The Lost Ones

Chapter 5

"Stampy?" A voice called as Stampy was gently shook awake. "Stampy it's time to wake up." The voice giggled.

Stampy groaned softly as he started to blink awake. "Sqaishey??" He mumbled. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon silly!" Sqaishey chuckles. "Get up, I've already made us some lunch." She smiled.

Stampy sat up and rubbed at his eyes, grabbing at his glasses on his nightstand and sliding them on. "Noon? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" He asked as he got up and slid his hoodie on and walked after her in pajama pants and his hoodie.

"You just seemed so tired." Sqaishey explained. "Thought it would be rude to wake you up any earlier." She led him to the kitchen, which was already laid out with food.

Stampy hadn't really taken note of his surroundings as he trailed after her but was startled from his sleepy state by a dog running up to get him. "Woah-Barnaby?" He asked, taken aback that it wasn't Alyx who had run to greet him though he saw her nearby with Ori.

"Stampy...." Sqaishey laughed. "Remember? We decided to take a little vacation to the Lovely World for a little while." She bent down to pat the dog.

Barnaby licked her hand as he wagged his tail.

Stampy looked at her. "Huh... I kind of remember talking about it..." He agreed softly.

"You okay, sweetie?" Sqaishey sat down. "Oh! Did you hurt your head the other day when building?"

Stampy shook his head. "I guess I'm still a bit asleep." He smiled at her. "I'm alright."

He sat down and joined her, Barnaby, lying at his feet.

They are mostly in silence, and once the meal was over Sqaishey look the plates and went to go clean them.

Stampy glanced around the room, something in the back of his head telling him something was off. "Hey Sqaishey?" He called.

"Yes?" She looked back at Stampy.

He hesitated briefly before tilting his head at her. "Why are we on our honeymoon early?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She cocked her head to the side. "We got married about a month ago." She gestured to a ring on Stampy's finger.

Stampy looked down at it in surprise. "What? I thought it was still about a month away..."

"No... it was last month." Sqaishey frowned. "Seriously are you ok? Do you need some medicine?" A look of concern grew on her face.

Stampy frowned, rubbing his thumb over the ring, brows furrowed in confusion as he shook his head. "No. I just don't remember the wedding. I remember discussing coming here for the honeymoon but we haven't married yet but you and everything else is saying we have..."

"We did get married." Squaishy repeated, turning around to face Stampy, drying her hands. "About a month ago."

Stampy looked up at her. "Then why don't I remember the past month?" He pressed.

"I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure it's because you hit your head the other day. You we're fixing a hole in the storage room and bumped your head on the top, knocked you out cold." She explained.

"And that made me forget the whole month? Our wedding even?" He asked, a bit disbelieving. "I'm usually more careful than that..."

"The brain can be weird like that, I think. I'm no expert." Sqaishey turned back to the stove and placed a kettle on top. "Tea?" She asked, changing the subject.

"...Sure..." He replied softly, not really paying attention as he stared at the ring and moved to take it off.

Despite having her back turned Sqaishey could sense what he was doing. "Oh Stampy? Could you get the tea bags out of the cabinet?" She asked.

He stopped and raised an eyebrow, glancing at the cabinet just to the right of her head. "I guess? But it's right above you." He pointed out, a bit confused.

"Oh yeah, totally forgot." She giggled, reaching up to get them. "Could you get the sugar then? It's over there." She pointed across the kitchen.

He stood up, still a bit confused. "Alright then..." He went over and looked around before finding the sugar and bringing it over. "Here." He passed it to her, still a bit lost in thought. "Sqaishey? If I hit my head like you said I did, then wouldn't it still be sore?" He asked.

"Thank you!" She smiled. "I let you sleep in remember? So that your head wouldn't hurt when you woke up."

"You said you let me sleep cause I looked tired. You didn't even mention me hitting my head. Plus if hit it hard enough to lose a month of memory then my head would still be sore. I wouldn't just sleep it off." He argued slightly, frowning at her.

Sqaishey frowned. "Did I say that? Must've had a slip of the tongue." Her voice rose. "And I'm no doctor Stampy, how am I supposed to know how that works?"

Stampy's ears slightly laid back at the raise of her voice and kept his steady, not letting it rise. "I don't know Sqaishey. All I'm saying is that some of the things you are saying don't make sense and have no evidence to back it up." he tried to explain.

"It does not!" She argued. "Why are you acting so suspicious all of the sudden?"

Stampy stepped back, feeling his tail tighten around his waist. "I'm just saying none of this makes sense! I don't remember the wedding, I couldn't have hit my head and forgotten or I'd still be sore, so why don't I remember getting this ring?!" He moved to remove the ring from his finger to hold it up to her.

"Don't you DARE!" Sqaishey yelled, turning over and storming up to him. She grabbed his hand with a type of force that seemed too strong for any human being. "What is this? Do you not love me anymore?"

Stampy squeaked in surprise as Sqaishey's tight grip and tried to pull back. "Wh-What?? No! I'm just confused! Ow! Sqaishey, please let go, you're hurting me!" He cried, ears laid back completely as he tried to pull free.

Sqaishey held her grip. "Why does being confused mean you have to take of your ring? I bought that for you!" Her eyes seemed to flash bright red for a split second.

Stampy stared at her, just tense and fearful, eyes brimming with tears. "Sqaishey, I don't remember any of this! And you don't seem to be very concerned about it either! And please let go! That really hurts!" He tried to pull away again.

The tea kettle began to whistle and she let go. "Oh! the water's ready." She turned around and went back to the stove almost robotically.

Stampy's heart was racing as he stepped back. He was shaking as he watched her. He noticed the barnaby and Alyx had been watching as well.

He glanced at the door behind him, hesitant, his hand lingering near the ring again but not moving to touch it.

She continued to make the tea, not paying any attention to Stampy. The animals watched, not breaking eye contact with him.

He stepped back again, slowly edging closer to the door before grabbing the ring and pulling it off in a swift motion, having made sure the door was open behind him.

"NO!" Sqaishey turned around then froze, her body seeming to glitch. She shook her head and then began to advance towards Stampy.

His eyes widened. "You're not my Sqaishey..." He muttered, dropping the ring out of surprise and turning and bolting out the door as fast as he could. He heard Barnaby chasing after him, barking. He navigated through the house the best he could until he made it to his room and balcony.

She ran after him to the doorway. "You're right.... I'm not your Sqaishey..." Her eyes become bloodshot and her body began to turn ash black. She looked barely human, but still resembled Stampy's love.

Stampy paled and stepped back bumping up against the fence, shaking before turning and leaping over the fence with ease.

"COME BACK!!" Her voice distorted and the world around Stampy warped, blocks becoming overtaken by darkness and turning into a void.

Stampy glanced around frightened but kept running as fast as he could.