slenderverse oneshots ig

trapped

Tw for light gore and self harm

Milo had found himself once again wandering the boardwalk, his spectral form leaving no impact on the world around him. He wasn't alive, nor still a part of the Collective, but now a spirit attached to his own journal, in the possession of his cousin, Noah Maxwell. He waited until Noah was asleep and safe until he began to wander the endless stretches of the realm which laid before him.

Milo's form was translucent, still retaining injuries from when he was alive. The wounds remained open, old scars becoming fresh and oozing blood that dissipated as soon as it came in contact with the ground. At this point, the pain had become almost normal, him not knowing a moment's peace without it being present.  He didn't want Noah to see him like this. He deserved to remember him as he was alive, not a cast off shell of his former self.

Eventually, Milo stopped and sat down on the boardwalk, dangling his legs over the edge above the shifting shades of the trees and water. After what happened in the Facade house, he needed to think and clear his head.

Everything happened so fast, he had trouble comprehending  what happened. He remembered begging and screaming for Noah to not go into the door, but he understood his reasoning. Would I have done the same? Milo wondered as he adjusted his legs so that he sat cross-legged, staring into space.

Upon entering the house, he tried desperately to get Noah's attention. He yelled, screamed, pushed him, tried to throw objects, but everything he touched, he passed through. He felt racked with guilt as he watched Noah try to talk to him, crying and loosing himself bit by bit. He thought of how Noah must have felt when both of them were alive. He wanted to talk to Noah, but he also didn't want him to be hurt again. Noah didn't need him anymore. At least, that's what Milo thought.

When Milo heard Firebrand's voice through Noah's phone, Milo thought he was going to break down into tears of relief. Despite Firebrand really being his younger cousin, he looked up to him like one would look up to an older sibling or friend. Without Firebrand's guidance, he would have died a lot sooner than he did. He wished he could do something to repay him for everything, to show how much he valued him and how much he regretted isolating himself from him and Noah.

When Firebrand said Kevin's name, Milo's blood felt like it had turned to ice. Whenever he saw Observer chasing Noah, he felt like he was being torn apart, but seeing him at the Facade house and being so close to him made him feel broken. As he recalled the events, Milo gripped his arms with his nails, digging into his skin and hissing slightly as his arms burned painfully from the touch. He didn't care that he was in pain, it was what he deserved. Every time he thought of Kevin, a nauseous mixture of guilt, affection, and sorrow plagued him, making him sick to his stomach. His feelings for Kevin developing just felt like more punishment from whatever fate had in store for him. Every slip up and mistake he made in conversations with Kevin ate at him and made him feel awful. Every time he caught himself wanting to be affectionate or loving towards him, Milo quickly suppressed his feelings, trying to snuff out any romantic affections he had for his friend. He knew if he had ever even tried perusing them, it would ruin their friendship, driving them apart. He could only imagine the expression of disgust and horror on his friend's face if he confessed. He hated feeling guilty every time they interacted, be it a short conversation or of they spent time together. He didn't deserve Kevin. Not after how he dragged him into this mess due to his own selfish needs. He didn't deserve love or companionship. All he deserved was the pain and suffering inflicted upon him over the course of his existence, both dead, alive, and in limbo.

Milo remembered watching Kevin- no, Observer- hug Noah and hated the dull burning flame of jealousy inside him. He didn't want to be jealous, and he wanted Noah to be happy, but the feeling of being overlooked and unnoticed again made him wish he was in Noah's place at that moment. As he watched Noah and Kevin play video games and talk at the table, Milo longed to be a part of it, even if it was a ruse. The sight of Kevin's smile, the sound of his laughter- it was enough to give Milo the tiniest bit of comfort. Even if it wasn't really Kevin and it was just Observer masquerading as him, Milo just wanted to feel the embrace and care of someone he loved one last time.

He remembered following Noah as they tried to escape from the house, being persued by Observer. So much was happening, he couldn't handle it. All of the noise, the sights, the emotions- it just made Milo want to retreat into himself and disappear. He didn't have long to dwell though, as Noah and him made a rush for the exit, Observer not far behind them. Noah kicked Observer in the face trying to escape, but Milo was still compelled to help him. As they made it to the door, he saw Kevin, not Observer, stumble to the door, begging Noah to kill him. Milo attempted to reach out and grasp his hand, but before he could, Noah had shut the door and severed it. Milo was stunned. He was just glad Noah couldn't see him during that moment, or it would have made the situation much worse for both of them. He couldn't imagine what Noah would have done if he saw him there, on his knees and still reaching for Kevin's hand.

Afterwards, he checked if Noah was ok and reassured him that he didn't blame him. Noah was now even more motivated to find his way out of the Collective realm, which made Milo relieved. They had walked for a while until Noah understandably grew tired and needed to rest. Milo let him sleep, assuring him that he wouldn't be harmed and would be protected.

Milo now found himself pacing down the boardwalk, his arms folded as his eyes darted from side to side in case there was anything watching him. As he walked, a gleam of light comimg from the underbrush caught his eye. He knew it would probably be something like trash, but investigated anyways. He jumped down from the boardwalk and to the object, leaning down to take it. Milo had picked up and dusted off a pair of glasses. Kevin's glasses... he thought. He remembered Noah throwing them off the boardwalk after the door disappeared. Milo held them close to his chest, sighing.

"I'm going to make it up to you." He said, voice barely above a whisper. "I promise."

With that, he took the glasses and returned to where Noah was resting. He just wished he had more time to fix the wrong he had done while he was alive.