Project Cecil

Chapter Nine - Goodbye, Night Vale, Goodbye.

The next morning, Cecil woke Carlos up very early.

Carlos rubbed his eyes. "Whatimeisit?"

Cecil shrugged. "I don't know. You said time didn't work in Night Vale, remember?"

Carlos sighed and threw a pillow at Cecil. "Leamelone. Wannasleep."

Cecil threw the pillow back at Carlos. "Fine. Then I guess I'll find this secret government agency all by myself."

Carlos opened one eye to stare at Cecil. "What?"

"I'm going to find the not so secret government agency with, or without your help."

Carlos sat up, suddenly wide awake (cue Katy Perry's 'Wide Awake'). "N-no, Cecil, you can't."

Cecil sighed. "Looks like you're no help." He stood up. "See you, Carlos."

"Cecil, do you even know where they are?" Carlos rolled out of bed and slipped on his lab coat over his pyjamas.

"Yes. They're stationed at the Used and Discount Sporting Goods Store." Cecil said as he walked out the door.

"Goddammit Cecil," Carlos started to follow him, picking up his cell phone. "I'm done with your shit."

*

The person he decided to call was Abby. I mean, really, she was Cecil's only family still living in Night Vale. She deserved to know that he was probably walking to his death.

He told her to meet them at the Sporting Goods Store. When he got there, Cecil was talking to her out front. She was obviously not letting him go inside.

"Cecil, you're not thinking straight-"

"Maybe that's because I'm not straight-"

"Shut up and let me talk."

"No."

"You're not ten anymore, Cecil."

"So?"

"So, you can't keep interrupt-"

"Yes I can."

She sighed in defeat. "Whatever. But you are not going inside."

"Really? Watch me." He pushed past her and walked into the store.

Carlos and Abby shared a look, then followed him inside.

*

When they found Cecil inside, he was... talking to Kevin?!

"You're so lucky, Cecil. I wish I could be you."

"What do you mean...?"

"I mean, if they were using me to take over the world, I'd be honoured."

"I don't want them to use me to take over the world."

"Too bad, they're going to anyway. No stopping them now Cecil!"

Cecil glared at Kevin. He then scanned his eyes around the room. There were quite a few plugins, all labelled differently. "What are those for?"

Kevin smiled. "Oh, nothing."

"What would happen if you unplugged them?"

"Someone would die."

Cecil raised an eyebrow. Someone would die? What did that mean?

Kevin sighed. "Each one is labelled with a name. That name is the person it is keeping alive. For example, there's mine," he pointed to one in the middle, "and there's yours," he pointed to one on the far right.

Cecil nodded. "Wait, why are you telling me all this?"

Kevin paused. "I wasn't supposed to. GODDAMMIT! Forget I said anything."

But Cecil had already raced past Kevin and yanked Kevin's cord out of the wall. Kevin collapsed.

He then walked over to his cord. Cecil Gershwin Palmer was written in what looked like sharpie above it.

Carlos and Abby stepped into the room.

*

Cecil put his hand in his cord, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Cecil, don't..." It was Carlos.

Cecil turned to face them. "I have to. I don't want to, but I have to."

"No you don't, Cecil."

Tears started running down his cheeks. "They'll take over the world if I don't." He looked up at Carlos and Abby. "I love you. Tell Janice I lover her too. And... I guess you can tell Steve as well."

"Cecil..." All three were now crying, tears running down their faces.

"I love you." And with that, he pulled the cord out of the wall. He collapsed.

Carlos ran forward and knelt next to his boyfriend's limp body. He pulled Cecil's body onto his lap and hugged him tight. He was sobbing.

Abby put a hand on Carlos's shoulder. "We... we should go..."

Carlos nodded. She helped him stand up.

"G-goodbye Cecil. I love you."

Then, hand in hand, they walked out of the building.