Nightmare Delusion

14. Butterfly Effect

Ellice was sitting on Charlie's bed as she was given a drink of water. Charlie sat down next to her and sighed. He seemed to be dreading this moment, moving an arm around him. "Now, listen..." Charlie said, convinced Ellice won't judge him harshly. Ellice gazed at him, with all her attention. She was a little nervous, as she felt to have waited long for the truth.

"Before any of this happened, before realities were torn and rifts were created and all that... uhm..." Charlie cleared his throat, before he continued. He took his time thinking about the right words to tell "You were my girlfriend, and... you had an illness." He paused, looking to Ellice's reaction. Ellice gazed as if it took a moment to let it sink in but nods, gesturing him to continue. "You had epilepsy... and it kept getting worse, and worse." Charlie sighed, feeling somewhat sad again. "I was desperate, I was an idiot and most of all... I was selfish." He said, running a hand through his hair.

Ellice finished her water, she tugged Charlie to lay down with her on the bed, to continue hearing his story in comfort. Charlie of course didn't decline her, and laid with her. He stared at the ceiling, thinking. Ellice gazed to the window, looking out to the bright blue sky. "You passed away regardless of the many surgeries and medicines the doctors had given you. I was angry, I felt like they weren't trying their best. They probably did, to be fair." He paused for a moment, before continuing "I was angry and sad, I couldn't live my life without you. I looked for ways to undo it. All I wanted was you back. Eventually I realised Stanley had a time machine and I had the stupid idea to time travel. In the end, I don't think it would've helped, honestly, since time wasn't the issue. But... it became an issue when I didn't listen to Stanley and just went for it. I pressed this button inside and... everything went to shit." He said, sighing. "But... what about that day I woke up in a bed in this house, not knowing where I was, not knowing who you were, and just... this cruise ship holiday. Isn't that after you used the time machine?" Ellice asked, going with his story, believing every word. Charlie needed a moment to think again, before he answered her "Well, I guess time fucked up so much that it scrunched up things that happened before. This cruise ship, according to my memory, was before you passed away. It's really fucked up and... just that. Fucked up." Charlie sighed. "But, I was trying to look for you. I often found myself in places I didn't want to be, I never got close. Sometimes, I did. Like when you were locked up in this prison." Ellice looked at him, listening. "Is there a difference between me and... the version of me that died?" She dared to ask, it sounded very strange to her ears. "No. Other than her illness. Maybe you have it too, but not as severe. Who knows. It's possible." Charlie shrugged.

"But what about older Charlie? How did he know? What really happened?" Ellice couldn't help but ask her question which seemed to really pique her curiosity. "Because I began to travel in time, or well, I thought it was time, it opened up dimensions and... I guess they began to merge. At least, it's what Stanley told me. You were another version of yourself at the wrong time and place, in a version where you were also dating me, funnily enough. Though... I don't know how he figured it out? Maybe he did the same thing I did." Ellice hummed "I don't know," She said and then asked, "Wouldn't that make him a hypocrite?" Charlie shrugged, uncertain "Maybe..." He pondered.

"So you loved me so much, you looked for me in another dimension, accidentally?" Ellice asked, trying to get a clear thought. "Yea, I guess. I thought it worked out better for me, when I realised that I was in another dimension completely. Or at least, it caused a big tear in reality." Charlie agreed. "But that's Stanley's fault, right? Considering he built that device." Ellice said. Charlie couldn't help but snicker to her words "I don't think it's that. I think knew how to use it, and I didn't." He admitted. "But why didn't he go back in time to prevent you from doing it?" Ellice asked. There were so many question, but not many of them could really have any definitive answer. "I believe he let it happen for a reason." Charlie said. "Oh, of course!" Ellice gasped as she realised, "He wanted to create some strange device right? And... he said you were his motivation." Ellice said, nodding a lot. "Well, I'm glad you remember a lot that happened." Charlie couldn't help but snicker, even though it wasn't anything to snicker about.