TBATE: Let The Truth Be Known {Completed}

Chapter 10: He Who Flips the Coin

Hopefully, Art can find a way to get me out of here. I can see him through my eyes, but I can't tell him how much I miss him. I can't even hear what he's saying to me. I'm so lonely. I try and talk with the person piloting me, but my thoughts rarely get heard or answered. Can she hear me right now? Can she feel how cold it is in here? Can she feel how hard it is to cope with being a suppressed conscience in your own body?

Her thoughts leak into mine and mine leak into hers. We're loosely bonded through this hellish cycle of foreign emotion. I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't want to have to look at my grandfather or Art again and not get to jump into their arms, telling them how much I love them. I've seen so many faces I want to speak to, but the words won't come out.

I have no control.

How much longer does this have to last? I see Arthur smile like he never used to. Smiles of confidence. Smiles without the mask of emotionlessness he puts on. He looks happy. What changed? And who's that blue-haired girl? She seems to be fond of Arthur. Did he move on? Did he forget about our promise? He couldn't have. He gave me his half of the necklace not too long ago.

I remember him crying into my arms on a few separate occasions. I tried my best to tell whoever is controlling my body to be there for him. Whoever is controlling me, her thoughts have changed. She used to be very contemplative and conflicted. Now she's happy and grateful.

What changed?

I can see him right in front of me.

Please help me, Arthur.

ARTHUR LEYWIN

"Please help me, Arthur," I hear as Cecilia first enters the living room from the bathroom.

I whip my head to her in earnest. What was that?

Cecilia quickly covers her mouth and falls to her knees. She begins to cry and wail with more emotion than I've ever seen from her in either life. As much if not more than my mother did when I told her everything.

I quickly take a knee in front of Cecilia and pull her shivering form into my chest.

"Hey, hey, Cecilia, it's okay, it's okay. What's wrong?" I ask.

Through a series of broken sobs, she manages to get out ten words, ten earth-shattering words, "She's...so sad in there... she misses you... so much"

I know what she means the moment the words leave her mouth.

Tess...

"It's alright, Cecil. You'll both be okay," I reassure her, not knowing if it's even true.

'You need to do something, Arthur. Prove that you're still there for Tessia. In fairness, you haven't treated her body the same as you did when her soul was the one in control,' Regis comments.

Shit. Help me out here, Regis.

'I don't know! Do something she'd really like!' he yells internally.

Instinct takes over and I do the only thing I can think of that would calm Tessia down.

I push Cecilia's hair out of the way, exposing her terrified and despaired expression. Putting my hands on either cheek, I place a few-second kiss on her lips.

'Weird tactic, princess, but probably effective,' Regis says.

Cecilia's eyes widen in shock after the fact. Her expression changes from pained, to blissful, to confused in an instant.

"W-What was that for?" Cecilia asks, pulling away from my face.

"I-I panicked and tried to calm down Tess inside of you. I figured a direct approach would be best," I explain.