Chapter Text
Cold, coarse asphalt rubs against my fur before I even open my eyes. I’m in a parking lot back on earth in the thick of night with the only light being overbearing moonlight above and a sole streetlamp a distance off. It’s soulless otherwise without a single car or person around. Its only building - a cinema - stands alone with no lights turned on inside. It is plastered with stretches of white cloth where oversized posters should be.
I’m in my fur again just as if I’m truly back on Earth. The richness of cool nighttime air fills my sinuses when I breathe in. Everything is so real.
What do I do ? I wonder while getting up and heading to the lone lamp to get my bearings. A thick forest surrounds me in all directions and there’s a car I couldn’t see before. A brown one, only a few steps away, and parked improperly across parking lines. A faint radio plays from it. I approach to hear better, but its peppy country-pop song is sung in a foreign language. Which one, I’m not even sure. When I turn back, a figure stands under the light.
He’s a Riolu, one approaching his preteen years. His feet are planted and his neck is craned far up. “Hello?” I ask, but he doesn’t even blink. I wave a paw in front of him, no reaction. So instead, I look up to where he was - straight to the gorgeous, perfect moon.
Yes, my memories are returning. I’ve been here before, many times. Me and my family would watch movies at this cinema and it was always dark when we left. The moon would enchant me the entire way back to the car. My head glued against the window to admire it as we drove home. I was always curious about what’s up there, what’s in there, and what’s beyond there. My aspirations to be an astronaut were probably born because of this parking lot.
The moon meant even more to me than wonder, actually. When I was bullied or alone, I found comfort in standing under the moon. It would always console me, whether it’d be struggling with school, with moving out, or when I lost my father. It was my only friend where I’d otherwise struggle to make them. And once again it’s here for me, as it melts away the stress of my survival. I’m okay, so long as I’m looking upon its grace. I’m home.
The radio interrupts this precious time. It's louder and I think I even hear it speak my name. I’ve now just realized how much I zoned out: I didn’t even notice the Riolu kid was no longer beside me, or anywhere.
“o/` Lucario. Oh Lucario!~ o/`”. It sings over instruments and static. I walk back to the car’s dark windows. These new lyrics still play to the peppy melody.
Oh Lucario, you’re in danger /
Look around you, you’re trapped in a dream /
Don’t you see things are much stranger? /
Listen to me before it gets extreme!
I listen and look around. At the edges of the forest are shadowy monsters standing on thin, needle-like blades, looking onwards with white eyes. The lyrics continue, its pitch drifting out of tune from the song.
It’s still on the hunt for you, you must listen to me. /
Roll under the car, count down from thirty. /
Shut tight your eyes. /
And I’ll see you on the other side. /
Oh Lucario, you’re in danger. /
Oh Lucario, you’re in danger danger danger…
They walk closer, their nimble legs whiplashing around. I could make a break through their ranks before they circle me - the radio could just be another component of the trap after all. But radio voices led me astray before, and I can’t think straight.
I crawl under its rusty underside and lie on the frigid ground. I shut my eyes tight and I count down in my head. 30, 29, 28…
The radio joins in with me. “ 27, 26, 25, 24, 23…”
I hear clicking far off in the distance. Those things are approaching faster than they should be.
“18, 17, 16…”
A cacophony of clacks surrounds me on all sides, like toolboxes of screws dropping onto the ground. They thump against the car as they fight for space. A thick stench of rust comes from them.
“Do not open your eyes. 13… 12… 10…”
Needles pinch and poke my sides as they make way under the car. They slowly pierce my flesh. I let out whimpers of pain as blood trickles out.
“7… 6… I’ll see you soon…”
A rubbery cable constricts my neck out of nowhere. I gasp for breath. No air comes through.
“3… 2… 1…”