In Memoriam - An Unus Annus Fanfiction

28.11. - 11/28 - Play-Doh Thanksgiving

For the last ten minutes, the glittering tunnel has been going steeper. With each step Unus took, Annus's arm around his neck seemed to grow heavier. Yet with every turn they took, his hope of finding the exit grew.

Annus's face was almost as white as his suit by now. He had lost a lot of blood, and the glitter didn't exactly keep the wound sterile. »Come on buddy, hang in there. We almost got it.«

As if his words have been heard by the tunnel walls, the next turn revealed an end.
He carefully leaned Annus against the wall next to the metal ladder. »Stay here,« he said, half jokingly.

The steel felt cold on his hands as he made his way up. The ladder ended in a hatch, which he could easily push aside. It revealed a simply furnished room, similar to the one that Annus had encountered the witch in. A single wooden table stood in the center of it.

Unus began to drool. He couldn't believe his eyes. The table was nearly breaking under the weight of multiple plates full of food. He saw turkey, and mashed potatoes, and casserole.

Annus looked up as Unus' head peeked down from above. »There's a room. And food! «
»Yeah, rooms seem to be common down here,« he responded, trying to focus so his teeth wouldn't chatter.

He climbed up the ladder, carefully placing one foot above the other. With sweaty palms, he barely managed to hold on, and the dizziness didn't make it any easier.

Three or four times, he thought that he'd fall unconscious and off the metal framework. When he reached the last fourth of the ladder, Unus grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him up.

He helped him over to the table and carefully sat him down in one of the chairs. »There's food!« Unus said, trying to sound positive.
Annus just nodded, leaning forward and pulling a plate towards him. »At this point I don't even care if it's poisoned,« he said with a sarcastic undertone.

Unus took a whiff. It smelled amazing. Not that it had to mean anything, but it made him feel as if he had tested something, at least.

The food tasted amazing. The meat was juicy and flavorful. It felt as if it was melting on his tongue.
Annus however, didn't share the experience. He scrunched up his face and spat the food into a napkin.
»This tastes like Play - Doh,« he complained.

»It tastes normal to me,« Unus responded in between bites. He leaned forward, putting his hand on Annus forehead. It felt cold, and sweaty.
»I don't like the shape you're in buddy,« he said with concern in his voice. »You've lost a lot of blood.«

He took a cup and poured some water for Annus. He took the cup from him, drinking small sips at a time. »I don't really feel like eating,« he admitted.

Unus nodded. »We'll find a place for you to rest.« He hoisted the arm of his friend over his shoulder, walking him over to a dirty mattress in the corner of the room.

He carefully laid him down. Then, he walked over to the nearby sink, taking a cloth napkin from the table and soaking it with water.
He wiped the sweat off Annus forehead, careful not to hurt him.

The events of the last few days finally crashed down over Annus. He drifted off into an uneasy sleep, often awoken by a stabbing pain in his leg. The time spent awake between the phases of rest became longer and longer, until he blacked out.

His heart racing, Unus checked the pulse on Annus's neck. He let out a breath of relief when he felt that it was still there. Weak, but not gone just yet.
He walked over to the table, carefully setting the plates aside and taking the tablecloth. With it, he made a fresh bandage for the leg.

He barely slept this night. He dozed off a few times while sitting next to Annus, but most of the time he spent making sure that the napkin on his head was wet, and that his situation didn't worsen.

Now all he could do was wait.