Tʜᴇ Pᴀᴛʜ Tᴏ Hɪɢʜɢᴀᴛᴇs

Sᴜʀʀᴇɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ Tᴏ Dᴇsᴘᴀɪʀ

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 39

Your back cracked, popping your bones. The sensation drawing your eyes open.

You were no longer where you remembered. You had fallen in between.

"Zey'll be here zoon, zey're just running late." A German-accented voice assured from your left.

Your eyelids parted, your sleep fracturing, you were right back where you always seemed to be when you hadn't a mind to notice otherwise. The birthday table, still decorated cleanly, awaiting the celebration to begin.

You looked to German Empire as he loudly scoffed, his previous nervousness giving into agitation. "Running, alvays running. Not once could zey zit dovn, zey're alvays running. If zey stood still maybe zey vouldn't ruin everyzing."

Prussia exhaled loudly, looking down at his plate in mock defeat as Reich stopped bouncing to himself. Rather he too looked down, beginning to play with his sleeves. The room suddenly felt cold.

Everything fell silent, and for a moment you wondered if it was over, if this was your cue to wake up, or escape this world you found yourself in. But nothing came of it.

For that one single moment everything halted, no one spoke, all was dreary besides the Empire who was seething to himself. His fists clenched on the table, his eyes narrowed.

Then you blinked. Your mind unravelled within itself, perfect clarity dissolved, in a second, you couldn't remember what happened. Like a light had been snuffed out with fingertips of burning skin. There was nothing while no one spoke, you could feel nought. There were no thoughts, nor reality, it was merely a second in time misplaced. Nothing more.

It ended before you realised it had begun.

Then—

"Aren't vu excited to meet zem?"

Déjà vu so strong you forgot what you hadn't yet forgotten. Everything returned to the way it was.

You gripped hard to your knees under the table.

"Who?" You unsurely asked, which derived a grimace from Reich. His nose scrunched up as his lips pulled, his teeth shining under the dull lull of the overhead chandelier. "Vu schould know zat." He spat.

Before you could really process what he had said, German Empire cut in. His hand raised to divide the two of you. "Calm dovn Reich, sche just hasn't taken her medicazion yet, has sche?"

Your heart dropped at his words. You almost half expected this ethereal version of the Empire to stand and sink a syringe deep into your neck. Or stand over your throat as he forced you to down repulsive liquid. But nothing came of it, he simply looked at you expectedly. As if he wanted you to do something of your own volition.

Your head lowered with your soul.

Your plate was no longer empty. In the very centre, atop the shining ceramic face, was a single, vibrant blue pill.

You look back up at the empty seat in front of you.

Nothing. That's what there always was nowadays. Nothing at all.