"And just like that, everything was suddenly different." ~Unknown
"I need you to open your eyes... please... I need you! We need you! Please just wake up-"
With a gasp, the sleeping man awakes. His nose burns with the smoke and mold smell trapped in the room. Light brown eyes show pure fear as he scans the surrounding room. Pale, moldy, white walls loom over him. A smashed window is to his right, ripped blue curtains do a vain attempt to hide it. A broken picture frame hangs loosely from the wall, the actual picture too faded to be recognized. A metal chair sits in the far right corner, seemingly the only newer thing in the room. Looking at the object he now sits on, he realizes it's a hospital bed. A light blue mattress cover is neatly placed on it, the only thing protecting him from the mold underneath it. With shaky steps, he gets up from the bed and steps onto the rubber floor. 'Where... Where am I...?' He thinks to himself, holding his head in a vain attempt to calm his dizzy mind. Taking another step, he collapses onto his knees as a sharp pain wraps around his body. He squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to make it stop.
Opening his eyes, he notices he is in a different room. The walls are painted a cream white color and everything is in top condition. Three figures are in the room with him, but none of them are clear at all. Two are a light gray and one is black.
"Max... Please, You've been here for over a two weeks... Even Alesa went home..." The first blur says, placing a hand on the shoulder of the other.
"This is my fault Red... I... I pushed him too hard..." The blur, name is assumed to be Max, tells the other, as he looks over at the blurry figure on the bed.
"You heard what the doctors said, this isn't new. He's had it for a while..."
"I... I could have helped him... Maybe......"
Gasping, he quickly opens his eyes. Breath caught in the back of his throat as tears burn his eyes. 'Have I heard those voices before...?' He thinks to himself, slowly rising from the ground. Glancing around, he notices that he's in the same room as the one in his delusion, only a bit duller. The door to the room opens as he manages to stand up.
"You ready to head home?" A gentle voice asks, stepping into the room.
Turning his own head, he sees the same man from the memory... Only clearer. He has dull red hair, lifeless red eyes, and pale skin with some freckles along his cheeks and nose. He wears a faded red jacket with a egg yolk yellow colored lightning bolt on the front of it. He has on some dark blue jeans with some holes in the knees. On his feet are a pair of worn out, dirty, red sneakers. He seems to have two piercings on his ears. "You need help? The doctors said your muscles aren't as strong as they were before. Seems like you're gonna need to eat a lot of salmon." He chuckles lightly, trying to at least make the confused boy crack a smile.
"Who... Who are you again...?" The light brown eyed boy asks, managing to steady himself before the mystery boy can reach him.
"I'm Michael, but everyone calls me Red."
"Were we...?" He asks, making a small hand motion between them.
This causes Red to snort before laughing, "No dude! I'm just one of your friends, not your boyfriend. I came to get you and bring you back to your apartment, but I mean if you wanna buy me dinner be my guest."
The light brown eyed boy manages to form a very faint, small, smile. Red grins, feeling accomplished for making him at least attempt to smile. Walking next to the ginger, he raises an eyebrow, "Holy hell you're tall."
"6ft actually. You should see my sister, she's about 6'2," Red tells him, placing his hands in his coat pocket.
"Your 6ft, that makes me what? 5'7? 5'8?"
"Ding ding ding! You are correct! You're 5'8! Now come on, let's head out. This place gives me the creeps..." Red shudders. The two leave the hospital, which the brown eyed learned is called 'Hope's Peak'.
"A coma huh?" He says, glancing to the peppy redhead.
"Yeah man, two full months. You had us worried sick..."
"Us...?"
"Yeah. Me, Barney, and a few others," Red seems very upset about this, so he doesn't continue on this topic.
There is a moment of silence between the two.
"So... about my apartment..."
"Oh! Yeah, we're almost here. Sorry about having to walk, I don't have a car and a bus doesn't run over here," Red says, a genuine apologetic tone in his voice.
The other nods, looking at the scenery around him. Earlier Red had said it was bright out but the coma victim had to disagree. The sky was a murky blue, much like a dirty pool, with a few gray clouds mixed in. Tall gray buildings loom over them, he can make out a few signs. One of them, a square and brick building, reads 'Sparklez Music Shop' in dark red letters. Another says 'Ian's Bakery' in egg shell white bold letters. The last one he reads says 'Pixel's Art Shop' in dark blue and purple script text.
The sidewalk is clear for the most part, just dull cement with a few cracks and moss mixed in. Dark trees line the edge of the sidewalk, with a few patches of grass around them. The duo walk down the empty streets, Red tries to start up some conversations which fall flat, leaving them both in silence. About halfway to the apartments, Red has to support the other male when he starts to feel faint by allowing him to use him as an anchor. Eventually, the two reach the old apartment complex.
It looks to be twelve stories high and very plain in design, just a grey rectangle on the side of the road next to even more somber and plain buildings. Walking in it's just like any other apartment complex, an office to the right of the entrance, a elevator and staircase to the left and a long hallway of apartments starting at A-1. He just follows Red to the elevator, stepping inside the velvety space. He shivers slightly, the small space made him feel uneasy but he pushed the feeling down. Red hums a quiet melody, a lot better than the one the elevator is playing, pressing the silver button to the seventh floor. The elevator ride is short and quiet as the only sound is coming from either Red's humming or the elevators constant creaking.
A/N: Here it is boys and girls and everything in between! I have received permission from Pixel herself to write this! Her tumblr is Pixel-dot-gamer and I highly recommend you follow her! She is an amazing artist and person! Until next time!
