Chapter Text
The crackling voice from the phone made Kris shiver, but not so much so as the cold, rainy night air against their skin. With the Soul still held fast inside the birdcage, the chill easily penetrated the gaping void in Kris’s chest. As much as Kris wanted to follow Susie out to wherever she was going, whether it be Castle Town, or wherever else, Kris’s Promise, coupled with the unbearable cold spearing right through to their heart, made Kris decide against it.
It was around that time, in the wee hours, that the Soul’s influence seemed to diminish, like it had last night at the Shelter door. A time when it was safe to return the red Soul to its proper place in Kris’s body. It didn’t even move when the rusty cage was opened.
Shoving the crimson heart back into their body was no easier than it was the first time. Like forcing a red-hot iron into an open wound. And Kris had no sooner collapsed into bed… not even bothering to get under the blankets. The exhaustion from going soulless that day, the multiple dark worlds, and the battle against a Titan, all combined, caught up to Kris, and they fell into the depths of sleep in no time at all.
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“Can anyone hear me? Help…”
“I can’t see anything… it’s dark… so dark…”
“I don’t know where I am…”
“I want to cry…”
“. . . B u t I h a v e n o e y e s . . .”
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The sun only barely peeked over the horizon, its yellow rays held back by the remaining rainclouds, casting blue light in through Kris’s window… but that’s not what woke them.
“It’s a beautiful day outside.” An unwelcome voice said, standing defiantly at Kris’s window. “Birds are singing, flowers are blooming…” Seeing Sans invade the one place they had left irked Kris beyond belief… a rage that the Soul was quick to capitalize on.
“On days like this… guys like you…” Kris began… “...should be burning in hell.” And a frigid gale erupted from below, and Sans backed up, seeing Kris’s eyes, only briefly unveiled, and now seemingly glowing like crimson flames.
“Uhh… hey, if this is about last night…” Sans began. “Yeah, I get it. We could have been quieter. Your friend gave us quite the earful abou-”
“Leave.” Kris sat up. “If you don’t… you’re gonna have a bad time.”
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Sans was long gone, having wisely taken the nearest shortcut out of the Dreemurr Residence.
But Kris, getting out of bed, would soon come to regret their brief alignment with the red Soul. The strings, the ones only Kris could see, seemed to bind their wrists and ankles even more tightly than ever. Just as yesterday and days before, the Soul made Kris march all across the room, examining every little thing.
{You see the morning sun shining through a raincloud.}
{Nothing new in your dresser. As usual.}
{Your bed. The Susie Prize glitters unashamedly atop the bare shelf.}
{The stain may be gone. But the memory is still there. Did you really wash it all away?}
{A rusty birdcage. One of the hinges is missing a screw. It won’t hold forever.}
{No money left… at least it was good for something.}
{Your brother’s bed. No one else’s.}
{The computer is turned off. Everything felt peaceful for a moment.}
Out the door… and into the hall. As expected, the Soul took Kris’s body on a detour towards the mirror. From outside the Master Bedroom door, Toriel could be heard as full-on Snoriel, as she slept like a log from last night’s revelry. But soon, the teenage human stood in front of the mirror, staring into their reflection.
{Is it really you?}
Thankfully, the Soul had had enough of these distractions, and moved on down the stairs. But as soon as Kris stood in the kitchen… the Soul stopped moving their body. For… an uncomfortably long time. Kris glanced back and forth, wondering why their Soul had stopped issuing orders.
“Well?” Kris muttered… before realizing that their body suddenly felt loose. Kris could suddenly move more freely, despite the Soul still being in their body! They didn’t understand why, but were at least thankful for this respite, and had no sooner gone directly for the fridge. The Soul never seemed to do a good job of keeping Kris fed, and they weren’t about to spend another day on an empty stomach.
Little did Kris know, that their ensuing breakfast feast was what the Soul intended on the whole time. But, at least that ketchup bottle was gone.