Wish You Were Here

I Miss You

It was so cold in this bottle. As every day passed by, it felt as if it was getting colder. Almost like she had been deliberately turning the AC up slightly more than the previous day. The walls of my confinement were made of pure diamond, so mixed with the frigid air, the walls were also freezing to the touch. If she didn't kill me, hypothermia would certainly get to me first.

My lips parted from each other and I let out a shaky breath into the palms of my hands to make an effort at some kind of warmth. Nothing. It was just cold. Cold and alone is what I had been for the past 3 months of my captivity.

This Velvet character treated me like an object and not a living thing. Occasionally, she would open the cap of the perfume bottle and throw in a few oversized chunks of dark chocolate. She needed me alive to fulfill her greedy desires from what I understood.

Velvet had an assistant named Crimp who I learned fast would be no help at all. I don't see why she hasn't just set me free while Velvet wasn't in her dressing room. Alas, Crimp reminded me of Veneer in a way. A dorky assistant who would follow their boss around like a puppy. At least Veneer made it look cute in some weird way. Crimp just looked like an idiot who was desperate for her next raise.

I kept Veneer and my brothers in my thoughts since I got captured. Thinking about them and how happy we all were back then kept me from losing my sanity in this claustrophobic space. All I wanted in these moments was for someone to hold me close. Leaving was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made...

"My voice sounds like garbage!" My lamenting was interrupted by an ear-piercing voice. Velvet was coming back and she was definitely going to take more of my talent before she departed again. After 3 months of daily torture by her, some of my limbs were becoming weak and transparent. I never found out what her deal was, to be honest. She was stealing my talent when she already had some of her own. The day I was taken, she threw me onto the passenger seat of her bumper car and sang while she drove. I'd be lying if I said her natural singing voice was god awful, but since she started using me, I've noticed it progressively change into something almost unrecognizable for anyone who may have known her before all of this.

"Shit. I need more troll. Crimp!" "Yes boss, here you go." The orange, shriveled-up mess, used her tiny purple arms to pick up the diamond bottle I was kept in and handed it to her boss.

"Please, stop doing this... I barely have anything left to give!" I tried pleading with the green giant but to no avail, she just rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Oh really? You don't wanna? Okay, that's fine. I'll just go back to the slums with peace of mind, knowing I did the right thing!" Velvet flashed her pearly whites at me before scoffing and ruthlessly squeezing down on the perfume atomizer; draining me of my talent and my life.

"Uuuugh!" My body became suspended in the air as the essence left my figure. Tears were threatening to escape my eyes as the pain was agonizing. I fell to the ground harshly and heavy breaths were escaping my mouth.

"Ahh, that feels better." Velvet sighed in relief as a green aura flashed around her for a quick second. I cocked an eyebrow and tilted my head out of confusion. What the hell was that about?

"I'll finally have back everything that they took from me." How have I never heard her talk about this? I don't exactly know what she's referring to but it might explain why she's doing this. I wonder if I can get her to say more so I can use it against her at some point.

"What was taken from you?" I asked her with the most innocent voice I could conjure up so as to not draw suspicion to myself. I could honestly care less about her past, I was mostly just bored. She looked at me with a scowl and then turned her head to the side.

"My fame, my friends, and my life... and it's all thanks to my asshole brother's selfishness. That's all you're getting out of me." Velvet slammed the perfume bottle down onto the vanity making me fall and stormed out of the room. Brother? She has a brother? There were photos all around her room with people, presumably other celebrities, but no sign of a brother or any other family for that matter. It's like she had no one. There was a small tap on the outside of the bottle and when I looked over, it was Crimp with a saddened look.

"Look, I'm sorry this is happening to you. I want to let you go but I don't want to see Velvet fall. She's been through quite a lot herself and despite the bitterness, we've become decent friends." I understand not wanting to disappoint your friends, but when your friend is insanely toxic, I feel like that's someone you shouldn't be associating yourself with.

"Crimp, have you not seen how poorly she treats you? What's her deal anyways?!" Crimp frowned and waited for a moment, debating on whether or not she should tell me. Once she gave in, a sigh left her mouth and she plopped down next to the bottle.

"I don't know much, but she doesn't like to talk about it. From what I've heard I think I can piece parts of it together. She was famous when she was young and was forced to cut off most things in her life to focus on her fame. I think the company she signed with ended up dropping her after a few years because they said she was too old to work with them. Ever since then, she had been poor and lived off scraps. I still don't know where her brother fits into this story though. I don't even know his name."

I sat on the cold floor of the bottle as I processed the story she just told me. There's no way that's all. Velvet said everything that happened was thanks to her 'asshole brother'. My fingernails tapped the diamond floor making a tune because I had no idea what to say next. That was until Crimp opened her mouth again.

"There is one more thing I know..." I turned my body to face her and lifted a brow.

"...She used to be a Troll."

Hold on, what? How does someone 'used to be a troll'? She changed species? Why? How?

"Umm, do you know how she did it?" I wanted to know as much about this as I could. I mean, I've gone 3 months without any form of entertainment, so this was the most interesting thing that's happened in a while.

"No, I don't. She hired me after she became a Rageon. However..." Crimp hopped down from the vanity and left the dressing room. When she returned, she was holding a troll-sized black picture frame.

"There is this though." Crimp pressed the front of the photo against the side of the perfume bottle. It was a photo of Velvet as a young troll and she was holding hands with someone while giving a toothy smile. However, the person whose hand she was holding, was completely scribbled out in red ink.

"I assume the person who was in this photo is her brother. This somewhat leads me to believe her brother is also a troll and never turned Rageon like her." As I got a closer look at the photo, I noticed something insanely familiar. That background... that looks like the old meadow that was behind Grandma's house. Velvet was also wearing a flower crown and from the spots I could see through the ink, so was her brother. This photo bears a striking resemblance to that photo on grandma's living room wall of me and Veneer. She even had a similar appearance to Veneer. Lime green hair, white fur, and blue eyes.

Veneer never mentioned having a sister. Though come to think of it, no one knew anything about where he came from. John just brought him home one day and said 'Look, guys!' I have so many questions now. What if Veneer had a secret sister none of us knew about? But if that was the case, I feel like he would've at least told me of all people. Maybe if I didn't run, I could've become closer with him. I could've held him while he told me stories. We could've done each other's hair while I told him how beautiful- what am I doing? I'm sitting in a diamond prison while fantasizing about my old best friend who I haven't seen in 15 years, and he probably hates my guts.

"Woah, hey, are you okay?!" My head turned up slowly towards Crimp. What is she talking about? My hand found its way to my face and I felt tears running down my cheek. I was crying? I guess the thought of Veneer hating me is too much to even bear.

"It's fine, Crimp. I'm fine. Just tired..." I wiped my tears away and lay on the floor in a curled-up position.

I miss you Ven.