ROT

Chapter 5

Bryce walked up to the large wooden stump. He climbed up the ladder he and his friends had carved out long ago, then plunked himself right into the water that filled the canyon inside the heart of the stump. As an empty soda bottle, Bryce couldn't really go underwater at all. Unless he took his cap off, Bryce could only float. But he was fine with that. He just needed somewhere to exist for a little while. To rest, to think. The sun, ever-shining, moved out from behind one of the four clouds Airy had made. It was in his eyes now. He turned on his side to avoid its gaze. 

Bryce heard a chair move forward. He groaned. "Hi, Liam."

"Hey-hey, Bryce! How are ya doing?" He sounded frantic. But then again, he always sounded at least slightly insane nowadays.

 "How do I look?" Bryce deadpanned. He stared at the sides of the stump as intently as he could. Maybe Liam would pick up on the hint and leave him alone.

"Looks-looks like you're having a pool party of one, hehe! Well, well at least until I came, now it's a party of two!!" Liam laughed nervously. 
Bryce rubbed his temples. He sounded so pathetic it was actually sad. "Liam, I don't want-"

"O-or I could call some more people!" Liam began to talk over Bryce.  "A-and we could make it a proper party so it won't just be weird, you know just two guys, what's up with that?" Liam seemed to not be able to hold in the nervous giggles.

Liam knew Bryce was about to tell him to get lost. He wouldn't have offered to invite more people if he hadn't known. Bryce sighed.

"Liam, we need to talk. Now remember who you're talking to before you scream at me."

"Tray's free, we could ask her! I know she can only float, but then again, it's not like a soda bottle can really-" 

Bryce reached out and grabbed the edge of the wooden tub. "I'm being serious, Liam. No matter how afraid you are, you've got to realize what you're dooming us to. I-look at Scenty! You really think keeping her here is in her best interests?"

"...Whippy Creamy is just chilling at the cabin, bet he's hot right now!"

Bryce furrowed his brow.

"Liam, the Liam I knew at least, wouldn't just keep a naive woman who he KNOWS trusts blindly, he wouldn't just take advantage of that!!! What happened to you?? You honestly think holding us hostage in the middle of nowhere is helping us at all? The Liam I know wouldn't do this. The Liam I knew stood for the opposite of this, he'd be disgusted with you!!" 

Liam took a second to respond. "...But I don't know what universes to send you all back to." 

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no. You are not pulling that on me again. I know it's an excuse, you even know it's an excuse. You're just denying it, and I know exactly why. Why can't you just end it all? Send everybody back. Or at the very least, send her back. Just think of somebody but yourself for ONE second, Liam."

"...I don't think I wanted to come to your party." 

"Good. Because I didn't want you at it." Bryce's grip on the edge of the pool tightened. He hoisted one leg, then the other out, and climbed down the ladder. He was several paces away when he heard a voice, like a dog begging for attention. 

"...Bryce?"

He was several paces away when he heard the voice. Bryce sighed. He sounded so pathetic, like a puppy who'd just been kicked. No matter where you were on the Plane, Liam could see you. Bryce had just hoped Liam would pick up on the gigantic hint he'd dropped. 

 "What."

"You...you don't know what it's like. It's so small here, I need friends. I need somebody to talk to." He was crying now, Bryce could hear it in his voice. He felt a tiny bit of sympathy arise in his heart. "I just need you all, please understand..."

 Bryce sighed. "Liam..." He turned around, looking up to the sky.  ".You don't do things like this to your friends." 

Bryce heard something drop. Something heavy. Panic flooded his mind and he turned around, looking up at the sky.

"Liam?! Liam, are you there?!" 

There was no answer.