Just got back from classes, so here's today's chapter. I'm going to be updating today's chapter of 'To be at Peace with Yourself' as well, so you guys reading both get a double shot~
Chapter Warnings: Kidnapping, depression
***
Goth sank into the chair of his school desk as he once more reviewed the information he knew so far. Sadly, it wasn't much.
Palette was last seen leaving his class Thursday afternoon, making today a week since he disappeared. There are currently no clues of where he is or what might have happened to him.
The small skeleton had looked all over the school and asked everyone he thought might provide a lead for any clues to his disappearance. His parents, Palette's parents, and he had also searched their neighborhoods.
No notes, no words, no belongings left behind, no dust... Goth was personally thankful for that.
Palette's still alive, dad told me he never appeared on the reaping list, so he has to be out there somewhere. Monsters don't just disappear into thin air... but what if he left by choice?
Goth pressed his skull into his hands, wracking his mind for something, anything to sway the idea from his mind.
No, he wouldn't leave everyone behind like that. He loved being here... at least, he acted like he did...
"Hey Goth!"
A tired eye light glanced up at his friend Cray, in a cheerful mood that was the mirror opposite of Goth's. Cray's smile fell at his haggard appearance, "Still haven't found any leads, huh?"
Goth laid his head on the desk in silent answer, burying his skull in his arms as his emotions burned out once again, a sadly growing occurrence in the wake of Palette's disappearance.
His moods lately seemed to fluctuate between emotionally numb or sobbing mess... neither of which was healthy, but his nerves had been pushed to their absolute limit, causing the small skeleton to slowly break down with each day of Palette's absence.
Today was looking to be an 'emotionally numb' day.
As usual, Cray would sit with him, attempting to comfort him... and as usual, it did little to ease his mind. The bell rang and class started... Goth's head never rose from the desk once and no one dared to make him raise it.
Not after the last time.
---
"Dammit!" Cray cursed as he slammed his fist into the brick wall next to him. His knuckles throbbed from the impact, but he barely paid it any mind.
Even when Palette isn't around to get in the way, he's still interfering with any progress I try to make with Goth.
The small skeleton had been the object of his affections since they were children, but Goth was forced to move away two years into their friendship.
By the time Cray had reunited with his crush, he'd already become attached to the starry-eyed skeleton known as Palette. Cray's only saving grace had been the colorful skeleton's obliviousness towards Goth's affection.
Now, though, it was painful to look at how broken Goth was without him. His eye sockets seemed to droop more and more each day from lack of quality sleep, he'd lost all passion or motivation for anything not involving his search for Palette, and he didn't even look like he was eating properly, if at all.
He clearly isn't taking care of himself and at this rate, if things keep going on like this, Goth will eventually self-destruct.
As much as I hate that deliriously spastic little goober for stealing Goth's affection, his happiness is more important to me... and if that means Palette has to come back, then so be it.
Unbeknownst to Goth or anyone else, Cray had been doing his own investigative work once he realized how much this was affecting the smaller monster. Unfortunately, he was coming up empty-handed as well.
He growled as the bell rang, clenching his fists as he made his way back to class, once again having nothing to show for his efforts.
It makes no sense! How can such a bright and loud guy just up and disappeared without so much as a trail of dust left behind?
"I won't hear of it!"
A shout startled Cray out of his thoughts. Peeking around a corner, he spotted a trio of dog monsters having an argument. The female of the group was the one yelling...
Brianna? Brittney?
"Keep it down, Bridgette!" the smaller of the males hissed, "Anyway, this plan isn't working. He's not responding to your advances at all, and that little friend of his isn't giving up the search. Someone's going to figure it out eventually."
"No no NO!" The female, Bridgette, stomped her foot into the ground with each word, "Palette! Is! Mine! He'll come around eventually, he needs time is all, and I won't let some midget skeleton take him from me!
Seriously? The information I've been searching for conveniently fell into my lap? Either I'm really lucky or these mutts really aren't that smart.
The big question is whether or not I do anything with the information. Telling someone would be the right choice... but if Palette comes back, I'll probably lose my only chance with Goth.
Still... Goth looked so miserable this morning. It feels like he's lost the will to live without Palette around...
The larger dog monster, sporting a tear on his right ear, nodded towards the first, "He's right, sis. It's only a matter a time before we're caught, we jus' have ta accept that he's not-"
Bridgette reached forward, grabbing onto the larger male by his shirt, her tone cold as she spat, "I am not giving up. If Goth gets too close, then we'll find a way to make him disappear too! As long as you two keep your yaps shut, everything will be fine!"
Cray's eye lights guttered out, his fists clenching along with his jaw as he fought the urge to march over and fight the trio himself.
That bitch threatened Goth's safety...
If Cray had blood, it would have been boiling. Any hesitation the skeleton held toward acting on the information he overheard was now completely erased.
I won't let them hurt Goth. They're going down, now.
---
Goth reached for the door of his locker. He fully intended on throwing all his books in, not caring about the assignments he needed to complete or the reading he needed to do.
Not when Palette's still missing. I have to find him first, everything else takes a backseat.
Opening the door, his plans for where to search next were interrupted by a note falling to the floor. Setting his bag down, he crouched to retrieve the crumpled paper. A dull eye light dilated when he opened it and read the contents:
'Bridgette and her brothers have Palette and they aren't afraid to go after you too. Be careful.'
This...!
Goth hastily fumbled with the zipper of his bag, tearing the pocket open to fish out his phone. With a trembling right hand, he dialed the number of the police chief he'd been in contact with for the past week, to the point of memorizing it. An equally shaky left hand clenched the note in front of him, reading and re-reading the sentence.
After two rings, a deep male voice picked up, "Police Chief Ramsey speaking, how may I help you?"
Goth spoke quickly, trying to keep his voice steady as he said, "Mr. Ramsey, this is Goth Afterdeath. I think I've found a lead in the disappearance of Palette Roller..."
***
So originally, this was going to be a Kidnapper Cray/Victim Goth story. As I thought about it, though, I felt like not only was Cray being an antagonist kind of cliche in every story involving him but after researching his character... he's not a bad guy, at all. I couldn't justify making him into a bad guy for the story after that, no matter his feelings.
With that idea nixed, I was kind of stuck on plot, Luckily, I had the idea of reusing Bridgette and her brothers (OCs from 'On Edge') as the antagonists... but then I thought about how I always seem to put Goth in the distressful situations, plus Bridgette would've probably tried to just kill him outright rather than kidnapping and torturing him... which led me to the decision of going Yandere Simulator with Bridgette and having her kidnap her 'senpai' Palette.
And now here we are~
Word Count: 1,219