UnWanted Reunion (UnWilling Roommates book 2)

Chapter 12: It's Lonely at the Top

But we have bread!

(Y/N POV)

You sat on your bed in your new room, wearing a black dress you didn't remember picking out.  You'd woken up there an indeterminate amount of time ago, and for lack of anything better to do had just kept sitting.  The walls of your room were slanted at an odd angle, meeting to form a point instead of a proper ceiling.  There was a bed and dresser, but not much else of note except a trapdoor on the floor.

Tad Strange appeared in front of your eyes, making you jump.

"Sorry to startle you, my dear," he apologized immediately.  "How are you settling in?"

"Settling in?  Where am I?  What are you talking about?"  You were hopelessly confused.

"Ah..." he paused.  "I suppose an explanation is in order."

He held out his hand to you.  You took it hesitantly.  In an instant, you were standing on top of a giant floating pyramid overlooking the town.  The wind picked up suddenly, chilling you in the dress.

You shrieked in surprise and fright, clutching Tad to keep from slipping down the extreme angle you were standing on.  "Tad, where are we?  What is this?"

"That's a bit of a long story," he admitted.  "You see, I'm afraid the apocalypse has begun.  It's the end of the world, my dear."  He said this all in the same calm, cheerful tone you'd always heard from him.

"The... apocalypse?" you repeated weakly.  I can't believe it... I DON'T believe it!  How could this happen?  How could Tad LET this happen?

"I don't understand," you said, tears coming to your eyes.  Probably from the wind, you told yourself.  "Is Bill responsible for this?  Why can't you stop it?  You're a powerful demon, aren't you?"

Tad frowned slightly.  "Bill is indirectly responsible, in a way, but I'm afraid that I can't stop it because I'm the one who started it."

You shrank back in horror.  You would have shoved him away if he wasn't the only thing keeping you from falling to your death.  "That's horrible!  You're ending the world!  You... you monster!"

He responded only with a calm smile.  "Now, now.  That was a bit uncalled for, don't you think?"  As he spoke, you felt your thoughts come slightly unglued, as if something were rearranging your brain.

What was I thinking about? you wondered.  It's the apocalypse, right?  Is that such a bad thing?  Why was I upset a second ago?  I think it's great.

"I'm sorry.  You're right.  That's wonderful, Tad," you said with a grin.  "But can we go back inside now?  I'm kind of cold out here."

"Of course," he said gallantly, taking you back into your room before vanishing again.  Immediately you frowned.  Wait, what was that just now?  Is it still the apocalypse?  Why was I just okay with this?  I have to do something!  Tad has to be stopped!

He appeared in front of you again momentarily.  You shrieked in surprise.  Teleportation jump-scares were getting old fast.

Tad frowned at you, seeming perplexed and dismayed.  "What is going on here?" he muttered, more to himself than you.  "You can't have undone the shift by yourself.  That's not supposed to be possible.  Has Bill interfered somehow?"

He peered inquisitively into your eyes.  You had the feeling he was looking more deeply than just your face.

"Hmm..." he said to himself.  "I see why Bill was so enamored with you.  There's something about you...  How are you doing this?"

You scooted as far away as you were able in the close quarters.  "I... have no idea what you're talking about.  You're freaking me out, Tad."

He pressed one finger against your head, despite your attempts to lean away.  You felt your thoughts get fuzzy, even more so than earlier.  When he removed his finger, the sensation stayed.

"That should do it," he declared.  "I don't know why you have some sort of natural resistance to mental manipulation, but no one could shake that off."

His words went in your ear, but they didn't come out the other.  They just sort of got tangled up inside.  "What?" you said vaguely.

"Don't worry about it, dear," he said, patting your face condescendingly.  "Make yourself at home, alright?  I've got some business to take care of, but Khoshekh will keep you company."

With that, he disappeared again.  You were left alone in the room.  You poked around in the dresser, finding all of your clothes had transformed into Gothic lolita-type dresses like the one you were wearing.  Great.  There was a grappling hook resting on the dresser.  You considered taking it with you, but it wouldn't fit in your dress.  Besides, you couldn't think straight enough to wonder if you would need it.

Eventually you opened the trapdoor, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu but unable to remember why.  There was a sturdy ladder leading to the main pyramid.  You had trouble climbing in your ridiculous red heels, but you didn't fall.

As soon as you reached the bottom of the ladder, the cat materialized from the shadows and sat at your heels.  You reached down hesitantly to pet it, but it hissed at you.  You withdrew your hand.  The cat stared at you impassively, eyes glowing.

What is this place? you wondered, picking a hallway at random and meandering down it.  Most of the rooms were empty, but it still had an ominous feeling to it, like it had once been used for evil deeds.  You didn't come across any other people, but the cat stayed close on your heels.

Feeling vaguely hungry, you wandered the black hallways until you found a kitchen.  It was well-stocked with about fifty different kinds of bread.  No other foods.  Just bread.

Halfway through a pretzel roll, you suddenly stopped what you were doing.  The bread fell out of your hand as you clutched at your head, suddenly experiencing a blinding headache.  You cried out in pain, struggling against the images that were assaulting you.  You saw flashes, just out of perception, of blue and yellow... A comfortable-looking apartment associated with those colors... Talking to someone in a forest...  Those same blue and yellow faces, begging you to listen...

You felt a hand on your head and the pain eased.  "Hmm..." Tad mused.  "Perhaps I went a bit too easy on you earlier.  I don't know how you're still breaking my control, but you won't be after this."  His fingers on your head turned ice-cold.  You felt your thoughts fragmenting once again, but this time they didn't just get blurry.  You made a small noise as you felt your mind fracture and collapse, until the only thing in the world that felt real was the sensation of Tad's hand on your head.

"It's possible I went too far," you heard him muse, as if from a great distance.  "Oh well, I always did have a habit of breaking my toys."

You opened your mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was a tiny sob.  You felt him pat your head reassuringly.  You started to wonder why this was happening, but the thought slipped away before it could form.

The man pulled you to your feet.  You stood uncertainly, incapable of remembering where or even who you were.  He wrapped his other arm around you and hugged you tightly.  You leaned your head into his chest.  You didn't quite know who he was, but he was the only solid and stable thing in your world.

"There, there," he murmured. "I'll take care of you, don't you worry."

You smiled a little.  If this person was here, maybe everything would be okay after all.