Crowded (18+)

Once a nightmare starts, it'll never end

(TW: Suicide and slight body horror)

"Nolah told me that if we can find a way to severe your connection to this reality you'd take it in a heartbeat, right?" Replica Eli asked calmly. Eli was heaving, clasping hope with between his finger tips as he holds the door close with his back. If she got in, that wouldn't matter.
"Well we've found one. But it might.. be uncomfortable for you.." Eli explained. His expression felt different. His eyes kind of shined. Eli felt the door jolt forward and slipped to the floor, shuffling back to his feet as fast as he could to push the door back.
"Get to the point please" He pleaded. Replica Eli nodded softly. But his expression had changed. It was uncomfortably content, comfortable with whatever this idea was. As his words left his lips, Eli's eyes widened, terrified as Replica Eli pulled out a sharp... long.. hunting knife.
"End it"

"What is that..?" Leo murmured softly, backing off from the door as she glared at it like a deer in headlights. Eli backed into the door as his gaze chaotically flickered around for a exit. Or hiding place. The door busted open, an a echo of a cry filled his mind as he felt his body crash into the window, falling through the air.. He watched as Leo ran to the window, hesitant at the shards, watching Eli helplessly. He wanted to apologise. He wanted to say sorry for everything that had happened. For alienating her. For hurting her. A loud crash woke him up from the trance like state to find himself on the floor of another hospital room. A loud whining noise filled his ears and he blinked, slowly, and lifted up his hands. Shards stuck out of his hand, blood trickling out of the wounds slowly. He must've tried to shield himself from the fall. He shakily, stumbled to his feet and looked around.
"You've survived longer then I thought"
Eli flinched and looked at the bed to see that familiar boy stare back at him.
"Please help Leo.." Eli pleaded. He didn't care about the pain throbbing through his hands and the blurry vision, all he needed, was for Leo to be safe.
"You're selfless.." Replica Eli replied and looked at the window, who looked more like a eye less monster gaping at them with sharp teeth.
"Mother is searching for you.. it doesn't care for food and circuses" He nodded at the window and looked back at Eli. Eli nodded softly, letting out a sigh of relief. Then it hit him. Like a cold breeze. He slowly looked up at Eli.
"You know about mother.." He slowly responded. Replica Eli looked at him blankly. Then nodded softly.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME?" Eli snapped. "I COULD'VE SAVED NOLAH, I COULD'VE PROTECTED HIM BUT YOU CHOSE TO LET HIM DIE HORRIBLY" He growled into Replica Eli's face. Tears coiled his cheeks, his hands shaking as he tried to contain his emotions. He was so tired. So scared. Replica Eli was quiet, his blank expression turning to the door on his side. Eli looked at the door. Was that footsteps? He listened closer. Loud thumps were slowly approaching their room. He froze. Eyes tearing up as he felt his heart thumping in his ears. He felt like hungover, like he'd had the worst drinks of his life. He was at the end of his fight, giving into the fear and terror. All that was left for him, was Leo. All of his instincts screamed to curl up into a ball and pray the pain didn't last long. But he couldn't. Not till Leo was safe. The thumps became louder, intruding his thoughts as he launched at the door just as it'd begun to open. His head was throbbing from the impact but he ignored it and pushed against the door with all of his left-over strenght, pushing past the seering pain in his hands. Mother howled out in anger and launched at the door and for a second, it felt like it should've cracked at the impact. But it didn't. Eli pushed into the door, closing it and gathered all of his strengths to keep that thing out as it continuously attempted to bust down the door like a rabid dog.
"Nolah told me that if we can find a way to severe your connection to this reality you'd take it in a heartbeat, right?" Replica Eli asked calmly. Eli was heaving, clasping hope with between his finger tips as he holds the door close with his back. If she got in, that wouldn't matter.
"Well we've found one. But it might.. be uncomfortable for you.." Eli explained. His expression felt different. His eyes kind of shined. Eli felt the door jolt forward and slipped to the floor, shuffling back to his feet as fast as he could to push the door back.
"Get to the point please" He pleaded. Replica Eli nodded softly. But his expression had changed. It was uncomfortably content, comfortable with whatever this idea was. As his words left his lips, Eli's eyes widened, terrified as Replica Eli pulled out a sharp... long.. hunting knife.
"End it"
Mother howled out in anger busting into the door with all of her strenghts and Eli slipped to the floor and stumbled to close it as one of her claws stretched inside; it cut off the claw clean and Mother screamed out in pain as the claw fell to the floor with a thump. He looked away, feeling his stomach turn at the sight.
"Do you want a way out?" Replica Eli asked calmly.
"Yes! but not that!" Eli replied, heaving. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence with all the noise between the two was Mother's contentious attempts at busting through the room.
"Nolah would've wanted your happy ending" Replica Eli said softly. Eli flinched at the name and looked away. Nolah would've wanted it. But Leo wouldn't. It was a choice of love or redemption. His partner for life and death, or his best friend. And for a moment, he almost reached out to take the knife, feeling all of that fear disappear. He hesitated.
"And what about Leo?"
"if it's of any comfort, she won't know how" Replica Eli replied calmly. He seemed too comfortable with the idea of ending it all. Like there was no second thought. Had he done it before? is that why he was here? was it some fucked up deja vu or purgetory? Eli closed his eyes. The choice was clear. In a fucked up, ironic way, it was meant to be. The room around them was engulfed in a black abyss and he saw the blond, familiar face, smiling softly at him. The shadow was there too, holding it's disgusting claws around her neck, bending into her skin as it whispered something into her ear. The shadow bent it's claws, deforming it, as it dug into her eye; blood trickled out of the wounds, bleeding into her soft eyes as she approached him slowly. She lifted up the knife and he smiled, holding out his hands to give her one last hug.
"Le-" He felt something stab into his stomach, stumbling back as he watched in horror, as she held the bloodied knife.
"Leo?" He called out, his voice hoarse as he fell to his knees. Leo watched him, with a blank look. The shadow consumed every part of her with a translucent coat, but she didn't care. Eli lifted a shaky hand out and watched as Leo fell apart; cracking at the seams like a puzzle with pieces of her body being consumed like quick sand by the abyss below. Exhaustion hit him and he felt his eyes slowly close. No. Please. I can't do this. Please. I can't do this to leo.
"Please.." He pleaded to no one, falling over as he curled up into a ball. I don't want this anymore. Please. He lifted his arm weakly. But it fell. All of the energy, all of the strenght was gone. All that was left, was to curl up in a ball and fall asleep. He was so tired. So tired of it all. The cold was cushened by a warmth like a blanket around him and he smiled weakly. All of the pain faded away slowly. I'm sorry Leo.
"checkmate Nolah" He heard Replica Eli's voice echo through his mind as he drifted off.