time. Not until he could hug his best friend, and have her near him. Not until Betty was sitting next to him on the couch, cowering under a blanket as they watched classic horror movies.

Archie lets out a few shaky breaths. Stuttering for a while, he tries so desperately to get the words out, to make his father understand.

"B-but...Betty...Betty...my...fault," Archie sobs, losing his breath every few seconds. "I...lost...m-my my best...friend. Love...her...Betty."

"Son, listen to me, none of this is your fault, okay? These things happen, but we'll find her. She's a smart girl, aw hell, she'll probably find us first." He soothes his son, finally seeing how broken this has left him.

Through the early hours of the morning, Fred Andrews holds his son. Archie's sobs slowly turn into cries, which turn into silent tears, which turn into slow and steady breaths by the time the sun rises and bathes the town with pep in gold.

By the time the people of Riverdale have gotten up to start their days, Archie has fallen fast asleep in his father's embrace. He's clutching to him, like a child to its toy, desperate for a source of light in this town which is growing ever darker.