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"Benny..." A sing-song voice alerted him, he wasn't in his cage anymore, moved against his will, once again. "Benny," the allied Mastercomputer repeated when he didn't react, and then just kept repeating in a rhythm pattern that, if Benny would have been still alive at that time, he could've recognized the melody as Money by Alan Cumming. A sweet irony, unappreciated by the uncultured mind.
Benny growled, finally pushing himself up on all fours while trying to ignore the annoying voice. He looked around, all of the others were there too, but they were asleep. He called out with that sound that he learned before, signalling to AM that he's listening.
"Had a good night's sleep, Benny?" It mocked him. "Oh, but didn't your mother teach you that you shouldn't sleep outside with such a little clothing? You might get sick, Benny."
Sick? It's been a while since Benny was actually, and properly sick. But now that he thought about it, his throat was hurting quite badly, itching and burning, as if thorns of a rose tore gaps into them. His hand reached up to his throat and massaged his chest, but obviously, he felt nothing.
It reminded him of the time he tried to eat fruit that Am actually gave him, but by that point he was too unused to eating that it just burned and the reward was too little for the price he was supposed to pay. This time, however, there was no reward at all. No pleasant feeling of having even the smallest portion of food weighting down his stomach, nothing.
He wondered what was it that AM did to him. It must have been something truly awful.
"Well, since you're awake now," you've woken me up, asshole. "You should wake the others now, make sure your little group move a bit north, something tells me that the weather won't be kind here soon enough."
That woke the man up quicker than a bucket of ice water would and he looked around at his companions, alarmed. AM was done with speaking, it would seem, quiet ripped through the air.
Benny didn't hesitate to reach for Gorrister first.
"Benny?" The blond man groaned, sitting up and rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. Benny shook him hard and pointed his hand north, signaling that they must go. "Did you saw something? I'm sure it's fine, must've been a nightmare, go back to sleep."
No! Benny growled, seriously?!. He shook him harder, accidentally punching Elen with Garrister's elbow and waking up both her and the rest of the survivers.
"For fucks sake, he's worse than a dog." Ted hissed and kicked his leg out in Benny's direction with the intention of kicking him. "Go away!"
Benny whined, pulling at Gorrister's and now Ellen's arms to make them stand up. Ellen smiled at him tiredly, a smile that didn't reach her eyes at all. She gently caressed his cheek. "It's okay, sweetheart, come here, come back to sleep."
Fuck, he hated how they never listened to him. He twisted his gaze to Simon, hoping more than anything that he would understand. He pointed in the direction they were sent to again and howled, instead, his throat closed up around an obstacle and his eyes opened wide in panic, He clutched at his throat as a cough startled out of him, choking him. He clutched his eyes in pain and tried to get the thing constraining his breathing out of his throat, not even noticing that the others' finally got up, and crowded around him with worry.
Gorrister punched his back a few times until finally, finally, something fell from his open, saliva-dripping mouth. A petal. Flower petals, blood red as the one that covered his hands when he killed his people back when he was still normal.
He choked, more and more petals fell from his lips.
"Ew! What the fuck is that?! That's disgusting!"
If Benny was a florist he would recognize the purple lilacs and dark anemones. Both covered in dark red, his own blood. That's what AM had planned? Is that what he meant by a decease?! What was the purpose of this?
Benny stared at them in fear, his hand still grasping his own neck. Something was growing inside him. How deep did it go? How was it possible?
"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're going to be okay, Benny." Benny's eyes looked up to see Simon's comforting brown ones, worried but encouraging. Although, instead of having that calming feeling it had earlier, he was introduced to a sharp pain as he physically felt the flower grow further upwards, in the direction of his nostral cavities. He pulled away his hand, that he didn't even realize Simon was holding.
He whined and whimpered, choking and clawing at his skin until it bled, more red covering his hands. He would never get rid of the blood on his hands.
He closed his eyes but for some reason he could still see Simon's face.
"You're not worth it, Benny." The man said with cold voice and the mutilated man could feel the flowers bloom.
"You should've let me die."
"I would die a hero."
I just wanted to help you.
"I would be happy. I would be safe."
"You deamed me to a fate worse than death."
I love you. The taller man realized and sobbed as the leaves and stems closed his breathing tubes. I love you, please forgive me.
He needed him to know, to understand. I love you. He kept repeating with no sound.
He tried to reach out, but everywhere his hand touched; only dried, bloody flower petals. The vision didn't change whether his eyes were open or closed, all he saw was the hate and pain-filled eyes of the bloodied man. I'm sorry.
This was the longest death he ever had, and even if it wasn't the most painful physically, and yet it was the worst one yet.
I'm so sorry, Simon. If only I haven't fallen in love with you. You could've been free. I am the one who forsaken you. I am the one who trapped you because I was too selfish to let you die alone.
Forgive me for the love of my sinful heart.
Forgive me.