Chapter Text
Do memories ever truly leave? I mean, do you ever really forget things, or are they just buried so deep that you can no longer find them? Well, Finn Ames is questioning several things as of right now. And all of them have to do with what is real, and what is fake.
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Huffing, Finn rolled out onto the dimly lit blades of grass. The rising sun casted a golden glow across the clouds, just barely peaking above the horizon.
"Fuck..." He panted, clutching his stomach. The scar from when Carpaccio had stabbed him wasn't fully healed. The nurses did stitch it up, sure. And their knowledge in Magic Healing was beyond amazing.
But it stung without reason.
Finn had no idea as to why, simply brushing it off anytime the sensation happened. After all, jumping out of a window isn't exactly the best thing to do for his body.
"What the hell was that?!" He was one hundred percent freaking out. Good thing the window was unlocked, or else Finn would've been dead by now. The school might get onto him and Mash for leaving the water running, for sure. But Finn pushed thay aside as a worry for another time. At the moment, he was on the run from a killer entity, and that was not on his bucket list for this year.
It was early in the morning, and no one would believe him. I mean, who takes the word of the useless, younger Ames sibling? If he was anything like Rayne, it would obviously be different. Plus, no one's awake, and there were no other witnesses aside from Finn. Just great.
Where was he even gonna go? He couldn't just stay outside the whole day, skipping out on classes because of something he wasn't even sure he saw. Dot and Lance were in the dorm right across from him and Mash's, so that was a huge no. Lemon would freak out, and his roommate was a mile or two away from the school
Only other person that automatically came to Finn's mind was Carpaccio, seeing as they had survived a whole ass monster-hybrid together. And being with someone like him was more reassuring than going back to his own bedroom, where that same monster awaited.
"I mean, there's no harm in trying, I suppose..." Finn knew Carpaccio usually woke up early to work on his experiments. Orca students were always finding something to focus on, resulting in getting hardly any sleep.
And so, the long trek to the said dormitory began. Finn wasn't all too thrilled about getting his socks dirty by treading on the dampened blades of grass, but it would be worth it. Probably.
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Okay, how was this supposed to work. Finn stood outside the laboratory like some creepy ass stalker, staring at Carpaccio through the glass.
He could knock on it like a normal person, but this was turning out to be a whole lot more embarrassing than he had intended previously. He couldn't exactly break the window or something.
'It'll be fine. Just get this over with, and you can actually sleep tonight.' Finn took a deep breath, tapping on the bitterly cold barrier that separated them. Carpaccio looked up from his microscope slides, his eyes seeming to light up when he saw Finn stand there. He walked over, flipped a latch, and unlocked the window. He slid it open, gazing at Finn with his usual deadpanned look.
"What're you doing here?" Carpaccio took the smaller hand, helping him crawl into the room. Finn smiled gratefully. He clutched the sleeve of his navy blue robe, heart thudding wildly in his chest. The adrenaline from before hadn't totally wore off.
"The thing came back. I-It was impersonating Mash." He sputtered, body trembling with sheer worry. "W-what if that creature is still there when Mash arrives? Will he b-be okay?" Of course Finn was concerned about his friends more than himself.
"Yeah. Mash managed to get a hit on me during the Divine Visionary Exam. I think he can beat something like that." Carpaccio smiled. And, at first, it didn't seem weird. But then something flashed over his eyes. Gold. Finn yanked his hand away, slowly removing himself from the presence of "Carpaccio".
"You're not my friend." He said, voice wavering in between fear and strength. The poser scoffed, scowling at Finn with disdain.
"Dammit. I was so close too." It growled, pupils sharpening into fine points. Its irises faded into an interchangeable bright yellow. "I even copied his feelings for you. How did you see through it?!" The monster was confused, but for Finn, his bewilderment was even more astounding.
"What feelings?" At this, It perked up, crooked lips twisting into a cruel grin.It laughed, transforming into its original form. Skin pitch black like the night sky, frame skinny and elongated. Its fingers looked like pencils, and its boney body made all its organs evident beneath the covering. A few black strands of hair stuck to its head like yarn, swishing with each slight movement.
"You seriously didn't know?!" It continued cackling, bending over to catch its breath. "All this kid thinks about is you, Finn Ames!" How the fuck did this thing know his full name? And how long had it been stalking him? Why'd it only come out now? Was It lying about Carpaccio's emotions? Questions galore swirled into Finn's head like a whirlpool, yet he knew one thing for certain.
He had to get out of there.
Finn made a detour for the door, and flung it open. He nearly tripped, and there was a big chance that he would have. That is, if Carpaccio didn't catch him first.
"Why are you here?" He looked puzzled, brow raised and head cocked to the side. Finn grabbed his arms, pulling the taller down to his height.
"It's in there." He had no idea how Carpaccio knew exactly what he was talking about, but he did, and that saved them a lot of time. He drew his dagger out, the one he always carried no matter what.
"Show me."