Love Me Dead

lights out

Test tube nodded weakly in response

Taco left, quickly returning with cold water, and a soft blanket, which she handed to test tube

Test tube spoke, tired from the rush of the day. "You've gotten better"

Taco felt tears in her eyes "thank you."

Fan sat in his room, already having given up the search for lightbulb.
He heard all the ruckus downstairs, but he just didn't care, he deserved to relax, he's been working his butt off. All for test tube, she doesn't realize how much of a hero he truly is, she doesn't need anyone but him.He heard a knock on his door, he groaned as he resisted getting up
“Fan. we need to talk. It's about test tube, she won't tell me whats-” paintbrush was interrupted by fan opening the door quickly
“I.. come in, sit down.” fan looked at paintbrush with a look of pity

Paintbrush sat on the bed opposite of fans
“Okay. I'm sitting. tell me what's going on now.” paintbrush seemed impatient, they crossed their arms
Fan took a deep breath “lightbulb is missing. Did you not hear the announcement?”
“Well, duh, of course I heard that, but why is test tube so scared? lightbulbs probably just out on a picnic or something"

Fan realized that test tube probably wouldn't freak out this much if she didn't know lightbulb was poisoned... Test tube noticed the missing chemical.
"Huh.. w-well... Yea. I don't know.."

Trophy and knife had made finding lightbulb a competition, and were about to just give up on the competition and fight, because they were annoying each other.

"Yea! Look at you! Such a stupid fuckin girlie bitch, can't even fight me like a man." Trophy had backed knife up into a tree

"Oh you think I can't fight you?! Please, you're just some random guy who decided to make everyone else- what is that.." knifes look of rage soon faded to confusion.

"Wow.. you're really gonna avoid this right now? There's literally just trees here." Trophy looked baffled.

Knife pushed trophy to the ground and rushed towards the lemon tree in front of them, which actually had a platform, like some sort of makeshift treehouse. Knife soon got to top and saw the state of disarray.. there was water spilled on the floor and six empty bottles.  At the center of all the trash, chaos and water was lightbulb. She was just laying there.

(Was gonna say her face was cracked, then I realized fan's the only one who sees them as objects 😰)

"Hey. We found lightbulb." Knife looked over at trophy.

"Well? Tell her to climb down here."

"She's not moving trophy. I need you to hold her while I climb down." Knife grabs lightbulbs limp body and lowers her down to trophy.

Trophy stood there, holding lightbulb
"She's still warm."

"Trophy? Shut up." Knife reached the floor and grabbed lightbulb, hoisting her onto his shoulder and starting the walk to the hotel. 

Back with fan and paintbrush, they were heading downstairs to the hotel lobby, test tube was curled up on the couch. The room was eerily silent.

"Hey test tube, what's up?"

Test tube looked at the two tiredly
"She's... She's not going to be okay."

Paintbrush looked at her with a concerned expression
"What?"

Fan knew exactly what she meant, but decided to act oblivious

Test tube got up from the couch and walked over to the two "lightbulb is missing... But so is one of my chemicals. And I don't think it's a coincidence. Somebody is out for lightbulb, and she's missing. I can't even try to save her. I should've locked the cabinet." She started a self deprecating rant about what she could've done differently

Fan shook his head "don't blame yourself"

Test tube looked away, tears welling up in her eyes.

The hotel door opened with a slam.

Trophy walked in, he was silent. For once in his life the jock had shut up. Fan smiled at this, but then realized something.  They found her. 
Knife came in after trophy, dragging lightbulb behind him.

Fan gasped "oh.. oh no." He faked an expression of worry
Paintbrush looked shocked, they stood there staring at lightbulb like a dear in headlights
Test tube brought a shaky hand to her mouth as tears flowed like a river from her eyes.

Knife looked at her with slight concern, and then at lightbulb. "She.. she's still warm. We need to check her pulse or something, just, neither of us know how to." He gestured to trophy

Test tube immediately rushed to lightbulbs side, she checked her pulse on her wrist and waited a second.
"Nothing.."
Test tubes expression darkened as she picked up lightbulbs body. There was no pulse, lightbulb was dead. But test tube wasn't just going to give up on her best friend like that! She wouldn't, no, couldn't just accept that lightbulb was gone. She was here just moments ago, she swore. "she doesn't have a pulse.. but she's not- she isn't dead. She can't be- I've gotta go"
She held lightbulbs body closer, before rushing off to the morgue/ hospital room.

Paintbrush sat on the couch, their expression numb. Fan quickly sat next to them.

Paintbrush seemed to be holding their breath, afraid that if they even breathed they'd break down. "She.. she was supposed to be fine" their voice cracked slightly as they started to feel a lump in their throat. Tears blurred their vision.

Fan felt confused, unsure of how to comfort paintbrush "I know..." He shifted uncomfortably

"Who... what could've done this to her? Of all people, her? She's been nothing but good, and this is what happens. I just don't get it.. why would anyone want to do this?" Paintbrushes voice warbled as they started to cry, they desprately tried to wipe the tears away, but they wouldn't stop flowing.

Fan just sat, watching paintbrush cry. He never would've even imagined he'd get to see them actually show this much emotion. Well, other than anger. Fan got up and left the room, paintbrushes crying made him uncomfortable.

Paintbrush realized they were all alone and started trying even harder to stop crying, but it wasn't successful, they breathed heavily, desperately wiping their face. They sobbed quietly. Their head pounded.

Knife and trophy exchanged a glance, before splitting off, knife going to his room and trophy going to the gym.

As paintbrush sobbed their eyes out, they thought of all the good times they had with lightbulb. She was the first person they came out to. Even after how much of an asshole they had been, she forgave them. She understood.

When they came back from the island, all they wanted was to spend some more time with her. She lit up their whole world, she made it warm. But now, everything had gone dark. 

Their sobs soon slowed, they felt tired. All they could do was sit and go over their own thoughts.

Taco walked back into the living room, looking slightly surprised at seeing paintbrushes tear-stained face. She debated helping them, unsure if they'd appreciate it, they competed in season one, so they knew what she'd done. Taco decided to help. This wasn't about her, or if paintbrush hated her, this was about making sure they were okay.

Taco sat by paintbrush and watched as paintbrush quickly turned to her.
"Wh- what do you want?" Paintbrush wanted to fight, to tell her to buzz off and mind her business, but they couldn't. Not in the state they were in

"I don't want anything. Do you want to talk about it?" Taco looked genuinely concerned, she'd lost her own.. friend. Earlier, she knew you had to talk about these things.

Paintbrush looked at her and sighed, their slight anger fading quickly.
"Yea.. "

__________
Sorry for the slight hiatus everyone! I was feeling very unmotivated, and I got hyperfixated on the Stanley parable.
I made this chapter longer to compensate for the lack of updates though :]