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Midnight struck the small town ever so appropriately named “Hometown”. Being a place located deep in the heart of a forest, which stretched for at least hundreds of acres, nobody dared to venture out to those woods at such a late hour. Nobody except the bravest and boldest of souls.
And 2 people in particular were amongst those souls:
December Holiday, or simply “Dess” as she prefers to be called; A tall, lanky reindeer-like teenager. Rather short, messy black hair with bangs that covered her left eye, dark reddish fur, blue nose, blue antlers to accompany. She was sporting a red flannel hoodie and a black shirt underneath, containing the graphic for an underground punk band that no one has ever heard of.
And Kris Dreemurr, a small human child, MUCH younger than the deer accompanying them. Features that aren’t anything noteworthy except the dark brown, shoulder-length hair with bangs that covered their eyes entirely. One could figure they were completely blind sporting a hairstyle like that.
Wearing nothing but their usual green and yellow striped sweater, brown baggy pants and that red horn headband that they loved so so much, Kris was tagging along with Dess deep into the woods in an attempt to seem like one of the “cooler big kids” in the eyes of the older figure.
Or rather, Dess peer pressured them into coming along.
Since their older brother Asriel was out of town, taking tours of some of the possible colleges he’d be attending in a few years, something about “wanting to plan ahead for the future” or something like that, Dess had nobody else to “hang out” with at that moment.
Then she saw Kris. And then she had a terrible idea.
Sneaking them out of the house while their mother and father were asleep, Dess told Kris to come to the shelter with her. That if they did this with her, “You’d be the coolest kid I’ve ever known.”
And how could Kris ever pass up something like that?
With nothing but a flashlight to accompany the two, Dess held Kris by the hand as she dragged them along through the dark, threatening woods towards their destination. Whereas the child was trying to put on a brave face, but in the back of their head was slowly having second thoughts about all this.
But they can’t back out now.
They have to be brave, just for this one night. They have to be cool for Dess.
Not much words were exchanged during their walk. When Kris looked up, all they saw was Dess looking ahead. They couldn’t see her face. She never even took a moment to look back and see if they were okay. She just held their hand, and kept dragging them along.
And eventually, that silence was broken as they both came to a sudden halt.
“We’re here.” Dess said in a rather hushed tone.
Kris still couldn’t see her face. They began to feel even more uneasy.
They were finally putting together how off Dess was acting tonight. Usually she was the energetic tomboy who was never afraid to do anything, who would always wear her heart on her sleeves, who would always correct Kris everytime they’d pull a nasty prank on her little sister.
But tonight they were being shown a side of her that they’ve never seen before. A side of her that seemed so…afraid.
Kris could feel her hand trembling in theirs as they both faced the shelter.
The angel-forbidden shelter, the place that so many people in this town have told stories about. How dangerous it was to even be near it.
Now Kris was trembling too.
Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe they don’t want to be cool anymore. Maybe they should just turn around and run back home, maybe they should-
“Kris.”
The stream of thoughts going through Kris’s mind stopped as they heard their name. They looked up to see Dess looking back at them.
They could finally see her face.
And she had the most horrified expression they’ve ever seen on a person.
“Kris…I have to be honest here. I..took you here for a reason. It wasn’t just to be “cool” or whatever.”
Kris immediately listened closely, forgetting the stress they were feeling earlier out of concern for Dess.
“God this is..this is gonna sound so insane, but..
Kris, has it ever gotten so dark for you..? Like, so dark that you just..start seeing things? Even if you shouldn’t be?”
Kris simply shook their head. Dess sighed and continued.
“I’ve been seeing so many things at night lately. Things I thought were dreams at first but no..they’re real..they’re very much real. I saw them, I’ve heard them, FELT them. And they all lead back…here.”
She points to the bunker.
“They kept telling me, “Follow the tail, follow the tail, follow the tail.” …and now everywhere I look, there it was, that fucking tail….so tonight I wanted to follow it, and of course, it’s always back to that damn shelter..”
Tail..? Kris had not once seen a tail on their way here. And beings in the dark that she can hear and feel?? Was Dess just imagining things? Was she greening out again??
Regardless, they continued to listen.
“I guess I just..Azzy is gone right now, and..I just don’t wanna be alone for this.”
Her grip on Kris’s grip tightens.
“I have to face this shit. But I need someone to do it with me, someone brave..”
She looked at Kris again. There were tears in her eyes now. Seeing such a sight alone was making Kris tear up as well.
They’ve never seen Dess so vulnerable before.
All the things she just described, it sounded so absurd! Even for them. There was no way any of that was real. She was crazy, they thought. But she seemed genuinely so afraid, and for some reason, it CRUSHED them.
“But even then..whatever happens, I’ll try to protect you Krismas, just…just stay by my side okay? It’ll be alright. As long as we stick together, we’ll be alright…
And besides..you’ll have a very cool story to tell your friends, feheh..” Dess attempted to smile after that remark, but it quickly faltered.
Kris was now clinging against Dess, practically hugging her arm.
“I’ll be brave for you…” They whispered. Just audible enough for Dess to hear. They heard her choke down a sob before it turns into a soft chuckle.
“Hah.. thanks Kris…you really are the coolest kid..well aside from Noelle, fehehehe..”
Kris shared that momentary chuckle with her, yet still couldn’t help that the worry was continuously bubbling in the back of their mind, now once again taking front stage as they stared down the shelter.
After taking a moment to breathe, after taking a moment to collect their thoughts, they faced the shelter doors. They were ready.
“Here we go..keep holding my hand Kris, don’t let go..” Dess whispered, both taking their first steps towards those ominous doors.
Kris was admittedly really scared. But it’ll be fine, they’d tell themselves. It’s all just some insane nonsense.
Dess will see that this tail and these beings in the dark weren’t truly there, and they’ll both wind up laughing about it as they walk back home.
…Right?
Their thoughts were interrupted, as the shelter doors suddenly swung open.
…Neither of them even touched the handles.
A faint hum could be heard through the pitch black that lied before them.
Kris could only stare.
Dess could only stare.
“Oh god…” She’d whisper. “N-no, no I..th-this was a mistake..” Dess stepped back, holding Kris close to her. Regret washed over the deer in an instant.
“Kris I, I’m so sorry..I’m so so sorry..”
The shadow began to move.
And in the distance, deep in the shelter corridor..
A pair of eyes appeared.
“KRIS! RUN! RUN AWAY KRIS RUN AWAY-“
And then, all of a sudden, both Kris, and Dess’s vision faded to black.
____________________
A day had already passed, both the Dreemurr and Holiday families gathered together at the Dreemurr residence to try and piece together where their children could have gone.
Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr, along with Rudy and Carol Holiday, have already made their reports to the police, an investigation to take place today.
Noelle, the youngest sister of the Holidays, was sobbing uncontrollably, extremely worried that her big sister might be lost for good.
Asriel was there too. The moment he heard his mom crying on the phone that Kris was missing, he immediately ditched all plans and made a beeline straight back home.
Needless to say, it was a messy situation they’re all in.
“So what are we going to do?” Toriel asks with distraught in her voice.
“There’s not much we CAN do, best we can do is let Officer Undyne take it from here.” Rudy replies, then continues:
“They couldn’t have gotten far either, if they’re not in this town then they’d absolutely be in the woods.”
“The woods…oh no..you don’t think they’ve gone to the shelter do you?” Asgore said with a hint of panic in his voice.
“What does that have to do with anything..?” Toriel turns to Asgore, a slight look on her face of an emotion that was rather unreadable, but definitely not positive.
“Well, I’ve just heard stories about how bad things happened to people who go towards there and-“
“Asgore, this is not the time for these stories, our children are missing for angel’s sake.” Carol interrupted, with a silent, cold rage that would send shivers down even the toughest of spines.
“But it could be a possibility! I don’t know where else they could’ve possibly gone..”
The banter between the adults eventually devolved into arguing, Noelle watching helplessly as Rudy tries to comfort her.
And Asriel..
“I can’t stand this. I’m going out.”
“Huh??” Toriel suddenly stopped. “W-wait, son, you ca-“
“Kris and Dess are out there somewhere. I can’t just stand here and do nothing..”
He said with clenched fists. He felt this whole thing happened because he left town. A wave of guilt constantly washing over him as he thought about how maybe, just maybe, Kris would still be here if he just stayed. Those horrid thoughts and more consumed him as he walked towards the door. “I’m going.”
But before he could even reach for the knob, the door swung open from the outside. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the figure that stood at the doorframe.
All parties only stood there, shocked at the sight that laid before them; A tall, lanky reindeer-like teenager. Rather short, messy black hair with bangs that covered her left eye, dark reddish fur, blue nose, blue antlers to accompany. She was sporting a red flannel hoodie and a black shirt underneath, containing the graphic for an underground punk band that no one has ever heard of.
“Dess!!!” Noelle shouted, breaking free of her father’s hold and ran towards the older sister, hugging her leg letting out silent sobs into her pants. “I-I’ve missed you, I was so worried..”
“December.” Carol walked up to her, that cold air intensifying as the eldest deer drew nearer, but Dess didn’t react. “Where were you? Do you have any idea the scare you and Kris gave everyone?”
But there was no reply from Dess, no retaliation, all she could do was look ahead, eyes widened, a look of pure anguish on her face.
“Kiddo? Is everything okay?” Rudy took notice of Dess’s despondence, and everyone’s minds slowly began to take notice that something…or someone was still missing. Immediately catching his attention, Asriel looked around her, looking for a semblance, a figment of his younger sibling.
“…Dess…” He began. A lump formed in Dess’s throat.
“…Where’s Kris?”
For a few moments, Dess stayed still. Silent, mouth trembling as if trying to say something, but the words couldn’t come out.
“Dess. What happened with my child? Why did you take them out at night?” Toriel confronted the deer, a hint of anger in her voice as she demanded answers.
“Dess….?” Noelle looked up at Dess, now solely concerned both for her and Kris, not having registered yet that it was the human who wasn’t coming home.
And finally, Dess spoke, in a voice so hushed, so broken beyond repair.
“I…..I tried to…it….it all h-happened s-so fast, I..I just wanted..someone to..I…”
Asriel’s eyes widened as he finally put two and two together. He lunged at Dess and grabbed her by the collar, a look of desperation and anger filling his vocals. “What are you talking about?! Dess where ARE THEY?! WHERE THE HELL IS KRIS!?!”
After another moment of silence, Dess tried opening her mouth once more to speak…only to break down into silent sobs, letting all her tears roll freely down her face. Asriel can only watch as the older doe cried and cried and cried.
“I’m sorry….I’m so sorry…it’s all my fault it’s all my fault and I’m so sorry I’m so fucking sorry, I….I’m sorry….”
“You’re lying…” Asriel began trembling. “You’re lying, you’re lying to me….you…you……”
It didn’t take long for him to break down into sobs as well.
And so all the two families could do was stare in horror as the gravity of the situation finally weighed in.
Something happened. Something happened to Kris.
And it was all her fault.
It was all her fault.
It was all her fault.
It was all her fault.
_____________________
…
……….
………………..
YOU…..
YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO TAKE HER..NOT THEM.
SO WHY?
DON’T FRET YOURSELF DOC. IVE ONLY DONE THIS IN THE NAME OF CURIOSITY.
WE’VE DONE THAT SAME SONG AND DANCE DOZENS UPON DOZENS OF TIMES, AREN’T YOU CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? IF THINGS WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT?
NO.
THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT FOR THIS EXPERIMENT, CAT. REPETITION. THAT IS THE TRUE INTENT OF THE PROPHECY.
AND YOU. YOU HAVE SINGLEHANDEDLY BROKEN THE PROPHECY.
YOU CAN ALWAYS START AGAIN! YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD DO YOU NOT?
AND BESIDES, YOU LOVE EXPERIMENTS BECAUSE OF THE THRILL OF CURIOSITY, YOU TOLD ME THAT YOURSELF.
..THAT I DID.
SO WHAT COULD BE THE HARM IN BRANCHING OUT A BIT, OUT OF THIS COMFORT ZONE? JUST THIS ONCE DOCTOR?
…
…..
EVEN THEN, THAT WAS OUR CAGE.
AND NOW, THEY ARE STUCK HERE WITH US.
HOW WILL THE ANGEL INTERACT WITH THIS WORLD NOW?
WORRY NOT, DOC! I’VE ALREADY A FEW CONTESTANTS IN MIND…ONE IN PARTICULAR, TRULY CATCHES MY EYE, AHEHEHE!
…I’LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.
THEY WILL BE WAKING UP SOON.
I SHOULD GO TEND TO THEM.
…
DO NOT MAKE ME REGRET THIS.
TRUST ME DOC. THIS WILL BE, HOW DO YOU SAY IT?
VERY
VERY
INTERESTING.
AHEHEHEHE!!