Wonderland

Chapter 9

Emile groaned as he came to. He blinked, the light blinding to his freshly opened eyes. His mind was spinning, thinking he'd somehow survived, but the pain was entirely gone, and the room was not his own, but he did recognize the wooden ceiling, and the smell of cookies fresh out the oven. Emile practically leapt up out of the bed, throwing his sheets off himself. His head moved left and right as he took in the bookshelf, the stitch stuffed animal in the corner of the room. His breath left him as he sprinted out the room, slamming the door open, his heart in his throat.

"Patton!" he called. He turned the corner into the mainroom, where he found it and the kitchen empty. That was odd. "Janus! Virge, Lo!" he ran up and began to check rooms, all of which seemed empty as well and he began to panic. He felt he couldn't breathe. Were they gone? No, no, there was no way. He couldn't be alone. He couldn't be, he just couldn't. That wouldn't be fair. "Ro? Re?" he cried. With tears beginning to slip down his face, Emile threw open the front door in desperation, hoping. Much to his relief, all of them were sitting outside at a table, each looking just as they had when Emile left. Roman had a grin on his face as he gestured wildly while he was telling some story to the others, but he went silent and they all turned to look at Emile, seemingly confused to see him, not that their confusion processed with Emile, who sprinted out of the house, momentum too fast for his weak legs to keep up leaving him to collapse a few feet from Patton, landing on his hands and knees in the grass, shoulders shaking. Patton was nearly immediately kneeling by Emile's side.

"Emile?" Patton murmured, almost hesitant as he wrapped his arm around Emile's shoulder. The boy let out a loud sob as he fell into Patton, burying his face in Patton's shoulder. The other spirit guides looked at each other, and then Patton, who gave them a dumbfounded expression in return. Roman was the first to move forward and join the hug. The others soon followed suit. Emile was a flurry of emotions inside, with no words to describe everything he was feeling. Relief, fear, sadness, anger, solace, and a series of sensations that he found utterly indescribable. After sobbing for a good few minutes, Emile had finally gathered himself enough to speak.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered. His mind was spinning with a million thoughts.

"It's okay kiddo," Patton said gently, his voice sad, which Emile took to be disappointment and pulled away. Emile sat with his legs tucked to his chest.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't take it anymore!" Emile weeped. "It was so miserable there, and they bullied me every day, and no one would listen to me and Remy never believed me and I-"

"Hey, Em, we believe you. You're safe here," Virgil said, grabbing Emile's hand. Emile almost immediately felt some of the anxiety leave his body, and for the first time since he woke up, he was able to take a deep breath, satisfying his lungs' demands for air. Emile sighed heavily before looking up at the anxious spirit guide, who pulled away his hands as they began to tremble, his eyes black.

"Thank you," Emile mumbled. Virgil nodded his welcome as he leaned into Logan who was sitting next to him. Logan shifted slightly so Virgil's head rested more comfortably on his chest. Before Emile could question the interaction much, Remus spoke.

"Okay, am I the only one confused as shit and wanting to know why the fuck he's back?" he exclaimed rather abruptly, making Virgil flinch.

"Remus-" Roman scolded before cutting himself off, "actually, you have a point. What are you doing back here Emi?" he asked. Emile hesitated.

"I.... I was on my way home. I- I was..." Emile took a deep breath. "I was gonna take the pills so that I could come back here." Emile watched all of their faces darken, and Virgil clenched Logan's hand firmly. "I wasn't going to kill myself! I was just going to go into a coma, like last time!" Emile was beginning to cry again. Patton moved to wrap Emile in a hug, much similar to the position Logan and Virgil were in. "I just wanted to see you guys again!" Emile defended. "And the-then there was a car. I didn't see it but there was a car and then there was so much pain and then just nothing. And then I woke up here." Emile wiped his tears away. "B-but i-I'm still here! I haven't passed! That means I'm still alive, right? I'm just in a coma like last time."