Chapter Text
A black noise filled the space around her, preventing her from even hearing her own frantic heartbeat. Her vision blurred as tears welled up with overwhelming force. Her body refused to obey, trembling nonstop as her consciousness slowly faded, leaving only the overwhelming emotions.
Don't worry...
Someone's painfully familiar voice spoke words so softly that it dared to drown out the black crackling noise. Now, all that was heard in her head was the noise and a gentle, caring voice.
Everything will be alright...
Tears rolled in a new, enormous wave, showing no signs of stopping. Her hands rubbed her face with pressure, trying to shake the water off. The warm, gentle touch of someone else's fingertips plunged her into an even deeper trance. Whatever happens...
Promise me we'll always be there...
One hand rested on my shoulder, gently stroking it, trying to soothe it, while the other continued to painstakingly wipe away the tears, tenderly touching my cheek with velvety yet masculine fingers.
Promise me...
Click. And all the sounds that had previously barely reached my ears suddenly faded, emptying my thoughts and mind.
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*0*
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Welcome to the white space. You've been here for as long as you can remember.
No images of reality surface in your memory. What am I talking about? This is my reality.
A soft white light enveloped the entire space, wherever my eyes looked. It wasn't irritating, but rather calming. A small light bulb hanging from somewhere above also flickered faintly, but didn't emit any light. It simply filled the space with its presence. In the corner of the marked square, a cute black kitten lay curled up, purring to itself. Sometimes, its little snores resembled a song, as if it were trying to sing it in its own, cat-like way. In another corner lay a box of sweets of various shapes to soothe my sorrows. On the other side lay a phone. Inside, you could find notes about the days passing here:
??? Day "Today everything was fine"
??? Day "Today I spent the day in a white space, everything was fine."
??? Day "I met up with friends and we took a little walk. Everything was fine."
There was nothing else there. And there wasn't any need. And finally, on the floor, there was a notebook with a heart on it, filled with a multitude of scribbles that I probably wouldn't show anyone.
My eyes were fixed on the motionless, gray-glowing lightbulb. The body lay relaxed on the absolutely white surface, not even intending to move. The only thing that showed any activity in this person lying on the floor was the chest, which rose and fell slightly as it took in air, repeating the same movements over and over.
Suddenly, a deafening noise echoes across the white expanse, as if someone were moving enormous mountains nearby. Just as it began, the rumble suddenly subsides, followed by the sound of something small and iron hitting the ground. I raise my head and then sit up, intrigued by this sudden event in such a quiet corner of the world. In the distance, something glitters in the white light. I rise to my feet and walk toward the glitter. I'm very curious as to what could have fallen from the empty white ceiling, which doesn't even reveal the sky. As I get closer, the object gradually becomes clearer and more distinct. It's a small garden sickle. What is it doing here? Or better yet, how and why did it fall here? The questions are left behind, since no one can give me answers. Well, unless Myavka tries. But that's unlikely. Having hidden the rather sharp object I'd found in my pockets, I returned to my spot marked with a black line. Before I could even sit back down to meditate under the lightbulb, my gaze fell on the door. A white, unremarkable door, devoid of any patterns or markings. But at the same time, it was special. Or rather, what lay on the other side of the door was. I walked over to it, carefully placing my hand on the handle. The handle yielded easily to my movements, and with a single turn, the door opened. For a moment, I stopped watching the glowing glass as a new, colorful world appeared before my eyes beyond the newly opened door.
And the first thing I noticed was the quarrel between the two occupants of the brightly colored room.
"Just tell me where you hid it! Please, you know how important it is!" - I heard the slightly worried and desperate voice of a young man with a rather bizarre appearance, slightly childish. In response to his command, a clear and confident voice of a girl, no more than twelve years old, is heard.
"Sorry, Basil, but it's your own fault – you need to take proper photos!" - She says, sounding offended, bluntly addressing the problem.
A boy stands behind them, slightly taller than the two men, clearly trying to break things up. But frankly, he's not doing a very good job.
"Oh, come on. Aubrey, just tell me where the album is. And don't despair so quickly, Basil. Even if our interrogation doesn't help, we'll find it together later," - he says, looking at his friend's triumphant face and his friend's downcast mood.
The hooligan's gaze darts to me, who's arrived during the argument, and with light movements of his feet, he closes the distance between us in a matter of seconds, feeling even more resilient.
"Hikki! You're finally here!" - She immediately grabs me in her arms, clearly trying to distract herself from the argument she's created. "We've been waiting for you." A girl slightly shorter than me, dressed in a light sky-blue nightgown with a soft pink bow on her bright purple-violet hair. She snuggled even closer as two boys approached our embrace.
"Hikki! Please help! Aubrey hid our scrapbook and drawings and won't give them back!" - the boy protested. Basil was easy to recognize—his appearance was slightly different, but his personality was kind and gentle, like flowers. His blue hair, soft blue overalls, and mint-colored T-shirt, as well as a wreath of lilac and purple flowers, added a touching touch to his appearance. However, now his sweet appearance was overshadowed by despair.
"Hey, she doesn't have to help! Just take another photo!"
"I will, but only when we find the album!"
"No! You keep that photo and just stick the new one somewhere off to the side!"
"It's such a beautiful landscape! Of course I'll keep it! And besides, it's a memory of a moment..." - His voice trailed off suspiciously under Aubrey's angry gaze.
"A landscape!? Aren't I supposed to be beautiful there?"
"You turned out well too! You just don't want to accept it!"
"You can only watch and listen to three things forever: the fire burning, the water flowing, and how every minute a new excuse is found to burn or keep the photo, never quite deciding."
A short, inviting tap on the elbow draws my attention to another friend who has decided to leave the enraged "Chihuahuas" and talk to me.
"Hi, Hikki. - Sorry, I couldn't calm them down before you got here. So... Could you help me find the album? They won't calm down." The voice, despite the situation, was cheerful and upbeat. Kel, a boy slightly shorter than me, wore a checkered T-shirt of various colors and eggplant-colored shorts. His hair was the same purple-violet and clearly a little tousled.
Getting an approving nod from me, he ran off, determinedly and persistently beginning to search the room. I looked around to see where the best place to start searching would be.
The purple sky was strewn with stars and constellations, reminiscent of planets, rockets, and UFOs. I approached the malfunctioning pink TV in the corner. I lifted it, revealing a rabbit hole underneath. Who knew about that? The table across the room was also empty, save for a messy strew of ring-shaped cereal. The blue-leafed tree was also empty. On the counter sat a blender, someone's forgotten gift, a toaster with burnt toast, and a cup of coffee spilled across the counter. Nothing.
In the middle of the room, the raging war over the right choice continued, but Aubrey seemed to be outvoting Basil. Kel was stuck somewhere in the corner, wrestling with a melon. A melon?
I moved closer. It was oddly shaped, and it seemed to have something sticking out of it. Pulling my newly acquired sickle from my dress pocket(?), I swung it, and the melon burst with a loud crack, leaving behind only juice and bits of debris. Next to the melon's puddle of water lay the lost album and a couple of scattered photos and notes. The album consisted of a cover and loose-leaf files, each containing notes, drawings, and photos taken by friends.
"You found it! Awesome!" - Kel exclaimed, looking at the album in my hands. Aubrey and Basil turned at the sound of my voice. Aubrey, tumbling and shoving with Basil, ran up to me and snatched the album from my hands.
"No! I'll burn it anyway..." - Aubrey muttered under her breath, laughing maliciously. She quickly flipped through the pages and snatched the photo she needed. Basil snatched it before his friend's eyes lit up with a furious fire. - "Basil!"
"I won't let you!"
A chuckle sounded from somewhere off to the side. Kel was barely holding on, lest he jump up and take the initiative in this impromptu game of tag.
Who cares, it would have gone on for a long time if the photo hadn't fallen into a cat-shaped hole near the stairs. Aubrey jumped triumphantly and laughed ominously, while Basil held back tears over such a missed shot.
"By the way!" - Basil (after a while of suffering) suddenly perked up. - "They invited us to the clearing in the house! Hero said he wanted to see the new photos. Well, at least the ones that were left." He cast a reproachful glance at Aubrey as she continued her triumphant dance.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner! I'm getting hungry!" - Kel jumped to his feet and headed for the stairs. Basil immediately followed. Aubrey, not paying attention to her friends' actions, was clearly confused and hurried to catch up.
The clearing. The little house. There was something there that sometimes makes you nervous. Something special. Something...
"Hikki? Are you coming? We can wait for you if you need to!" Aubrey shouted from the top of the stairs.
I broke free from the hypnosis of my own thoughts and headed toward my friends. Of course I'll go. I want to see what was making me nervous. To know. To feel. Maybe even touch.
(On the way, the recently sleeping serpent approached me and gave me some money, clearly being generous.)
A huge yellow cat watched us with its violet eyes, and a bright white light filled its vision.
The next second, trees with soft blue leaves and the same violet, with shimmering stars and constellations shaped like various objects, appeared before my eyes. I looked back. Kel emerged from a tree stump, bouncing cheerfully. Then Basil, clutching a sketchbook under his arm. And then Aubrey. Together, we headed south. Aubrey occasionally reminded Basil of her victory in the argument, causing him to pout slightly, though his smile grew increasingly irritated with each passing moment. Kel hummed a familiar melody, but I couldn't continue it, and watched the new squabbles of his friends walking nearby.
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Finally, we reached the landing. Familiar faces appeared all around, running, climbing, generally minding their own business.
Kel's eyes lit up when he finally found the coveted figures sitting in the treehouse, peering out the window.
"Hero! Sunny!" A ringing voice echoed across the landing, after which the owner of the words began waving the named.
Sunny? Sunny. There it is.
Kel waved his arms vigorously as he ran toward the ladder. The others tried to keep up with their active friend. Emerging from my lost thoughts, I headed for the tree. It was high up. Wasn't he scared? Didn't he fall while climbing it?
Climbing a small rope ladder, I was greeted by the large space inside the treehouse. Although you wouldn't know it from the outside. The soft green wallpaper blended perfectly with the interior. Although next to the gray things, it still looked abstract. The friends sat down on the beanbags, already deep in conversation.
"Hi, Hikki." Noticing the voice, I recognized Hero's face. He was wearing the same white shirt and light blue pajama bottoms, paired with dark purple hair. I sat down next to him, and he smiled softly. "You're a bit late today, did something happen?"
"Aubrey took my album and hid it, and then she even threw away the photo of the beautiful sunset!" Basil complained, not mincing words, but a little quietly. Aubrey rolled her eyes.
"Hey, Aubrey, that's not nice of you." Aubrey held her breath dramatically.
"I looked like a wet duck in that one!"
"It was fine! Besides, you know my style of photography!" Basil said, not about to tolerate complaints about his work.
"Okay, okay. I see you have the album. I have a couple of recordings for it; Sunny and I made them while we were waiting for you.»
Sunny. I glance around and finally find him. Sunny. My sweet little brother. How could I have missed him?
He notices my gaze. He turns. His dark hair slightly obscures his eyes. A dark blue T-shirt, slightly too big, and his favorite shorts with the same blue stripes. I'd completely forgotten what he looks like. Why? I remember his hair; it always hung down to his nose with his careless bangs, just like his hands, which usually look pale, like his face. I remember him in a black suit and tie...
"Hikki?" My thoughts faded when a quiet but loving voice broke my trance. "Is everything okay?"
He's still so small. And still so shy. I nod slightly, and he smiled slightly.
The conversation turned to the album. Up until a certain point, we reread the jokes and notes from the inserts, looking at the drawings and photos, until Kel was struck by an idea.
"Look, this is our unfinished basketball game! Let's finish it!"
"No, we wanted to reread Hiro and Sunny's notes today," Aubrey objected.
"Tell me you're afraid of losing to me!" Aubrey blushed.
"No, I'm not! Let's go!" Aubrey jumped up defiantly and pointed at Kel.
"But where's the ball? I think we took it to your place," Basil explained, looking at Kel. "And we played there too—on your court."
Silence fell over the room.
"Oh. Right." Kel snapped back.
"What, Kel, have you changed your mind?" "Aubrey asked, grinning wickedly, already rubbing her hands behind her back in victory.
"What?! No!" He stood up, slamming his forehead against Aubrey's, clearly preparing for another argument. "Let's go to our place!"
"Are you sure? The mess you've created in your room isn't fit for entertaining." Hero raised an eyebrow at his brother's decisive words. Kel blushed slightly.
"In a few seconds, I'll be gone. Come on, let's go!"
Hero rolled his eyes. The conversation about the upcoming fight was interrupted by my younger brother's quiet voice.
"I'll stay here. Someone needs to watch the house."
"Are you sure? I can stay with you if you want," Basil says, already preparing to settle back down on the soft beanbag at the table. He's right, Sunny doesn't like being alone. I don't want to leave him either.
"It's fine. I'll get some sleep, too." Basil's slightly tired expression reassures him.
Kel, practically jumping out of the house, clearly worried about the mess, nervously breaks into a run and immediately stops.
"Oh, damn!"
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