<°In-Between°>

25-Go Back

Karl huffed a sigh steadying himself on the wall before he spoke. "It's about the in-between. It wants you back."

-------------

Your hands trembled in your lap as Karl paced infront of you. This was the last thing you had expected today, though with how far Fundy's word about your wedding spread it was only a matter of time before it found it's way to Karl.

"What- what does it want with me?" You thought of all of the reasons the In-between might need you back, the list of things coming up short of any real reasons. What did it want with you? To make you suffer all over again? To show you hollow shells of yourself wandering otherwise empty halls under the midday sun for all eternity? To make you cry and cry until your body could no longer produce tears because you were too mentally exhausted to do so? To make you curl up into a ball on cold marble floors and take comfort only in fading memories of who you were and who loved you before all of this?

The In-between didn't need you. All it wanted was to toy with you, break you down and rip you to shreds time and time again. It wanted you because it knew it could have you, and you were powerless to stop it from taking you again.

"It wants you back, like I already said." Karl stopped pacing to look down at you on your couch. "It doesn't want to keep you though. The overseer wants to give you your memories back. And then it wants to banish you from the realms."

You laughed at that, there was no one in the In-between other than empty doppelgangers of whoever was passing through the realm. "There's no one in the In-between Karl."

"No- the In-between can't get your memories back, but the Other-side can. It promised me it would." He kneeled infront of you elbows resting on his knees, and hands laced together.

"You said the In-between wanted me back. What the fuck is the other side?"

"It's hard to explain, but if you come with me I can show you. We can get your memories back. You can live here with everyone-"

"Why the hell does the In-between, or Other-side, or whatever the fuck want to help me now? Why after all this time, after everything?"

"It said that you know too much about time travel. It wants to take away those memories in exchange for your past ones. It said that it realized you weren't worthy of the gift." Karl avoided your gaze, hands falling to rest on your knees.

"Not worthy? Not worthy of that so called "gift"? That place, that thing subjected me to years upon years of torment, of endless days spent crying and begging it to take me back home. Of thinking that I might not even be the real me amongst the hundreds of doppelgangers walking those halls. That thing tore my very soul and being from within me and shoved it back down my throat only to repeat the process until I felt like those hollow soulless mirrors of myself." You stood up abruptly, shoving Karl's hands off of you, as molten tears flowed down your face. "So if anyone is worthy of that "gift" I'd say I damned well deserved it."

"I-i never said you didn't. It did." Karl wrung rung his hands out within one another. "It just wants to exchange the memories of your gift with the memories of your old life. That's all."

Your voice shook aswell as your shoulders as a sob wracked your body. "The funny thing about that is, I never wanted that "gift" in the first place. I only used it as an outlet to escape the pains of my everyday life, and it took that life away from me. So I'll be damned if I give it the opportunity to do that to me again." You took in a large breath, steadying yourself before speaking. "So tell it that I want no part in whatever exchange it wants to make. I'm not going to tell anyone about the In-between. Why would I? Those were the most pathetic years of my life."

Karl looked shocked at your refusal. "You don't understand, if you don't take the deal then dr-"

"Karl." You snapped, done with talking about this on your wedding day. "I'm done with this. Please leave, you wont change my mind about this."

Karl's shoulders slumped low before he muttered something under his breath. "Alright fine." He spoke louder, fake smile plastered on his face as he took a step backwards. "No need for me to stay here ruining your special day if you're only going to refuse."

Karl turned to exit, patting colored pencil on the head before opening the door to leave. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He spoke as the door shut behind him, voice only loud enough for you to hear as Callahan came rushing down the stairs followed by Niki.

"Are you ok? We heard shouting, but we didn't want to interrupt since you both sounded serious about being left alone." Niki spoke softly, reaching a hand for your shoulder.

"Don't touch me." The venom in your words was misdirected at your friend. "Sorry, my temperature is just really high right now. Give me a second to cool down and I'll be upstairs."

Niki nodded her head in understanding and she and Callahan made their way back upstairs.

"What am I gonna do color?" You asked your pet as he came to sit directly infront of you. He turned his head quizzically at your words, tongue lolling to the side of his opened mouth. You laughed lightly at him. He may not always understand you verbally, but he was always able to understand you emotionally. Your beloved pet always knew exactly what you needed, even if he didn't have the means to express it.

Within a few moment of tossing pieces of bacon to colored pencil your temperature cooled and you were ready to get the rest of the day over with. Colored pencil looked at you, what you read to be a smug expression on his face as he walked over to curl infront of the fire place, stomach full of yummy bacon.

You smiled at him for a moment before heading back up the stairs to finish getting ready.

1079 words
I am absolutely pissed at what's been happening in the states concerning RoevWade and a plethora of other laws. Actually no, I am beyond pissed.

I don't normally talk politics like this but I'm so upset that people's rights are being taken away from them as we speak(an it's so much more than RoevWade at this point)and I'm so frustrated that I can't help do anything about it.

Very sorry about talking politics but I just wanted to vent my frustrations about it.