chapter three
Rigby woke to darkness.
It was a sort of darkness that sent shivers down your spine, rolled over you like the waves of the darkest parts of the ocean, made you wonder... as the small raccoon looked around, he could barely understand what was going on. All he knew was that it was dark.
Stepped back, he felt his foot sink down into something sticky. It felt cold, like mud, and he quickly turned around, stumbling back in disgust. What was that? All he could see was darkness.
When he stepped back again, he bumped into someone. Someone familiar. He turned around and looked up to see Mordecai. Relief filled his mind, but it vanished quickly as he gazed at the other. Something felt off. The tall bird crouched down so they were face to face, and he whispered something, but Rigby couldn't hear. The figure's eyes were pools of black, and etched something like fear into Rigby's soul.
"What did you say?" The raccoon's voice sounded as if he was talking under water.
The bird began talking again, but still no words came from his mouth. It was terrifying. Rigby hated it. He tried to move, to run, but as soon as he turned, the figure grabbed his arm, hard, and whispered something more, something harsher.
And then he opened his mouth, and swallowed Rigby, throwing him into a void of nothing but black.
----
Rigby screamed, and sat up, gasping for breath, drenched in a cold sweat. For a split second, his eyes were still seeing darkness, but then they adjusted and the room filled with light. Mordecai was standing at his bed, eyes wide. "Dude! Are you okay?! I've been trying to wake you up and you just started screaming!"
Rigby blinked away his sleep, and looked at Mordecai, and then to the door, where he could hear Benson yelling and banging on the door for them to "wake up" and "get down here or your fired" and "why are you two always late?!" Rigby scrambled from his safe haven of clothes and blanket, and then turned on Mordecai. "Why didn't you wake me up?!"
"I was trying to! But you were in a deep sleep or something-- and then you started screaming and it scared the balls out of me!" Mordecai spat back.
Rigby ran to the door, ignoring Mordecai's explanation, and swung open the door, facing a really angry Benson.
"What the heck?!" His boss yelled, face reddening. "It's almost ten o'clock! YOU TWO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OUTSIDE TWO HOURS AGO--!"
Rigby sighed, exasperated, and crossed his arms. "Its my fault, okay? I slept in and Mordecai couldn't wake me up!" He snapped back, his eyes narrowing slightly. He was beginning to regret ever being a part of this park job.
Benson sighed, loudly, and threw his hands in the air. "Whatever! Just be outside in two minutes or I'm for sure going to fire you!" He spat. He turned, and stomped downstairs, leaving Rigby to turn to Mordecai with a diverted smile. But the blue jay didn't at all seemed amused. "You're acting like being fired is funny," he snapped.
"Cos it is!" Rigby responded, rolling his eyes. He dug through his things, looking for his comb. "Benson always threatens to fire us, but, come on, Mordecai. He never actually does." The raccoon glanced briefly at his best friend before letting out a small breath.
Mordecai frowned. "Well, let's just go out there. We don't have to be completely ready... I don't want to get fired." He looked tired all of a sudden, and Rigby wondered how much sleep he actually got.
The two waddled out of the room and down the stairs. Margaret was gone; the only evidence that she was ever there was the blankets bunched up on the couch, and the small pillow she had left behind. Mordecai noted this quietly, and Rigby watched as the bird walked ahead of him and opened the door, stepping outside.
Rigby followed, sighing.
When they came outside, no one was there waiting except for Benson, who looked calmer but still not as happy as Rigby had wanted him to be. But what was he to expect? He really pissed his boss off.
"About time. The others have already gotten their work--" Rigby so badly wanted to punch Benson in the face as he spoke and tapped his clipboard with impatience. "You two are going to clean the pond today, and pick up any litter around the park. I don't want to see any slacking off, or you're fired!" His eyes flashed with anger before turning away and getting into the golf cart.
Rigby clenched his fists, and growled under his breath. He felt Mordecai place a comforting hand on him, and mumbled something like, "Let's go, dude." The raccoon turned to him, and saw the hardness in the other's gaze.
"Benson is just jealous we're so cool." Mordecai tried for a smile, and Rigby couldn't help but smile back, believing him. He huffed, crossing his arms, and turned back to the direction Benson had drove off to. "Yeah! It's no wonder he hasn't fired us yet." His tail twitched.
"Knock on wood," Mordecai added.
"Yeah, knock on wood," Rigby agreed.
As the day stretched onward towards the evening, as Rigby and Mordecai finished cleaning up litter, Ribgy was starting to feel... tired. He huffed as he threw the trash bag into the park dumpster, brushing off his little raccoon paws. Sweat clung to him, and he panted. "Can we take a break now?"
"No, dude. You know what Benson said. No slacking off." Mordecai grunted as he threw his own findings into the dumpster, sighing.
"So? We always slack off."
"But he'd fire us! Especially since we were two hours late this morning--"
"Pshhh! Nah. Come on, dude. Don't you trust me?" Rigby reached out and grabbed Mordecai's arm, tugging him. "Just a small break. We've been working all morning! And the park is pretty clean..."
The two stared at each other for a long moment, and Mordecai groaned, sighing. "Ugggh... I just can never win with you."
Rigby cackled.
"So... what exactly DID you have in mind, smartass?" Mordecai mumbled this before crossing arms, gazing at the raccoon with a questioning stare. Rigby felt his face heat up-- for no reason, of course-- and he fiddled his fingers, innocently.
"I was thinking we could go somewhere, hm?" He looked up at his best friend with a pleading gaze, and Mordecai squinted his eyes, raising a brow.
"Ok... but where?" He asked, impatiently.
"Like... just out and about. It won't be long..."
"I don't know, dude..."
"Well, fine. We can stay here. Chill on the roof?"
"That sounds more relaxing than a car trip." The blue jay softened slightly, before following Rigby to the house, and up the stairs.
"If Benson fires us..."
"He's not gonna fire us, dumb butt," Rigby swung open the door, grinning at Mordecai. "Race you upstairs~!" He scampered quickly up the stairs.
"Oh no you don't!" Mordecai called and chased after him. He pulled Rigby back, leaping up the stairs. Rigby grabbed his leg before he could reach another step, pulling him back down. The two laughed as they tumbled, wincing, and Mordecai fell on his behind, sliding down three or four steps. "Ow!"
"Haha, loser!" Rigby called, but then tripped-- up the stairs? He yelped, tumbling down and landing on Mordecai, who let out a grunt, his head landing on one of the steps. He felt himself slipping. "Uhh-- Rigby?"
"Uggghh... hm-- AH--!" Rigby screamed as Mordecai's back slid down the steps, the blue jay trying to catch himself. But this only caused him to roll more, and the two grunted and yelped as they rolled down the steps before landing with a thump at the bottom.
They laughed out loud, Rigby still on top of Mordecai, and he wriggled himself free. "Ah, that's gonna leave a bruise."
"Yeah-- cos I'm gonna win!" Rigby scrambled to his feet and sped up the stairs, coming to the top.
"Rigby!!" Mordecai yelled and ran after him. They came to the door, both fumbling for the doorknob, until the door swung open and they fell in, laughing and shoving each other teasingly, until Rigby felt him fall onto the other's bed, yelping as he was attacked with pillows.
"Race you to the roof!" Mordecai grinned, already opening the window.
"You bastard!" Rigby screeched, angrily, and tumbled after him.
Soon, they were both sitting on the roof, watching the evening sun gradually sink towards the horizon, eyes shining in their friendship. And Rigby felt something stir inside him again, something good, as he looked at Mordecai, and Mordecai looked back. Best break time ever.
But they still had forgotten to clean the pond.