For Shits and Giggles (complete first draft)

Chapter 29

Splendid ripped the chest open with ease– the top went flying through the clouds, one of Giggles' nails stuck to the inside; blood and scrapes decorated the wood. The bottom of the chest hurled down through the giant oaks.

Finally, floating high above everything, Giggles was safe in his arms.

She wrapped her own arms around his neck, her fingertips bloody and raw from scratching the inside of the chest. He held her tightly to his body, taking in the smell of her hair, her skin, the new soap and shampoo he didn't recognize.

She had lost too much weight, her cheeks were gaunt, hollow, there were dark circles underneath her eyes, her brown skin had taken on a pale, sickly color. But underneath that, it was still Giggles, teary-eyed and smiling, with her face buried in his shoulder.

They hugged like this for a long time.

"Splendid," she pulled away, the moonlight illuminating her red eyes. "It's really you," she placed a hand on his cheek. Flesh, warm flesh. It was true, this was real. Splendid had come to rescue her.

"It's really me," he offered her his famous, crooked smile. Their eyes met for a moment and she blushed, glancing away. They were hundreds of feet off the ground, she held onto him tighter.

"Who did this," Splendid asked, his eyes never moving from hers. "What happened?"

"Cuddles..." she mumbled.

"I knew it," he said, his eyes glowing red. She felt his grip on her tighten, his nails digging into her skin. "I'm going to kill him."

She didn't protest.

He wasn't looking at her anymore. He was looking passed her, transfixed on some point beyond the clouds that didn't exist. He imagined all the ways he would hurt Cuddles. He obsessed over the idea; finally giving Cuddles what he deserved. He had no reason to before. Before tonight, Splendid was just some jealous crush, angry that the woman he loved wasn't his. That alone couldn't justify all of the pain he wanted to inflict on Cuddles. But this– kidnapping Giggles, torturing her, that was more than enough reason. No one would blame him for the hell he was about to put Cuddles through.

Then Giggles touched his cheek again, and he was back on Earth. Rather, he was back to floating above the Earth with Giggles in his arms.

They looked into each other's eyes again. Gazed into them wordlessly. This time, Giggles didn't turn away. She closed her eyes and leaned in. She felt her ears burning, her cheeks which had been so devoid of color and life, were now a bright red. She waited, waited to feel his soft lips press into hers, for his hand to hold her head and pull her in close. She waited for him to kiss her with a passion she hadn't felt since college. The moon was full and bright, the heavy rain echoed a perfect soundtrack.

But the kiss didn't come.

"Are you in love with Flippy?"

Her eyes shot open, her heart dropped into her stomach.

"What?"

His grip on her tightened again, "Were you having an affair with him?"

She had never seen this look on Splendid's face before. She had seen him angry, full of rage, ready to kill. But this wasn't that. It was more serious than that. It wasn't disappointment or sorrow. What was it? She wanted the rain to consume her, to drown her so she didn't have to find out.

Instead, she nodded.

Splendid felt his chest tighten. "Fuck," he mumbled, "Fuck... "

"Splendid..." she started, but he began to fly. Fast.

The cold rain crashed into her like tiny needles, she buried her face into his chest for protection.

"Splendid, please!" Giggles shouted. But he didn't hear her, he wouldn't hear her. Not until they were back in town. When he finally set her down, they were in front of a Hospital.

She held onto him for balance, her legs aching from their position inside the chest.

"Splendid," she tried again, but he wouldn't look at her.

"I'll check you in," he said, his head still turned away.

"Listen to me!" She yelled, yanking his shirt with all the strength she had left.

He turned to her and she saw that he was crying. The rain was still heavy, he tried to hide his tears. But the redness in his cheeks and the puffiness of his eyes betrayed him.

Splendid collapsed to his knees.

"I love you so much," he shoved his face into his hands. "Fuck... FUCK!" He shouted, his voice like thunder. It was late, no one was outside. Only a handful of windows inside the hospital were lit up, a couple of people shuffled inside.

"I love you too," she said quickly. "I love you more than anything!"

He wouldn't look up.

"It's true," she pleaded. "I did sleep with Flippy... but it was a long time ago. It was before they were married, it was stupid! I was stupid, Splendid, look at me!"

She fell to her knees in front of him, grasping his shoulders, "Please just look at me!"

He did, the fact that he was crying was undeniable.

"Do you still love him?"

Every morsel of her being wanted to scream No. Every part of her heart, body, and soul wanted Splendid, and only Splendid. But the curse.

The damned curse.

"Yes," she said.

Giggles began to panic, "Yes." Each time she rounded her lips to say No, all that came out was, "Yes!"

She tried to shake her head no, instead she nodded up and down. But she kept trying, kept trying to shake her head no. She began to sob. She sobbed loudly, violently.

Up and down, up and down. The more she tried to shake her head no, the more her body nodded yes. Her head began to hurt, her brain pounded against her skull. But she didn't stop, she wouldn't stop trying.

She was dizzy, ready to fall over, but still she kept nodding and nodding and nodding. Because maybe one of those nods would turn into a shake and Splendid would understand that she was deeply in love with him, and only him.

Splendid stared at her in shock, his eyes wide. She looked deranged, out of her mind. Her body wobbled as she nodded hysterically, he could tell she was ready to pass out. After a few moments, he reached forward to catch her cheeks between his hands.

He held her head still. Her hair was a wet mess, she had snot running down her nose. He looked deeply into her eyes. They were swollen, desperate, pleading. But most importantly, they were as yellow as the morning sun. Finally, Splendid understood.

"I believe you," he said softly, still holding her cheeks. "I believe you."

He pulled her cheeks in, Giggles was frozen.

Her body felt foreign, like it didn't belong to her. As if she was just some helpless, forsaken ghost simply possessing it.

He kissed her.

There, on the ground of a dirty Hospital parking lot, with the frigid, cold rain beating against them, they kissed. Splendid kissed the past two months away, kissed her fears and troubles and regrets all away. Here in his arms she felt hope, she knew that real happiness was possible even if the curse never broke. She felt truly seen by him, truly understood.

She never, ever wanted to let him go.