He's...not sure where everything is now. The campfire is gone. Ren is gone. He's alone with only darkness and his thoughts.
And then that other darkness comes. It doesn't come from nowhere but boils in his stomach like acid. It burns as it claws its way out of the Batter's throat and spills past his lips. Black and oozing like tar, like an impurity he couldn't fix because nothing could fix him or Hugo or anything beyond what he offered.
There was only one truth. Even without the Batter, something else would have had to kill Hugo.
Only choice. Only one. Only you.
He can't stop the flow even if the Batter slaps a hand against his mouth. Nothing to stem the tide as he retches, darkness and nothingness spilling out from his mouth and it takes the form of teeth, eyes and hair. White hair like he remembers of the Queen and pretty purples eyes of the girl that once stood before him and smiled and he wants to tear everything to pieces. The Batter can see the inside of his own throat and how it was being rubbed raw from words unsaid and said and answered and not answered.
Please help me, said a child.
Please help me, screamed the world.
And the eyes stare at him with that innocent question and the teeth are his - his or the monster that is him and what are you thinking?! - but he has an answer to stop the flow and tears at his throat and stomach until they burst like fresh fruit and spill his guts and that darkness all over the floor.
The monster thinks it's laughing. The man thinks he's crying. They don't know what's going on. All they know is pain.
Buried under all of those voices screaming for help was another: It. Him. You.
But it couldn't say 'me'. It couldn't say "Help me." It has no voice, you see.
All it can do is see because it knows those pretty purple eyes have erupted onto its skin. Because when you look at it, you stare back at yourself. You don't see it. Telling her to look at it was pointless because that was asking someone to find something within a blank doll.
No it, no him, no you.
"You can't help me ████."
It dug this hole, it set up the nooses for everyone and then walk to its own. Its digging its claws into its arms because that is grounding, it's fine. The eyes are going away. The eyes are being gouged out. And all of this is in the Batter's head, once again.
It's fine. Help me. I'm fine. Please God, help me! The Batter stumbles to his feet as reality slowing begins to come back and takes one shaking step backwards.
And then another.
And one more before he suddenly bolts. Sorry Ren, but that's not something he's going to answer. Not now, not ever.]
cw for body horror, dissociation and disturbing thoughts
Warps.
He's...not sure where everything is now. The campfire is gone. Ren is gone. He's alone with only darkness and his thoughts.
And then that other darkness comes. It doesn't come from nowhere but boils in his stomach like acid. It burns as it claws its way out of the Batter's throat and spills past his lips. Black and oozing like tar, like an impurity he couldn't fix because nothing could fix him or Hugo or anything beyond what he offered.
There was only one truth. Even without the Batter, something else would have had to kill Hugo.
Only choice. Only one. Only you.
He can't stop the flow even if the Batter slaps a hand against his mouth. Nothing to stem the tide as he retches, darkness and nothingness spilling out from his mouth and it takes the form of teeth, eyes and hair. White hair like he remembers of the Queen and pretty purples eyes of the girl that once stood before him and smiled and he wants to tear everything to pieces. The Batter can see the inside of his own throat and how it was being rubbed raw from words unsaid and said and answered and not answered.
Please help me, said a child.
Please help me, screamed the world.
And the eyes stare at him with that innocent question and the teeth are his - his or the monster that is him and what are you thinking?! - but he has an answer to stop the flow and tears at his throat and stomach until they burst like fresh fruit and spill his guts and that darkness all over the floor.
The monster thinks it's laughing. The man thinks he's crying. They don't know what's going on. All they know is pain.
Buried under all of those voices screaming for help was another: It. Him. You.
But it couldn't say 'me'. It couldn't say "Help me." It has no voice, you see.
All it can do is see because it knows those pretty purple eyes have erupted onto its skin. Because when you look at it, you stare back at yourself. You don't see it. Telling her to look at it was pointless because that was asking someone to find something within a blank doll.
No it, no him, no you.
"You can't help me ████."
It dug this hole, it set up the nooses for everyone and then walk to its own. Its digging its claws into its arms because that is grounding, it's fine. The eyes are going away. The eyes are being gouged out. And all of this is in the Batter's head, once again.
It's fine.
Help me.
I'm fine.
Please God, help me!
The Batter stumbles to his feet as reality slowing begins to come back and takes one shaking step backwards.
And then another.
And one more before he suddenly bolts. Sorry Ren, but that's not something he's going to answer. Not now, not ever.]