E!Pap's POV a week later
I wake up one morning to my phone ringing. The ID says it's Nightmare. I pick up almost instantly. This was the first time he has called me in a while. I have made sure to answer everytime, just like Killer and Shino.
"HeLlO? NiGhtmAre? ArE yOu OkAy? Are yOu tHerE? WHaT's wROng? Is ThiS yOu cAlLing?"I say
"Hehe....Good to hear you, E!Pap. Hey...Someone answered. That's me.....I'm.....I could be better. I'm here. I just...Don't want what he wants me to do....I..."Nightmare says
"WhaT dO yoU meAn?"I ask
"I suggest you stay hidden in the hideout...I don't want them to get you...Same goes for Shino and Killer."He says
"What? Why?"I ask
"Just trust me..You are the three I can still trust after all. I don't want anything to happen to you...They plan on some lives being lost....Putting the blood on my hands...But I don't want it! I don't want to! Please, stay safe, buddy. Ugh....I gotta go."He says
"Wait! NiGhtMaRe! No! Don't haNg uP! We cAn hElp! JusT tAlk tO mE aNd exPlaIn wHat HapPeNeD!"I say
"❄☟⚐💧☜ 🕈☟⚐ ☹✋☜ ✌☠👎 ☞⚐⚐☹ ❄☟☜ ❄☼🕆💧❄✋☠☝ 💧☟✌☹☹ 👎✋☜✏ ❄☟☜ ☟⚐☠☜💧❄ ✌☠👎 ❄☼🕆💧❄☜👎 💧☟✌☹☹ ☹✋✞☜📬* Ugh...Stupid virus again."He says
(*THOSE WHO LIE AND FOOL THE TRUSTING SHALL DIE! THE HONEST AND TRUSTED SHALL LIVE.)
Then I hear some weird movement sounds and Nightmare crying in pain.
"HeY sOn..."E!Gaster says
Anger boils in me quickly. He did something to Nightmare.
"DoN'T caLl mE tHaT! WhaT dId yOu dO?"I ask
"I...Uh...tRieD t0 beCoMe hIs alLy bUt GaVe hIm a mAlfUNcTioNinG vIrUs aNd nOw hE hArdLy kNowS tHe dIfFeReNcE beTwEen aLlY fRom EneMy."E!Gaster
"And wHo's tHe aLlY?"I ask, knowing what he may think the answer is
"Me. But hE trEaTs mE lIke aN eNeMy."He says
"Oh, tHen He dOes kNow tHe dIfFerEnCe iF hE is dOinG tHat. GoOD tO kNow."I say
"He'S kiLlEd aLl tHe peOplE i bRoUghT bAck tO liFe!"He says
"Ya, bEcAuSe tHose Are hIs bUlLies! Are yOu or Are yOu nOt pLaNNiNg to haVe hIm fiGht otHerS?"I say
"OoOOOooOoOOOh! I'm NoT, SeRraM is."He says
I facpalm.
"AnD wHat do yOu exPect mE to dO?"I ask
"HELP!"He shouts
"WhEn yOu sAy hElp, do yOu mEan HeLp hIm oR heLp fOr yOur beNefiT?"I ask
"......"He is silent
I can hear Nightmare crying in the background. He is my friend and a friend of my brother, making him like family. Plus, he put so much of his remaining trust in me. I have to help.
"SeNd mE thE loCaTIon aNd tHen wE'll dIscUss hElp."I say
"WaIt! I-!"He says
I hang up.
A few minutes later, my phone dings. It's a text of coordinates and the words: I love you son. I roll my eye-lights and pack some things. Error comes over when I did this. He looks at me, then at the stuff I'm packing. Blanket, first aid, phone, scrapbook, and other things that may help.
"WhEre yOu gOinG, PaPy?"He asks
"For a JoG."I lie
"Jog tO wHeRe?"He asks
"To wHeRe I'M needEd. I sUgGeSt yOu cHecK yOur vOicEmaIL."I tell him
"WhY?"He asks
"JusT chEck iT. I'Ll bE baCk sOon."I say, zipping the bag and leaving the room
I walk down the hall but then Shino blocks my path.
"You got a call from Mr. Nightmare, didn't you?"She says
I nod.
"So did I. He called through Reaper's phone, saying that he knew by now who will really answer. He tried to talk to me like everything is fine, but I could tell he wasn't. Are you going to find him?"She asks
I feel even worse for Nightmare. He really did lose his trust in nearly everyone. For him to know that Reaper won't answer but Shino will must hurt. A kid, who doesn't own the phone! I bend down to her, crouching.
"I aM."I say quietly to her
"Can I come? I want to give him a big hug! He's been through so much and apparently he saw a vision of everyone celebrating his disappearance with Dream saying Good riddance about him."Shino says
"BuT tHat nEvEr haPpeNeD."I say
"Hallucination. SO can I come?"She asks
"No...You caN'T. It mAy gEt dAnGerous,"I say
She bows her head.
"BesiDes,"I say, thinking of something
She looks up excitedly.
"I nEed yOu tO bE hErE. MaKE sUre nObOdY dOes aNytHinG sTuPid aNd caTch aNy mOrE cAlLs tHat NiGhTmaRe mAy mAkE. If aNy cOme, cAlL mE iMmEdiaTelY. GoT tHaT, ShINo?"I say
"Yes sir!"She says
"Now, cAn yOu wAkE KiLlEr uP? He sHouLd kNow aBouT tHis."I say
"Is he gonna go?"She asks
"YeS, I tHiNk hE mAy bE a BiG pArt oF hElPinG NiGhtMaRe. PlUs, He wIlL gEt hIs aNgEr oUt."I say
"Oh, well then, he's already up. He's been up, beating a punching bag to death in a spare room."Shino says
"OkaY, cAn yOu wAkE eVeRyoNe uP? CaN'T haVe tHem sLeEpiNg iN."I say
She runs into a room, then comes out with two pots and pans.
"I will make Nightmare proud!"She claims
I smile and nod. She runs down the halls. She soon was clashing the pots and pans.
"I DONT GET ANY SLEEP ANSWERING YOUR CALLS, YALL GET NO SLEEP CAUSE OF MY CALLS! I GET NO SLEEP CAUSE OF YALL, YALL GET NO SLEEP CAUSE OF ME!"She yells down the halls, waking everyone up
I put my bag on as I walk to the spare room. I slightly enter the room to see a torn punching bag get one-punched off it's hook and into the wall. I see Killer standing there, huffing and clearly angry. Yep, better bring him before he implodes.
I knock gently on the door that's already open. I do not smile. I keep the most serious face I could make on.
"Oh, hey E!Pap. What's up?"He asks
"ComE. WaLk wItH mE. YoU nEeD tO lEt OuT sOmE oF tHaT aNgEr."I say, gesturing for him to follow
"O-Ok."He says, never seeing me serious before
"YoU hAve yOuR kNivEs aNd sTuFf, rIghT?"I ask
He looks at me confusedly, then nods.
"Do I have to get rid of them?"He asks
"No."I tell him
He follows me all the way to the ladder. I start climbing but realize he isn't following. I look down at him at the bottom of the ladder.
"CoMe oN."I tell him
"Why?"He asks
"JusT cOme."I say
He nods and climbs up after me. We walk a good distance from the hideout entrance and reach the shack.
"NeEd aNyTHinG fRoM hErE?"I ask
"No. Why? Where are we going?"He asks
"LEt mE rEpHrAse tHat. Is ThErE aNYTHiNg NIghTmArE WoUlD nEeD?"I ask
He looks at me in confusion.
"Why are we getting stuff for him? What's going on?"He asks
"JusT cHeCKiNg. Let's kEeP mOvIng."I say, taking his hand and leading him away from the shack
"Wait! Where are we going?"He asks
"To NigHtMaRe. He nEeDs hElp aNd E!GaStEr juSt mAdE tHinGs wOrSe. BuT, E!GaStEr sEnT mE tHe cOoRdInAtEs sO I kNoW WhErE tO gO. If We kEeP mOvIng, We sHoUld bE tHeRe bY nIgHTFaLl."I explain
"Are you sure? It could be a trap!"Killer says
"I heArD NighTmAre cRying. We'Re twO oF tHe oNlY pEopLe hE trUsTs. ThE tHiRd iS sHinO. I wIlL nOt lEt HiM uSe aNd hUrt NigHtmArE. He cAlLed mE aNd I coUld hEar hOw uPsEt hE wAs. I dOn't wAnt hIm tO bE tRusTinG mE wHen I wOn'T d0 anYthIng. I'Ve nEvEr bEeN sO sUre oF anYthIng beForE, KiLlEr."I explain
"Say no more! Let's go!"He says, taking out a knife
I nod and we quickly move. I keep my phone out and check the message and our location, making sure we're going the right way. We were about halfway there when I get a call from Geno. I answer.
"HelLo?"I say
"E!Pap, it's Shino! We have a MAJOR problem!"Shino says
"ShIno, wHaT's wRonG?"I ask
"Nightmare called! It isn't good! You have to get to him ASAP!"Shino says, then sounds like she's about to cry
"ShiNo, cAlM dOwn. BreAthE aNd teLl mE wHat'S wRonG."I say
She sniffles and takes some deep breaths, calming down.
"Nightmare just called saying goodbye! He isn't coming back he said! He isn't up to anything good and I'm scared for him!"Shino says
My eye-lights shrink. I look at Killer, who was smiling as he sharpens his knives by clashing them together. He is oblivious and cannot hear anything on the call. He looks at me and smiles even more, clearly happy to be seeing Nightmare.
"ThaNk yOu fOr tElLiNg mE, ShInO. Go GeT sOmE cHoCoLaTe fRom My bRoThEr. We wIlL hAndLe iT."I say
"Okay.."Shino says, hanging up.
"Let's mOVE, KilLeR!"I say, starting to run
"Woah! Okay!"He says, running after me
"ThInGs jUst tOoK a TuRn For tHe WoRse!"I tell him
The sun goes down and we reach the coordinate. I look around and then see the faint outline of a building in the night sky. I climb up a tree and was just able to reach the bottom of the outline. I feel around until I found the door frame. I look down and see Killer looking up at me as if I was crazy.
"GeT uP hErE!"I tell him
He starts climbing.
I feel past the door frame and there, I feel a solid, wooden door. I summon a bone attack and fire it at the door. It opens with a crashing noise. I leap in head-first, sliding across the now visible marble floor. I get up and lay down by the doorway, extending my arms out to Killer.
"Get iN! TaKe mY haNds!"I order
He nods and jumps from the tree, grabbing my hands with his knives in his pockets. I heave him inside and get to my feet immediately. Bodies of bullies laid everywhere. I know they are bullies because Error has retold me descriptions of every bully Nightmare has known or told him about. Something kept them from dusting. I check and it says each of them had a revival or healing virus at work. Nightmare doesn't deserve to be bullied. I frown at the very sight of them. I look at Killer and see he was angry too. So angry that he was sliding these bodies out the door, where they land in a lake far below the house. I look around and spot Serram hiding in a corner. I know it's him since Geno told me what he looks like. He is hiding in a corner under a table, shaking. I walk over to him and pick him up by the arm.
"WhErE iS nIghTmArE?"I snap
"In another room! With yo-"He begins
I narrow my eyes at him.
"With E!Gaster last time I checked!"He says, saving himself
"OkAy, tHaNk yOu. Now sCrAm."I saY
He nods, running and jumping out of the building into the pond.
There's a loud slam and E!Gaster comes running down a hall. He comes over and runs behind me as if for protection. I turn and pick him up by the collar of his clothes. He seems wounded badly, but I know that's just karma for what he put Nightmare through.
"I'm hErE tO hElp hIm, Not yOu. NoW, I tHinK yOu kNow WhaT I aM gOnNa aSk."I say with an unfriendly tone
"L-LasT do0r oN thE riGht! BeWaRe, hE hAs A kNIfE!"He says
"DuDe, ThErE's mUch wOrsE tHaN a SInGlE kNiFe."I tell him, summoning some bone attacks and Killer taking his multiple knives out
"R-RiGht."He says
I nod, then toss him into the pond. He swims in it, getting out and running into the shadows. I look at Killer. Killer tucks his knives away. We quickly move down the hall. Killer reaches the door before me. I reach it and hear a voice weakly speak.
"I won't be some pawn for their plans....I won't hurt my friends. Former or true.....They can't use a bunch of dust to do that, right? Right."It says
I recognize it. It's Nightmare.
We need to get in there now! Right now!
I look at Killer, who was already jiggling with the knob.
"It's locked!"He tells me
"Stay out jerks!"Nightmare snaps
"NoT FOr lOng!"I say, summoning a Gaster Blaster and blasting it
The doors burst open, falling from the blast. There were other things in the way, though. I kick and shove these things aside. I see Nightmare. He doesn't know it's me since there's still some stuff in the way.
"I'm not a pawn! Stay back! You can't use me!"He yells in tears
"NiGhTmArE iT's mE! E!PaP!"I say
"Nightmare!"Killer yells from behind me
"No...No more tricks! I told them to stay at the hideout! To stay hidden!"He shouts
I shove the last bits of stuff aside. I freeze. I hold Killer back.
"NigHtmAre, cAlm dOwn..."I tell him, trying to calm him
I ease myself closer.
"No! S-Stay back!"He snaps, opening his eyes
He....He has no eye-lights. I gasp at this. That doesn't help the situation. He has his soul in one hand and a knife in the other.
"K-KilLeR....SnEaK aLoNg tHe wAlLs t0 hiM. I wIll tRy t0 tAlk hIm tHroUgh iT."I say
He nods, beginning to cling to the walls and inch along.
"NiGhTmArE...TaKe sOmE bReaThS aNd cAlM dOwn. I kNoW yOu aRe ThErE. I kNow aBout yoUr vIrUs, BuT yOu ArE oKaY nOw. NooTmAre, er, NiGhTmAre, pUt ThE kNiFe dOwN."I say, taking a step closer
"I don't want to be used! I don't want others to die! I want to protect them! But the virus makes me a danger! I have to keep them safe! Besides, it's not like they were ever gonna come for me anyway....Wait...Nootmare...E!Pap?"He says, tears rolling down his face
"Yes, tHAt's iT, NiGhTmAre. It's mE. I cAmE to gEt yOu. I'M hErE to HeLp. JusT pUt tHe kNiFe dOwn aNd pUt yOuR sOul aWaY."I tell him, slowly stepping closer
"Wait, no...I told him to stay safe at the hideout. Besides, how could he find this place? Besides, he seems to like Dream. And if Dream says good riddance, then it may have convinced him. E!Gaster, your getting more and more clever with your tricks, but it won't work."Nightmare says, lifting the knife to the soul
"I nEvER pUt fRiEndS aBoVe FrIeNdS! KilLer! NOW!"I snap
Killer nods and charges at Nightmare. He wraps his arms around Nightmare, pinning Nightmare's arms at his sides. His soul fades from sight.
"I'm here, Nightmare!"Killer cries, tears in his eyes
"Let me go!"Nightmare snaps, struggling in his hold
"No! I won't let you do this! Don't do this! You're my Nightmare! I can't lose you! Please! I'm here Nightmare!"Killer pleas
Nightmare jolts and then his eye-lights return. Tears run down his face.
"E!P-Pap? K-Killer?"He stutters
"Hey, bUd."I say
"Nightmare!"Killer cries holding him tighter and making him drop the knife
"K-Killer! What's wrong? Did I-I hurt one of you?"Nightmare asks
You know what? Nightmare's POV is a go!
I glance at Killer after seeing no injuries on E!Pap.
"Physically no but emotionally yes! Never do that again!"Killer cries, holding me tighter
"I don't understand...."I say
He begins to start crying and could not be understood anymore. He nuzzles his head against my shoulder and my skull. I begin to shake, the virus trying to make me fight. But I don't want to. I feel safe now. I'm okay. I'm with them.
"NiGHtmAre. He's trYing t0 sAy tHaT hE misSeD yOu aNd wAs woRriEd siCk aBoUt yOu. He nEvEr wAnTs y0u t0 tRy d0iNg tHat aGaiN. YoU sCaRed hiM hAlF tO dEatH. He loVeS y0u."E!Pap says
"E!Pap!"Killer shouts
"What? It's trUe."He says
I look at Killer.
"So you didn't give up on me? You didn't take it as a good riddance?"I ask
"Course not! I'd take those jerks as more of a good riddance but never you!"He tells me
I look at him and smile, then slip an arm out of his tight grip. I reach up and feel his cheek, gazing at him. I wipe his tears and he wipes mine.
"OoOh, sOmE nEw loVe."E!Pap says
"Huh?"Both of us say,looking at him
"NoThIng."He says
"Okay, then."Killer says
I smile and turn so I could hug him back. He looks at me and smiles, his face a bit red.
"NoBoDy eVeR sAiD gOoD rIdDanCe aBoUt YoU."E!Pap says
"Heh, I was hoping that."I say
"Hmm..."Killer says
I look at him.
"What's up, Killer?"I ask
"I got an idea."He tells me, feeling my cheek
"W-What is it?"I ask
He does not answer. His arms around me shift and then he scoops me up. I cling to him tightly, caught off guard and feeling my face warm. He smiles.
"K-Killer!"I stutter
"Yes?"He asks
"What are you doing?"I ask
"My idea. I see that you're turning back and dunno if the virus is hiding any wounds on you in this form so just in case. Also, I said I'll protect you."He tells me, winking
I feel my face burn even more. My soul beats quicker. His grip on me tightens. He did say that.
"Hey, bRiNg hIm hErE. MaYbE I cAn dO sOmEtHinG aBoUt tHaT vIrUs."E!Pap says
Killer nods and brings me over in his grip. E!Pap places a hand on my forehead.
"Ok, tHe vIrUs isN'T cOnNeCtEd tO hIs SoUl, sO tHaT mAkEs ThINgS eAsIer. OnE sEc....ThErE! ViRus erAsEd! ThoUgh s0me mArkS mAy bE peRmanEnt."E!Pap says
"O-Ok."I say
"Got it."Killer says
E!Pap summons a Gaster Blaster. He gets on it and gestures for us to do so as well.
"I rEmEmBerEd tHat iT's mY tUrn tO mAkE dInNer."He says
Killer nods and climbs on, holding me close to him. The Gaster Blaster takes off.
"So, what did those jerks do? How come you lost trust in nearly everyone?"Killer asks
I explain what happened and he holds me tighter.
"Also, you three were the only ones who answered and spoke to me. Anyone else would either not answer or hang up as soon as I said hello. The virus made me see that those people wanted me gone or purposely ignored my calls, making claims like good riddance."I explain
"Well, don't worry, those sights were not real. Error, Ink, Blue, Geno and Dust couldn't answer because they were searching for ya. Same goes with Goth, Sprinkle, & Palette. Don't know what the rest of them excuses are. Especially Dream. He stopped sensing good feelings from you but made it seem like you died."Killer says
"Oh, I see."I tell him, nodding
Trust for others was regrowing in me.
"SpEakInG oF ShIno, I hAve hEr oN tHe pHoNe aNd sHe iS aSkIng tO sPeaK tO yOu."E!Pap says, handing me a phone as he guides the Gaster Blaster
I take it and listen.
"Hello? Shino?"I say
"Nightmare! You're okay! Wait, you're okay right?"Shino says
"Mhm."I say
"Well never make a call like that again! You scared me! I was worried! Are there any injuries on you from those meanies?"She says
"No, no there is not."I say
"Good. Now please, don't do anything like that again!"She says
"Yes, Shino."I say, shaking my head
I hear pots and pans clashing. Odd.
"What's that noise?"I ask
"Oh! I'm getting everyone out of there rooms! Like you did! I'm making a meal to celebrate your return! Hey! Everyone! Wake up!"Shino says, then yells
I chuckle.
"Are you proud?"She asks
"Yes, yes I am."I say
"Yay! Cya soon! Hey! Dream! Don't think I don't see you sneaking back into your room! Get back here!"Shino yells
"Be careful, Shino."I say
"Got it, bye!"Shino says, then hangs up
"What's going on?"Killer asks
"As far as I know, Shino is getting everyone out of their rooms for some meal she's making."I reply
"Ah, okay."He says
We reach the hideout and E!Pap takes me from Killer. He takes me to another room and checks me for any other wounds and inactive viruses. I got back to my passive form and find the wounds that were hidden. E!Pap notices and bandages them right back up. Then he goes to help Shino with the meal. I'm walking down the hallway when suddenly, Error runs over and hugs me.
"YoU're bacK! WeLcOme bAck! I kNew DrEam hAd tO bE wRoNg!"He says
"Uh, what?"I say, not used to him hugging me
"He aCtEd lIke yOu wEre gOne wHen hE cOuLdn'T sEnSe aNyThIng fRom yA! We'vE bEen SeaRchIng sO I aM sOrRy I mIsSed yOuR cAlLs! THanK AsGoRo tHey DiDn'T dO aNyThinG tO yOu tHat mAkEs DReAm RiGht!"He says
"Oh....So he really did give up on me, huh?"I ask
Error nods.
"He mAde uS seEm sTuPid fOr sEarChInG fOr yOu."He says
"Hey, welcome back bud."Dust says, sneaking up from behind me
He hugs me as well. I am caught off guard and very confused by their behavior.
"What has gotten into you guys?"I ask
"Worry. We were worried about you. Especially with the incident and Killer telling us about you. We never knew you saw us as family. So, no family gets left behind or returns without a warm welcome."Dust says
"Welcome back Mr. Nightmare!"Shino says, joining the hug
Now I'm trapped. And I could feel my bandaged wounds growing in pain from the hug. I see Killer at the end of hall, he had just turned a corner.
"Help."I mutter
He looks at facepalms. He comes over and breaks the hug up carefully.
"Guys, give him some space. He's healing still. Go easy. Also, he's been through some stuff."Killer says
"Like what?"Dust asks
"I'll tell ya later, but some people responsible are floating in a lake right now."Killer says
They nod and we walk to where Shino had set up what she made. Spaghetti. I smile and sit down with them. Geno, Ink, Blue, Palette, Goth and Sprinkle soon join us. E!Pap does after bringing the last plate. We dig in and it tastes great. Then again, I wasn't really given much besides beatings. We all thanked Shino and E!Pap for making it, which they smiled proudly at.
Then, Dream comes over.
"Where's our food?"He asks
"Make it yourselves. I gave up on making yours, much like you did to someone here,*cough, cough* Ahem. I don't serve those who give up on their friends and family when they're needed most."Shino says, crossing her arms
"AgReEd."E!Pap says
"You two seem angry."Dream says
"Ya don't say? Wow! Never knew that, Mr. Dream. And if you have a problem with it, then I'm sorry that I'm caring for your own brother more than you seem to."Shino says
"Nightmare's here?!"Dream says in surprise
"Bruh!"Shino says, pointing to me who was sitting right beside her
"Who's crazy and stupid now, huh?"Dust asks
"Oh! Hello, brother!"He says
I just keep eating, not even looking at him. I remember all the times I called him and what he did. Then, one time comes to mind. He had answered the phone and before I could get a word out he said: "Leave me alone. Or else." before hanging up.
"Rude."Dream mutters
"Look who's talking."Sprinkle says
"You're the one who made it seem he was dead simply because you couldn't sense his positivity anymore. WHICH seems a BIT hard to do when your bullies are beating you up and not even your own brother will answer the phone when you call, don't ya think? How can that be trusted? Or the brother straight up hangs up on you! Huh? How can you have trust and positivity then? Oh and then there are visions of the brother going against you! Maybe it wouldn't have had shown that if someone picked up the stupid phone!"Killer says
"Because I thought he was dead! I thought those calls were just tricks! Or E!Gaster calling! Or some telemarketer! I didn't realize that was happening or he was the one calling!"Dream says
"Telemarketer? Really? Let me see that."Geno says
Dream hands him his phone.
"Let's see...past calls. IT SAYS RIGHT HERE! Nightmare called! It shows your contact for him! Oh, but let's see the voicemails! Oh look! Nightmare's name is here too, besides Cross! Let's see who leaves the message!"Geno says, then clicks something and shoves the phone in Dream's face
Dream's expression goes grim.
"Well, that doesn't mean he can ignore me."He says
This caused everyone to start arguing. I had enough. I pound my fist against the table. It goes quiet.
"Oh! So you can ignore me but I'm wrong when I do it to you? That doesn't seem fair now does it? And besides, I'm doing what you told me. You wanted me to leave you alone, so I'm leaving you alone. Not my fault you didn't learn the truth by picking up the phone and talking. I get it if you think I'm wrong. I'm not you after all."I say, though my voice was shaking
Killer grabs my hand. I look at him and he had this sincere look on his face with worry. He knows what I mean. He can tell what I'm feeling. He nods and wraps and arm around me, pulling me to him protectively.
It's dead quiet.
"I think you should go. His family will handle this."Killer says
"But I am his family! I'm his brother!"Dream says
"Oh ya? Come back when you're ready to take ownership of your mistakes. Come back when you're ready to act like it. And I mean like a good one."Killer says
I don't look at him. I just hear him walk away. I sigh and Killer holds me closer. Everyone at the table begins to try and comfort me. I smile and assure them that I'm fine. Besides....
I'm back with those who make me feel safe. Those who I can trust. And they're all sitting here with me.
My family.