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Wahpocalypse

Ame bolts to the EN headquarter. Something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

The town has been kind of nice and lazy lately. Few reports of murder, suicide or general crime activities came through. She thought people were just being content with their lives. Being alone at home at all times gives you a sense of appreciation for other people. At least until a client left a note stating that her physically active boyfriend has been acting weird lately, never leaving his room and mellowing down to a degree she never thought was possible. It didn’t seem like a very serious problem, but private investigators are paid handsomely, and there wasn’t anything better to do.

Ame went to her house the next day. She was dumbfounded when the client answered the door cheerfully, all smiles and none of the concerned attitude that usually shows even when people tried to hide it. She apologized and said everything was fine, even offering a hefty amount of money as compensation for wasting Ame’s time. Abuse victims are often intimidated into rescinding their report, so Ame insisted to at least take a look at Mr Boyfriend to make sure everything was really fine.

She led her to the house and… everything was fine. The aforementioned boyfriend was visibly an active person with bulging muscles and veiny arms. Not to be judgemental, she imagined this kind of person would be lifting weights at a gym instead of practicing anatomy in front of a small laptop screen. It was sloppy and Ame wouldn’t even put his drawing with a magnet on the fridge, but Mr Boyfriend was ecstatic and her girlfriend supportive, even telling him he did a good job for those chicken scratches of his. She hugged him from behind and ruffled his hair. Ame started to feel she was intruding and excused herself from the premises.

Ame could have sworn she saw a pair of small purple flaps when her client ran her finger between his hair.

Yesterday, she checked the same house out of curiosity. It was within a walking distance from her office, so she figured she might as well. Peeking into some stranger’s window wasn’t the politest thing, but she had done worse for her job. The room was dim. The only light source aside from the window Ame peeked into was a small laptop, in front of which two rotund, purple creatures with slug-like undersides were busy being affectionate with each other. Ame quickly hid when one of their flaps raised in response to her hitting her forehead on the glass. She scratched it to drinking too much the previous day and headed home for the day. Still, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Or was it?

Ame wakes up the next day with an aching head. She washes her face, filled a glass with water, and goes to the balcony for a breath of fresh air. Living on the fifth floor has its perks. She likes to watch people below going about their days. Holding a glass of water in one hand and her phone in the other, she pries the balcony door open with her toes and is shocked by the sight below. Hundreds, no, thousands of pudgy, purple creatures with an angelic halo above their heads are plodding through the streets. Some of them are bigger than others, while many are holding street signs and various things ripped out from the ground. She drops her glass in surprise, alerting the creatures below to scan their surroundings with raised flaps. Thank God their bizarre constitution seems to make them unable to look upwards.

She gets into her car, not even taking her time to change from her pajamas. The destination is EN headquarter. Something is happening, and it is probably their doing. She arrived at the main street and there are already some of them standing in her way. Seeing no other choice, Ame floors the gas pedal, mowing through the horde of purple pudges without mercy. The sheer speed sends them flying with muffled groans. Some land on Ame’s windshield before falling away, leaving purple mucus on the glass. Tens of meters from EN headquarters, her car finally gives in to the portly creatures, the wheel unmoving even though the gas pedal is pushed all the way down. 

Ame jumps from her vehicle, making a final dash to the building while shoving the takos out of her way.
The door identifies her face and she jumped in, closing it as fast as she could to not let the creatures get in. It is too late, however, seeing as the windows are broken and the floor already drenched with viscous violet. Ame entered the elevator, the buttons slathered purple but still working, and presses the sixth one from the bottom. The platform starts moving, wet squicks in place of mechanical sounds. She rests her back against the wall, savouring the brief respite she has before facing whatever lies behind the door. A ‘ding’ is heard as she reaches draws her pistol from her leg holster, bracing for an attack.

The door reveals a dark room lit only by shining halos of fifteen takos bunched together, supporting a dainty girl in priestess attire who greets her as if today is just another Monday.

“Morning, Ame. Dressing pretty casual today, are we?” Ina smiled, unfazed by the gun in her pajama-clad guest’s hand.

“S-Stop this at once, Ina! Why would you do this, i thought we were friends?” Ame tries to keep her hand steady to no avail. The girl in front of her is as frail as can be, yet her instinct tells her to run away and never look back.

“Of course, we are friends, Ame.” The priestess lays down lazily on the bed of takos. “But why should I stop? They are all happy, you know.”

“They are happy?”

“Yes, all of them. The girl who sent you that request. Her abusive boyfriend. Everyone is warm and friendly here.” An orange tako with wings chirps loudly and runs past Ame to the elevator. “Especially that one. I guess she needs to take care of her KFP workers.”

“No, this isn’t right. You just turned them all into unthinking monsters!” Reaching for the nonexistent watch in her pocket, Ame takes a few steps back. Damn, of all days to forget her watch. Maybe she should run away, after all.

“Unthinking monsters? How rude. Octopodes are very smart, you know. But they won’t have to think about complicated things from now on. They need to do their reps every day!” Ina sits back up, reaching into her pocket. She pulls out a familiar watch and throws it at Ame. “Also, were you looking for that?”

Ame rewinds her watch without a second thought and everything goes dark for a moment. The familiar sensation of time being turned washes over her. She opened her eyes and stared in horror as Ina is still here, along with everything before she turned back time. Her finger turns the clock once again, her vision goes dark, yet she didn’t travel a second backwards. Ina rises from her takothrone, walking steadily to her friend as she keeps turning the gear. Every iteration Ina gets closer and closer until the priestess gets close enough to take the watch away and throws it aside, breaking it against a table somewhere.

Ame stares at her hands hopelessly. Ina takes her shaking hand, wrapping Ame’s fingers around hers. “The Ancient Ones influence transcend even time, Ame.” A tentacle brings the gun on the floor to Ina’s empty hand and she passes it onto Ame’s.

“But I understand if you think this is wrong. I used to think that way, too.” Ina makes sure Ame holds the gun firmly and puts it into her own mouth. “If you truly think I’m wrong, then shoot me. You could do as much, right, Ame?”

The detective stares at the gun in her hand, the muzzle sitting inside Ina’s mouth; the latter staring straight into her eyes. “No, please, Ina. Just stop this. I’m begging you…”

“Ah, i've read  that it’s hard to shoot someone if they are looking directly at you, human nature and all. I shall close my eyes then.” Ina closes her eyes peacefully as if waiting for a kiss. The gun in Ame’s hand trembles along with her hand. Her finger closes in on the trigger but she couldn’t find the strength to pull it. No. Please. She can’t do this. Not even when her friend is actively trying to destroy the world. Ina starts counting, her pronunciation a little unclear because of the iron muzzle inside her mouth.
“Five… Four… Three… Two…”

BANG.

Ina’s eyes widen. A faint wisp of smoke rises from the muzzle. “You’re really something else, Ame.” She stared at the gun; barrel pointed into Ame’s own bloodied head. Ina's tentacle attempted to block the bullet, but it pierces through. She catches Ame’s body, carrying it princess-style to the window. Cover was really lucky to get the building facing directly to the ocean.

“… can’t… die… the world’s fate… on me…,” Ame mutters with her dying breath. Ina kisses the wound on Ame’s forehead and a surge of electricity travels through her body. Ame’s pajamas, drenched in violet mucus and blood, are slowly turning purple. Her limbs slowly lose their shape, turning into an enormous mass of purple. Ina flashes a melancholic smile and whispering sweet words into Ame’s ear. “You don’t have to think about difficult things anymore, everything will be alright.”

“… everything… be… alright?”

“Yeah….”

Ina stares at the ocean. A gigantic mass of tentacles rises from within, slowly creeping towards the land.

“You will be alright.”

Pasted: Jun 30, 2021, 2:54:55 pm
Views: 58