Against the Universe - After ONE 18

TEN | Omnipresent

"Three, two, one, push!"

He didn't need to look at them to know they were all listening and ready.

The stake was almost out. They could do it. If they all joined efforts, they would succeed.

He could feel the tension of his focused friends; the strength flowing from their hands to the stake, rallying around him.

And with a thud, the stake crashed against the ground. Their struggling came to an end.

He felt proud of them. He felt happy of every smile he received. And in that moment, he wanted nothing else but to share the unimaginable joy that spawned in his heart.

...

Liam groggily opened his eyes, greeting the blurry world.

Usually, sleeping wasn't at all pleasant - not with the cast. And not on the hard stone floor, for sure. But today, despite these impediments Liam felt perfectly comforted in his sleep - and not only because of the dream. Something lay in his arms and he was tightly clinging to it, unconsciously yearning for closeness. It felt so safe; he didn't want to let go.

But when he blinked and analysed what he was holding, he realised it was... the wooden stool.

With a muddled look on his face, he loosened the grip and watched it roll off him and away a few inches.

Did... did he really hug that?

Dang. I guess I'm clingy, he thought, staring at it blankly.

Eh, whatever. He scooped it up again and pressed tightly to his chest in hopes of raising his serotonin levels.

"Hey, that's kinda adorable."

Liam let out an 'ACK!', skittering his arms frantically.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," Atom whispered.

Liam stared at the Plane, hoping all the other contestants were asleep and only the little invisible guy could see the backpack in this awkward situation. He couldn't see or hear anybody else, thankfully.

"Uhhh... Don't tell anyone about this? Please?"

"Oh, okay, I won't."

Liam put the chair away, carefully pushing himself up to sit and leaning against one of the table legs. His muscles protested through tensions and throbs and he closed his eyes with a pained expression.

What kind of a sick joke was this? That just as he had recovered, the vines broke his other, healthy leg?

He let out a frustrated sigh, feeling a sting of hopelessness at the thought that if he didn't come back to Earth through the radio... both legs would stay this way, and he would be disabled for the rest of his life. That's why he wanted to try, even without the notes. Just... anyhow, really. Never in a hundred lifetimes would he prefer to stay here, and especially not with that thing.

Yesterday's events struck Liam's mind and he shuddered, suddenly remembering that not only could he get easily assaulted, his head was no longer a safe space too. Though a small bit of hope fluttered in his heart - he didn't have any nightmares tonight and he didn't wake up as a serial killer, so... maybe the vines simply weren't there anymore?

Liam searched for any alien presence within his mind.

No itchiness. No discomfort.

Huh.