A Glitch In the Code

Chapter 6

Dear Error,

        I miss you a lot. Mama's not been doing so well since you disappeared. :( She cries a lot and has bad nightmares. Sometimes me and Geno sleep with her to help make them go away, but I don't think it works well. She still has them. Do you know any ways to stop them? I miss you.

Love,

            Fresh

Fresh looked back at the old letter he'd written. He never did send it out... did he? He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, rereading it before crumpling the letter into a ball and throwing it away. It was useless now that Error was back.

But he wasn't the same. . .

Error POV:

I woke with up in the usual cold sweat. I'd only been home a few days, but those nightmares never failed to get me... I sighed and hopped out of bed, well, trudged more like, before slipping into a loose sweater and sweatpants. Mom was letting me stay home from school until I was seen by my doctor and therapist for it to be alright for me to go.

I had my first session yesterday, and as I'd thought... I crashed two times before the therapy session was over. Early. And they were both Level three crashes. I yawned as I entered the kitchen to find no one there. As usual, I guess... I got out some milk and a bowl, then looked for the cereals. Where did we keep those again...?

Ten minutes later, I had my cereal. I could only find the Froot Loops that Mom would get Fresh, so I went with it. They were decent... for a fruit cereal. Speaking of him, he soon entered the kitchen and quietly waved at me. I nodded hello. We didn't speak much -- mainly because we never knew what to say. I didn't know all of my triggers yet, and he didn't want to set them off so early in the morning. He soon sat across from me with his own bowl of Froot Loops. We just ate in silence, until Mom entered. "Morning, kids." She smiled a tired smile.

"Morning." We both said in accidental unison. Mom's smiled a lot more since I've been home. I think she's a lot better now... but I wouldn't know. I just continued to eat, staring at my bowl before I heard the toaster suddenly pop up, making me jump a bit. I really hated my nerves at this point -- they'd been screwed over since I got back... I hated it. I even mentally groaned as I tried to focus on just eating my cereal. I was glad Fresh was staying quiet about it, though... it was nice of him to do.

"Fresh, do you want some toast?" Mom soon asked, "We have peanut butter if you want that on it."

"Dad, do you want some toast?"

"We have peanut butter if you want that on it..."

I stopped eating. I could feel my hand shake as I quickly stood. "Error?" Mom said with concern.

"I'm full." I said quickly, only having finished half of my breakfast. I quickly left the kitchen, closing myself in my room as the memories came back. Why that? Why is it that ONE little thing that makes me remember so much more!? I tried to calm down, but the errors flooded my vision too quickly as I managed to sit on my bed before I crashed.

I was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad -- the man -- was there, just looking at me. I felt so uncomfortable as I sighed, "stupid." I muttered as the man looked up, looking mad.

"What was that?" He said angrily.

"I was talking to myself." I said quickly, not meeting his gaze. His cold piercing gaze.

"I don't think you were." He stated, walking towards me. "Who am I, Eric?" I hesitated.

"...my dad." The words tasted like vomit in my mouth. He wasn't my dad. He was my kidnapper. He kidnapped me -- i should be home right now.

I closed my eyes tight.

I opened them to be in the basement. I looked around frantically, feeling panic level inside me as I tried to leave, but tight rope bound my legs and wrists to pegs in the wall. I tugged, pulled, bit, tore, trying to be free, then I couldn't move. My wrists were forced against the wall, I couldn't move, I could barely breathe--

"Error!"

I woke up. I was sweating, breathing hard, and Mom was holding my wrists. She looked so scared -- so worried, but why? She let go and I saw. My wrists were scratched at. So badly that they'd started to bleed. "Oh..." I said softly as I sat up, a major headache forming as Mom gently rubbed my back.

I hurt myself.

"...mom--" I started.

"I know, I know... you didn't mean to do this..." She said softly as she continued to rub my back, "...Did you crash?"

"Yeah... I remember eating breakfast with Fresh..."

"Level Two then... I asked Fresh if he wanted toast... and you walked away afterwards."

"Peanut butter."

"What?"

"Peanut butter on toast. It's what he used to eat all the time for breakfast."

"Oh -- honey... we weren't trying to--"

"Why that?" My voice broke with glitches as tears formed, "Why is it that something he ate for breakfast is what triggered me!? Why was it that of all things!?" I asked. Mom said nothing, only hugged me and softly spoke.

"I don't know, baby... I don't know..." I hugged her back as I cried. Minutes later, I was on the couch with Heart. Geno was in the hospital again, so Heart was there to help while Mom and Fresh were doing... whatever it is they did.

I snuggled into Heart's chest as he rubbed my skull. "Comfy?" He asked softly as I nodded. I couldn't deny it, but I definitely had a crush on Heart. The only problem was knowing if Heart had a crush on me... and if I'd be able to keep a relationship together with my problems... At the moment, we were just best friends, drawn close with hospital visits and phone conversations. I sighed softly as I looked back at my scratched wrists again. Did I really do that in my sleep...? Was that normal? Or... was I just finally losing my mind? I closed my eyes and gently held onto Heart's shirt as I fell asleep again.

When I woke up, Heart was still there. He was silent, holding on to me as I'd slept. I was quiet before gently going to hold his hand. When I did, he looked down with a small smile and held mine. I looked up in surprise as he softly lifted me closer so my head was on his shoulder, then gently rested his forehead on mine.

...so I guess he liked me too.

...all I knew was that my face was hot.

Definitely blushing.

....but this was nice, so I didn't care.

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THANK YOU FOR SO MANY READSSSSSSSSSSSS

PLUS I finally got to this ship!

As always, Refresh and Heart belong to TheMiraculousMatt UvU