Anti's been missing for days now. No one seems to have noticed but Henrik and I. So I've decided to go find him. I went upstairs to his room, knocking softly. A small shuffling was heard. He's still here.
"L̜̪͈͎̊͛e̳̮̫ͭ̌ͨa̹̮͚̞ve̩̳̠ͭ m͕̯̊e͕͈ͣ͑ ḧ́ͦ̌̽e̘͍͌͛̂r̽̂̎e̤͇͌͗,̟̞ C̻̙̅hͨ̀ͧͭa̘̯͎ͩͨͥͨse͌.̳̗́ͩ̈" he sounded... different. Like he had lost his point in life. Shit, I know that feeling. I need to help him.
"Open the door, Anti..I'm here to help you."
"Ỉ̜̳ c̰̝̞̽̄͊ͅa̯̹͚͇n̝̭͕͎͒̄̉'̝̝̮͛t̽͊ b̤ë̳͓͙́̌ ḧ̠̳̻̔ͩ̒e͋̊̍̏lͭp͍̄͑ȇ̟̖̠́̾ď̬͍̯͕̅,ͪ͗ͩ͋" he chuckled, but that was even different than what he usually sounds like. "I̖̺̹̒ h͓͍̳͖̑͐ͪu͇͉͚̹͒͊͐r͙̺̗̈ͭͨt̖̙ͫ̈ y̘̖̪ō̍ͤu͖̝ͯ͛.̻̂ͥ͛͋ Ỉͥͣ̑ ḣ̟̜̱uͯ͛̎r͎̙̔̅t̟̗ e̬̱̖v͒̒̓ĕͣ̾̑r̜͈̞̫͗yͬ̌͗o̞̖̟n̻͎e̼͊͛̄ͥ,̟̗͓̝ ŵ͖͓ͤ̚h͔͚̰y̤ w̾ou͍͙l͙͖̭d͕̬̖͖̚ ÿ͕̣̭o͗̓̒ͯù̞̮̍̈̋ e̍̐v͎͂͊e̦̐̉̈̒r̹̒ w̦̭̃ͣ͆͐ạ̰̣͒̀̓n̩t́ t̟́̃͐ọ͛.̬͎̓h̻͖̝ë̝́l̪̜͇͙̑̇p̱̓ͮ s͇͈̥̗̋̈́o̞ͅm͎̮͆ͦ̀̇et̰̏̎̉͒ͅhi͉ͩn̟͖̪͑ͣͭ̚g̣̙̗̖̓ l͔̬̲̘̅̋iͩk̖̘͓͈̔͒ͮȇ̗͖͓̗̽͆ m̃ͨͤē͙?̱͕̾͂ͭ̍"
That was the point where I really decided to just break down the door. I went off to my room, which was conveniently just next door, getting my lock picking kit. I started to carefully pick the lock on his door, stopping when I heard the soft 'click' of the lock opening. I turned the handle on the door, opening it carefully, slipping in.
Anti was curled up in at least several different blankets, looking like he hadn't left the spot he was in for days. I gently sat on the bed.
"Anti, I'm here because I want to help you."
"H͆̎́e̎ͮͪl͉̻̟̼p̰̮͙̐̄ͤ͒ m͉̯̫̓ẹ͙͙̌͒̅?͙͔̭̾ I͚͇̰̔ͅ k̿͛̊͊iͫ̌l̙͉͈ͨ̌ͧ͑l̤̇ě̿d̰̦̰̗͑̍̍ y̜̬̥̆͂̋ͧô̘ụ͖̯̲r͛ c̖͚͒͑̍h̜̥͎̮͗ͦ͑i̝̯͚̓l̞̑͑̀d̖̥̦̐r̝̩ͥ̿e̬̼n̖͓͖̹̉,̔͆ͅ C͌̽͑h̜͖̎̔a̝͍͙̺̎s̮̲͈̺̈́e̟ͪ͆.̙͇̣̆ͯͤ Ȉ̮͇̫̖̑̿͆ m̜̭̟̤̾̄ͧa̠̻͍̼d͎͓͈ͣ͂ͨ͂ẻ̺̣̲͂̄ y͙̅o̩̊̂u̜̝͓ w͔̫̹ͮâ͍̦̬͂́t̠̦͙̝̽ͣ̚ĉͪͤh̹̯̹ͤ.͇̰̗͇̑͐ͬ̔ W̱̰h̺ͨy̩̙ d͍ͯͩ̉o͙̰ͥ͛̽̔ yͬo͕͐ͨ̅u̎ e̪̲͐̚ͅv͎̫̣̼́̋e͇̾̈r̘̟̙̈́ w͆ͬ̾ͦa͖̣͉ͪn͛tͧ͌ tȍ.̜̞͋̀ͤh̖̝ȅͨl͙ͧ̎̓-̹̠̭̦"
"Because I fucking care about you, stupid." I gently hugged him, being pretty careful at the same time, I mean; the last time sometime tried to comfort him like this... I really don't want to explain the details, but there's a reason no one talks about Angus anymore. He tensed a bit at the sudden contact, but melted into my touch a few seconds later.
"C̯̲̟h̟̻̜̯a͕̎͐s̥̱̙e̙̟̳̔͛ͦ.̯̈͛.͈̥̯̦̈͗.̆ I̼͚̣͕ͬͧ dͬ͐̆o̞͊̌n̟̔̋ͧͮ'̔t̰̺̺͆.͈.̝̥̈́̓ͩ.̈́̒ Ỉ̜̱̐͐.̤̯.̠͛̊̇̿.̜͖̟ͅ" he trailed off. Was he crying...?
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay... I forgive you, okay...?" I wasn't completely lying, I just didn't want to think about what he had done to them. "That's not you anymore."
He nodded softly, wrapping his arms around me. I smiled a bit, continuing to hold him until he ended up asleep.
Requested by indecisive-fanchild