Chapter Nineteen – Awakening and Decisions
I let out a small groan bringing my hands up to cover my eyes. As I moved my arms, I felt like something was attached to them. Curious, I moved my arms away to sit up in my spot blinking the sleep out of my eyes adjusting to the light and my surroundings. 'My room?.. The creepypasta mansion?..' I thought as I looked over to see a bunch of machines near my bed side. I glanced down to see some IVs were stuck into my arms. I blinked a few times before a bunch of memories slammed into me like a truck making me clutch my head in pain as I brought my knee up to my chest. 'Kidnapping. Zalgo. Wonderland. My family. My friends. Father. Insanity. Darkness..' I brought my hands down staring at my palms remembering everything. I smiled as I looked up at the ceiling. "We did it.. We finally defeated him at last.." I murmured. I feel so content now.. Though I do feel a bit of weight on my shoulders.. Like there is something else I need to do and find out about..
I looked over to my nightstand on the other side of my bed to see a tray of tea and my medicine. I smiled softly as I reached over for them and drinking them down. I set the cup down running a hand through my hair muttering, "I wonder what everyone is doing right now.." I thought for a moment before snapping my fingers with a smirk. I looked around and thanking the sky that my laptop was in my nightstand. I took it out turning it on and started to mess with the cameras of the mansion. 'Thank you BEN and Dark Link for teaching me about more computer work cause I wouldn't be able to do this right now..' I thought as I finally hacked into the cameras. I looked through each camera before landing on the backyard and living room. Everyone was sitting around, not saying a word. I frowned seeing their faces. They looked anxious, sad, worried. My uncles looked really exhausted. My dad and aunts looked really sleep deprived. They keep dropping the tea cups. All my friends are just curled up in different spots in the living room and backyard. And there was Laughing Jack and BEN, they had no type of emotion on their faces. Like whole soul wasn't in their bodies. It's like they were just given bad news of some sort.. 'I have to make those frown into smiles..' I thought before snapping my fingers with a grin
I cleared my throat a bit patting my cheeks before letting the first words leaving past my lips. "Found you when your heart was broke. I filled your cup until it overflowed. Took it so far to keep you close (Keep you close). I was afraid to leave you on your own. I said I'd catch you if you fall. And if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (All). And then I got you off your knees, put you right back on your feet, just so you can take advantage of me.." as I sang, I watched the everyone through the computer. They blinked before what seems like they were getting out of a trance and started to look around. I smiled as I continued to sing, "Tell me how's it feel sittin' up there. Feeling so high but too far away to hold me. You know I'm the one who put you up there. Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely? Thinking you could live without me, Thinking you could live without me, baby, I'm the one who put you up there, I don't know why (yeah, I don't know why). Thinking you could live without me, Live without me, Baby, I'm the one who put you up there, I don't know why (I don't know why, yeah yeah).." "Who the hell is singing- Wait.. No way.." Jeff said before cutting himself off as he started to realize who exactly was singing as he stood up. I saw Sally get up and start to jump around with Smile Dog and Charlie squealing in glee. My uncles all got up before they started to rush over to what seems to be the stairs to head up to my room making me giggle. "Gave love 'bout a hundred tries (hundred tries). Just running from the demons in your mind. Then I took yours and made 'em mine (made 'em mine), I didn't notice 'cause my love was blind." All my friends started to get up and dance around and cheer. My father and aunts started to cry happy tears hugging one another before following after my uncles. "Said I'd catch you if you fall (fall), and if they laugh, then fuck 'em all (all). And then I got you off your knees, put you right back on your feet, just so you can take advantage of me. Tell me how's it feel sittin' up there, feeling so high but too far away to hold me. You know I'm the one who put you up there. Name in the sky, does it ever get lonely? Thinking you could live without me." Lastly, there was Laughing Jack and BEN, all the darkness that were in their eyes started to come back to life as tears of relief and happiness started to roll down their cheeks making me smile softly at them. They both have my heart.. Yeah.. They both do.. I have to talk to them..
Soon my door slammed opened and I was greeted with a bunch of arms into an embraced making me let out a squeak as I stopped singing. I looked up at my father, aunts, and uncles as they held me as I leaned into them with a small grin. "Hi guys.. I'm awake now.. I'm hungry.." I softly said making them chuckle pulling away from me. My father pressed a kiss to the top of my head saying, "My darling daughter, we'll bring food up to you in a moment yeah?.. Let us stay with you right now.. You've been asleep for three months.." I blinked as I looked at my uncles for a further explanation. Uncles Slender cleared his throat straightening up saying, "You lost a lot of blood in the battle and your insanity level was so unstable we had to give you a strong medication to calm you down.. But we didn't realize that it was a strong dosage and almost.. Killed you.. Your heart rate dropped suddenly this week and it really didn't look good for you.. The White Queen, your Aunt Mirana, was able to find one of the greatest doctors in Wonderland that survived the attack years ago.. The doctor checked you out more before giving us the news that you wouldn't make it by the end of the week.. But look at you now, it's the end of the week and you look like you aren't tired at all.." I let his words sink in as I looked at my hands and the machines. "So I was almost dead.. AWESOME!" I exclaimed surprising everyone before they let out little laugh and giggles. "That's our darling little Annie.. Well let us go and send everyone in while we get your food, yeah? We know everyone misses you a whole lot." The Red Queen, Auntie Iracebeth, said with a smile as she fixed my hair. I smiled with a nod as everyone gave me a kiss on the cheek, hug, or pat on the head as they left the room and started to send everyone in.
Soon everyone in the house started to either come in one by one, in pairs, or in threes. Sally, Charlie, and Smile Dog all pounced me and gave me a lot of cuddles and cried when they held me. Next was Jeff and Jane as they came into the room bickering before starting to worry over me. It may be a strange sight to see them worrying about someone, but if you knew them for as long as I have, it's not too strange anymore. Next was Masky, Hoodie, and Ticci Toby. We all had a really nice conversation and laughs as they told me little stories of what everyone do the first month they were waiting for me to wake up. Next was, Dark Link and Eyeless Jack. Dark Link was such a flirt but that's just how our relationship is. No I don't like him, just a habit we both have when we see each other. Eyeless Jack and I spoke and laughed like we did before. He even promised that we could go on a hunt together once I finally recover! Next was my family from Wonderland! Tweedledee and Tweedledum came in bickering much like Jeff and Jane before dramatically crying making me giggle. Came in Mallymkun, March Hare, and White Rabbit and wow was it chaos when they all came in together but I loved it no of the less. It was great. Absolem, Cheshire, and the Bloodbounds all came in and we had a lovely chat before they left my room. And lastly came in, Laughing Jack and BEN.. The two people who I wanted to see the most and needed to talk to.."
Laugh Jack and BEN both sat at either side of my bed holding my hands in their own. I watched them. They looked so tired and out of it yet they still had a smile on their faces when they looked at me. I felt my blue eyes become a darker blue with some hints of pink and gold in them. I blinked my eyes a few times so my eyes would go back to my original blue as I squeezed their hands. "Hi guys.. It's been a while.." Laughing Jack chuckled as he nodded looking at me saying, "It sure has, Anna.. How are you feeling?.. Must be pretty tired right now.." I grinned as I shook my head saying, "Nope, not at all. I feel amazing.. Though, I did hear that I should be dead right now.. So I know you two are broken inside.. I'm sorry I made you two wait for so long for me to wake up.." BEN shook his head as he brought his free hand up pushing a strand of hair behind my ear saying, "You don't need to apologize to us, Anna.. We'll wait till the end of the earth for you.." I smiled sadly at them saying, "Listen to me you two.. I don't care what anyone will think right now. I want you two to let everything out right now. I want you to scream, cry, punch the air, wall, floor, or pillows. Make a mess, destroy something. I don't want you two to be holding in all that pain and grief anymore more. I want you to let out everything. EVERYTHING, you hear me?" Laughing Jack and BEN blinked in surprise looking at each other before looking at me. They were quiet for a while before I heard a sniffle. I looked at them as I saw their eyes watering and tears started to trail down their cheeks. And just like that, they broke into loud screams and started to cry.
It felt like hours as they cried as I held them close to me resting their heads on my shoulders. I comforted them as I smiled sadly softly rubbing their back. After a while, Laughing Jack and BEN both calmed down and little sniffles were heard in the room. We fixed ourselves back up before letting out a small chuckle or giggle here and there. We looked at each other with a smile before I have them a serious look. "BEN.. LJ.. We need to talk.. We need to talk about my feelings for the both of you and both of your feels for me.." BEN's and LJ's smiles both dropped from their faces as they looked at me. "Alright.. What you want to talk about?" BEN asked as LJ nodded to what he said. I took a deep breath looking at them saying, "BEN.. LJ.. I don't know what my feelings are right now.. All I know is that I love the both of you with all my heart.. BEN being my first love and LJ as one of my best friends who I soon saw that I was falling in love with.. I don't know who to choose cause I love you both so much.." The boys frowned as they held my hands. "Well.. How about this? We'll wait for your answer and we'll respect whoever you chose to be with." Laughing Jack said. "Yeah, for now, we just want to spend time with you is all.. I love you, Annabel.. Ever since I first met you.. Besides.. I'm still going to keep that promise I made to you, I'm not going to give up.." BEN mentioned as I blinked as I remembered his promise to me. 'Promise to always love, protect, and care for you.. A promise that I will marry you in the future..' I blushed a bit as I smiled shyly at him leaning over kissing his cheek saying, "Then let's see what will happen.." Making BEN blush and smile at me with a nod. I looked over at Laughing Jack leaning over to him pressing a kiss to his cheek with a smile saying, "And for you, LJ, I guess it was fate that let us meet one another back at that carnival so many years ago when I was a young girl and for us to meet again years later.." Laughing Jack blushed a bit with a small grin with a nod gripping my hand slightly saying, "Yeah.. I guess fate really did play in this.. And I'm happy about it.."
I let out a giggle as I pulled the boys close to me into a hug saying, "Well we came to a decision.. I'll be spending time with the both of you and see who I will be with in the end.." as BEN and Laughing Jack nodded saying in unison, "That is correct." I grinned as they leaned back into their seats as we spoke for a while. Soon a bright light appeared in the room making the three of us cover our eyes. "What in the wor-" "ANNABEL!" I blinked in surprises I looked over and saw The Voices. My dearest best friends for many years. "Rosie, Ashton, Scarlett, Flame, Liam, Lucy, Ethan, and Avery.." I breathed out with a smile. They all smiled as Rosie let out a giggle rushing over wrapping her arms around me in a hug. "I missed you, Annie.." I hugged her back feeling my eyes water a bit with a small smile saying, "I missed you too, Rosie.. I missed all of you.." The Voices chuckled or smiled saying together, "We all missed you too.." "But Annabel.. We need to talk about something.." Liam said stepping forward. I quirked a brow along with Laughing Jack and BEN as we looked at the voices saying, "Hm?.. What's wrong?" The Voices looked at each other biting their lips or fidgeting in their spots saying,
"It's about your mother.. Lisanna.."