Drake in Wonderland - Haunted AU

✧ Chapter 21 ✧

    There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. Drake made sure not to make any sudden movements as he rose from the ground. The air was thick enough with tension it could have been cut with a knife. The two look-alikes said nothing to each other as if they were telepathically communicating. Drake kept his shoulders relaxed and his composure calm; he didn't want his doppelganger to run away, he wanted to help him. Drake wasn't a professional, but he knew it would be the first step.

    "Hey," Drake said quietly. "Are you okay?"

    His doppelganger nodded slowly. "... are you?" he responded, he lowered his head. Drake smiled warmly and nodded. "Sorry about accusing you..."

    "No, it's okay." Drake could still clearly see the glimmer of distrust in his carbon copy's eyes. He didn't mind, he did understand it was hard to trust people when everything seemed to be against you. The sound of stamping feet behind them caused Drake to turn to his other self and beckon him to run with him. He reluctantly agreed though he kept his distance. A shout from behind gave enough courage for them to run faster.

    Both Drakes had a flash of deja vu when they tripped over piles of dirt and fell down a hole. It was much smaller, and they hit the bottom faster, but it turned into a slide. Drake clawed at the side to hold on and his doppelganger wasn't having any more luck at grabbing the dirt. The slide ended and they both rolled on their backs, bodies covered in filth and mud. Drake looked at his other self and sighed. "Are you hurt at all?" For a second, his other self said nothing, lost in thought. There was a grimace on his face for a fraction of a moment, but he still shook his head. Drake confirmed his thoughts of being lied to when he saw fresh red blood seeping through the cuffs of his doppelganger's shirt sleeves. "You're hurt. Come here, I'll wrap it up for you." Crawling over to him, the carbon copy seemed to shrink in size as he pulled his shoulders closer and lowered his head. Drake tore off a piece of clean cloth and gently rolled the cuffs up the arms, examining the wounds. They were little lines of blood, seemingly injuries that were made a while ago but had reopened. The image of the little boy in Drake's subconsciousness came back and Drake's eyes widened. He said nothing, however. Gently tying the fabric around the wrists, Drake made sure to wipe away any of the dirt found. "We'll get it properly cleaned and bandaged soon. Try not to scratch your wrists, okay?"

    Again, the doppelganger said nothing but slowly nodded. Drake observed the area; the cave was oddly lit by glowing crystals within the walls. Drake found them eerie but beautiful.

    They began walking side by side through the tunnel they landed in, silent until Drake decided to ask what his other self liked to do in his free time. Though it was a decent question to start with, Drake mentally kicked himself from avoiding the problem at hand.

    For a second, his other self said nothing, but slowly and surely, a smile crept on his face, like the kindling of a warm campfire flame. Soon it led to a soft giggle and a soft reply. "I like puzzles. And riddles. And books too," he said in almost a childish voice.

    "So you like reading then?"

    "Mhm! Even though I can't understand a lot of it... sometimes it's hard to think straight."

    "That's okay, I sometimes have a hard time thinking too."

    They softly chatted about themselves for a while. Drake's look-alike seemed to be getting more comfortable with himself around, happily sharing what he loves and doesn't like. It was nice for Drake to see his terrified double to relax a little.

    "Y'know... you're really nice..." the doppelganger mumbled quietly. "I don't want to hurt you."

    "I don't want to hurt you either."