Portal: Glados' story

Chapter 18

       Chell just stood there, taking in everything that just happened. It couldn't just end like this. Not now after all the things she has been through to try to help. She walked up to the shed door to try to open it but it wouldn't budge. She didn't give up though and kept trying. She eventually got mad and threw her cube at it, hoping that would do something but it didn't. Everything she tried seemed useless.

       She broke down, fists clenched up and leaning against the door, crying hard.

       "Let me back inside... please... I-I need to... need to..." 

       Chell continued to cry there before calming down and getting herself together. She steadied herself, grabbed her cube and started to walk away. She looked back once before picking her cube up, turning again and walking quicker, not wanting to feel upset. Soon, she walked far enough that she couldn't see the shed anymore. 

       Wheat surrounded her and brushed against her legs as she walked. Chell hummed lightly and looked up at the bright blue sky. She couldn't help but think about Glados and how lonely she must be feeling right now. Her focus was still directed to her. 

       Chell was walking for about an hour and a half before she reached a town. It was the town her and Glados grew up in. She walked a bit quicker and slowed down once she got into the neighborhood. Once she got further in, she found two houses that looked familiar to her. Chell's eyes widened as she remembered that these were her's and Glados' houses that they grew up in. She decided to go to her house first.

      She walked up to the door and knocked on it. Her parents were both at the door and immediately hugged her, glad that she was alright. 

       "Are you okay?" Her mom asked.

       "Yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry!" Chell said, calming her down.

       "We were worried sick about you guys. Where's Glados?" 

       Chell got teary eyed because of thinking about her. She hugged them and cried, unable to get a word out. Her parents just comforted her the best they could.

      "It's going to be alright. She's going to be okay." Her dad said to her.

      "I hope so." Chell said shakily.

       Chell stayed there for a little while, getting to talk to her parents again before saying bye and going right next door to Caroline and Cave's house. Once she was there, she hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. A familiar voice responded. Caroline's voice...

       "Who is it?"

       "It's Chell..." 

       Caroline froze. She got up and walked to the door, opening it to see Chell standing in front of her. She got some tears in her eyes.

       "Chell?"

       "Hello again, Caroline." 

       Caroline hugged her and Chell did the same. They eventually stopped hugging and Caroline invited her in. They both sat down on the couch and Cave came in the room.

       "Chell?" Cave said.

       Chell smiled. "Hello."

        "It's nice to see you again! How have you been?"

        "Eh, I've been better..."

        Cave sat down and looked at her concerned. "What happened? Does it have to do with Glados?"

       Chell got some tears in her eyes and nodded. "Y-yeah, a lot has happened... Glados forgot everything. She didn't even remember you guys..."

       "She didn't?" Caroline asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Does she remember anything now?"

       "I'm not sure. I think she deleted her files after I left. That only happened a few hours ago. So I think she erased her memory again..."

       "That's terrible... Why doesn't she want to remember?"

       "Maybe it's because she is just too hurt from remembering, so she did the easiest solution she thought of. Erase everything she knows. I'm not surprised that she wouldn't want to think about it... she's hurt..."

       Caroline was silent for a little bit. She was upset to hear all of this, worried for her daughter.

       "Is she going to be alright?"

       "I don't know..." 

       Caroline sighed and just looked down at the ground for a little bit before sitting back up. 

       "I hope she's okay..." Caroline sighed.

       "I'm sure she is. She's strong." Chell reassured her.

       Chell continued to talk to them for a while before noticing something from the window. It was her's and Glados' old tree house. 

       "I'll be right back." Chell said as she quickly walked out the back door and walked over to it. She climbed in and looked around. Everything stayed the same. Maybe some dust here and there but besides that, nothing has changed. 

       She stepped inside more and got a few tears in her eyes. This was the place her and Glados spent almost every minute together in. There are so many memories here. She sighed and sat down before seeing a box full with old pictures and videos of them together. She grabbed them out and started to look through them. They ranged from when they were five all the way to when they were fifteen. Once she got to the bottom of the box, she saw a familiar drawing she made when they met. It was a picture of the two of them holding hands and above them it said "best friends forever". Underneath, it said their names. Chell held the picture close to her and let out a few sobs. She was emotional. She was very happy to find these, especially this.

       After calming down a little bit, she carefully folded the drawing and put it in her pocket. She carried the rest of the stuff in the box inside to show Caroline and Cave. They would be happy to see these. 

       She got inside and set it down on the table. Caroline picked up some of the pictures and looked at them. Cave was sitting right next to her.

       "Wow... where did you find these?" Caroline asked.

       "I found them in the old tree house outside. They were sitting there in this box."

       "That's cool. I wonder why I haven't checked in there before."

       "Heh, yeah." Chell paused for a second. "Well, I should get going now. I'll see you guys later okay?"

       "Oh, alright! We'll see you later." Caroline said, standing up with Cave.

       "See you guys." Chell hugged them. "It was nice seeing you guys again."

       "Nice to see you too!" 

       Chell walked to the door. When she reached it, she turned around and waved goodbye to them. She closed the door behind her and walked away. She was alone now, walking alone with her thoughts...