Please don't kill me. It's a crappy gift. I'll be working hard on my next ones so...!

***

Takes place after The Adventure of Shika and Momo (it's in Ali's book)

***

Momo had trouble sleeping that night. Everywhere he looked, he saw the sickening color of blood tainting the walls, sheets, even his hands. Shika's mental breakdown destroyed a part of him and the guilt worsened when he realized it was all his fault.

I hurt her. She hates me. Shi-chan hates me. Shi-chan's going to leave. She's going to tell me to go away. It's all my fault. My fault...I don't know what to do...I'd rather die than be hated by her. Please no...

His self loathing continued until the lights went off and the dorm room assumed a rather eerie color palette. The white glow that tinted the shadows has whittled away to nothing, and the blackness seemed to caress them both, Shika and Momo, coaxing them both to dream, drowning in sins nobody should ever have committed.

The illusions Momo created to heal his reopened wounds had become more sinister. They stabbed at him, and dug metal hooks into his skin; he bled. He bled rivers of blood as tears flowed from his eyes, screaming for redemption, forgiveness. Lamentations and pleas that would never be heard, only to be heeded by a monster, an apparition, similar to him.

The pain diminished and left a throbbing sensation in his mind. Then darkness caved in and swallowed him whole. He reappeared in the basement. His mother's bleeding body laid. Her hand still moving, reaching to him. Her head was bashed in and her eyes clawed out. A knife had been embedded in her heart. Surprisingly, no blood crept out, except for the pink droplets seeping out of her empty sockets. Her mouth was moving, but her words were incomprehensible. Then he noticed why. Her teeth were slowly rotting and some were already falling out. They clattered to the floor and Momo stared horrified at the remains of his mother.

"Why are you the one alive?"

I—

"Why did you leave me to die?"

Mother, I—

"I thought we were going to escape together."

But—

"Why did you leave me?"

I-I—...

I'm sorry

A dark figure appeared and slashed at her neck. Her rolled on the floor, a trail of pink dripping on the floor as the decapitated body collapsed. Her hand twitched, then his mother's body crumbled to sand and blew away as the rumble of a man's roar emanated through the sound proof room. Then the figure threw back his arm and lashed at Momo, pink clouded his vision before he finally blacked out.

Darkness.

It tightened its grip Momo. Whispered sweet lies. Deconstructing his entire being then reforming him again into a darker and a more twisted existence. It laughed and chided him. Broken. A puppet. A doll.

A light entered his periphery and he turned his head and squinted as the darkness slowly vanished, vanquished by that blinding radiance.

***

Shika awoke to Momo mumbles, disjointed. She pulled aside her covers and crept up silently to his bed. She watched him worriedly and sat at the foot of the bed where his feet weren't traced by the folds of the blanket. She covered herself with a sheet, still listening for anything wrong.

***

Momo saw himself. Different. Changed. More confident and weary. He touched the mirror and watched it reflect his motion.

"Who are you?"

The reflection answered back, startling Momo. He pulled his hand away but his mirror image still had his hand touching the transparent glass.

"It depends on who you ask."

The reflection blinked and clear, electric, blue eyes shined through them. Instantly, the atmosphere changed to a slightly cheerful degree. "Ehehehee! You're so mean, Momo-chan! Leaving Shika to suffer like that." He put on a pouty face. "Grooosssss! If I were you, I would've cheered her up. Cheer!"

Momo stepped back, horrified. The wound hurt more when he realized that his reflection was right.

Momo closed his eyes and opened them again and saw something else. It was a shadow of him. Dark and wicked. Where the eyes were, it glowed a sickening red. It lightened and he found himself looking at another version of himself. Except...more scarier...colder...refined.

He grinned and pointed at him. Or something behind him. Then he craned his neck to view as he saw someone behind him. Its burly fingers clamped themselves around Momo's throat. He gasped for air as he struggled in his father's grip. There was a dagger stuck in his chest and his body was half rotting. It shook him and banged him on the walls, only to let him go when his eyes stared to roll up into his head. It disappeared, the only thing left was the weapon that had ended his sinful life. It clattered to the floor.

The setting crumpled to the floor and disappeared into a vortex of nothing. Am eternal darkness that ate anything. Good or evil, it didn't matter. Momo shivered. Then his body stopped moving.

Huh?

He tried to lift a finger and turn his head but he couldn't. He watched his limbs harden into wood. He let out a piercing shriek as his pinkie fingers were amputated, there was only stumps left, red flesh still fresh and open. It oozed blood and Momo started to cry. He saw a silver string protrude from each of his fingers, shoulders, knees, heels, even his elbows. His head lolled back as his eyes trailed the gray lines to brown wood. The strings that attached to his limbs were connected to the plank. It jolted, and his body moved against his will.

In the suspending darkness, he found a larger version of himself holding the wooden controller, looming over him. Fear spiked through his body and it stiffened his joints. The glowing red eyes, staring down at him in a condescending manner. He was laughing as he pulled on the strings and Momo's limbs jerked and twisted in ways they shouldn't have been. Pain lanced through his arms and legs as he coughed in air.

"You're my puppet, you can't do anything without me...you're mine...after all, we're of the same person."

No. I'm Momo. I'm not anyone's but Shi-chan's...and how?

"You're a broken, twisted doll. What good are you? Just let me take control. I'll make sure not to hurt her."

Stop! Why are you always tormenting me?! Always telling me what to do! Making me do things I don't want to do!

"She'll throw you away! I'm the only one there for you! So don't struggle, let me use you until you're spent and lifeless."

I'm sorry. I can't let you—

"Ahahahahaa...GAHHAHAHAHAAAA..!!! Fine, resist while you can, I'll take all that you love and break them! I'll be waiting. Ahahahahahahaa!"

A giant hand grabbed Momo, it's slender fingers curving around Momo's figure and tightened its hold on him until his limbs broke. Momo screamed.

"Scream and lurch in pain, murderer."

The hand released him and Momo fell into the void...

Ah...I'm going to be devoured—I wanted to be with Shi-chan more...

***

Shika's eye lids lifted and she sat up. She saw Momo gasping for air and he was convulsing. Immediately, she took ahold of his shoulders and shook him, frantically calling his name.

Momo!

***

Momo saw a warm light enter his vision. It drove the darkness away and enveloped him with a sisterly love. He reached towards the blinding light; his hand created a shadow that fell on his eyes and shielded them from the angel's gaze. He watched, amazed, when the darkness receded into nothingness, although it still lingered, a tiny bit, in the empty recesses of his heart.

Then he broke free.

***

Shika wrapped her arms around Momo's frail body, and Momo hugged her. They both cried, especially Momo. Gladness filled him when he realized that there was still someone there for him to live for and with. They continued like this for a few minutes. Then Shika got up to get a pillow and pushed Momo's further left so she had room to put hers. She lifted the covers and they shuffled themselves into it and held hands.

And for once...they had a peaceful sleep.

***

This addresses everyone's doubts and worries. Especially since everyone's scrounging for the mm and life.

IT'S CRUDDY

I KNOW

It's why I'll be taking three drawing requests when I have time...since I'm in two art contests so ;;-;; and I'm doing community service all the time