STITCH VIII

Nate felt he was on the ground.

Then he was floating in a bit.

Muffled voices were ringing in his ears.

They were calling out to him.

He can't seem to move.

Someone laid him on a table.

His head suddenly was spinning. He started to feel dizzy and nauseous. Words from familiar voices becoming clearer and clearer by the second.

"Nathan!"

"Nate!"

"Wake up!"

Nate slowly opened his eyes.

It was blurry at first.

Surrounding him were Sawney, Armand, Sarah, The dark entity, and a Five-year old boy whose skin was pearly white wearing a white waist coat and white shorts, who was holding a beautiful porcelain doll with a pink gown and hat.

Beside him was Henry.

Nate sat up.

"Are you okay?!" asked Henry.

Nate nodded his head.

Henry kissed his forehead and hugged him tight.

Henry cried.

Sawney's tears fell from his eyes.

"Since when did you become a cry baby?!" asked Nate.

Henry let go of him and rubbed his head.

"Don't be a colossal idiot next time!" said Henry with a laugh.

Nate looked at Sarah, Then at the dark entity, the boy then at his arms.

He was holding two teddy bears, one blue and the other pink.

"Despair and Wonder?!"

"I'm really sorry about everything. Especially to you, Henry, and Nate. I realized now that life is more precious than money and power. Thank you Henry for saving me." Said Sarah.

Henry nodded at her.

Nate smiled.

"I've heard great things from you, Nate. You and your brothers are really extraordinary. I'm Gideon, I'm the head of Department B.L.O.O.D. And this is Madeline by the way."

Gideon raised the doll's arm and waved it at them.

"Brothers?"

"I have a twin brother."

Nate smiled at the dark entity.

"Him?!"

Nate nodded.

Sawney hugged his boys and wept.

"You're the first ones that made my friend ugly cry. You two are really lucky—Gideon smiled—lets go back to headquarters and get you stinky halflings some bath—"

Nate was really happy but he can't help thinking that something is gnawing inside his brain.

His dark brother nodded at him.

His eyes widened and the color of his skin vanished in an instant.

Stitches floated out of the giant crater.

He looked at Nate with his blazing red eyes.

He smirked.

"Ethan!"

The dark entity created a force field around them.

Everyone looked up now.

"Madeline!"

'Oh, Shoot!"

Stitches burst a massive blast of aura.

There was a flash of blinding light.

PAAATTHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

The heavens witnessed the formation of a dark smoke in a silhouette of a bear's head. Debris, bricks, wires and pulverized matter were littered everywhere. The explosion was massive hitting a two kilometer radius destroying buildings and houses within that range. No normal living thing would be able to survive. The innocent victims were not killed, they were totally obliterated, not even a single evidence of their existence was left. If this rage spread across the world billions will be annihilated. This day seemed had no rest. It felt like a piñata which was beaten up by a stick over and over for a petty prize such as candy. But Nate was definitely sure everything will swirl and melt away soon enough. It had to end now. It had to.

A familiar music begun to unwind somewhere.

"If you crawl down in the woods tonight, you're in for a big surprise...If you writhe down in the woods tonight, get ready for a hair raising fright..."

He laughed.

Nate opened his eyes.

The dust and smoke started to disperse.

He can't tell how long had he been lying on the dirty ground. His body felt numb. He tried to move but he could not. In front of him lying unconscious were Henry, Armand, and Sarah, and Ethan turned into a puddle of ink. He knows Ethan was still alive. He was just weakened, everyone was weakened.

The music was getting louder and louder.

"Do you really think you can escape me?! You can't deny it, my picnic time! I'll stick all of your heads like barbecue on my special pikes waiting with your names on it, and burn you with hell flame into yummy s'mores."

In front of him a humanoid apparition started to form. Smoke was wafting away from it.

Nate's eyes widened.

He looked at his brother and his friends. He's got to do something.

He can't move.

"Come on! Come on!" He said in a struggle.

His will was astounding but he only managed to move a finger.

Nate's heart was pounding fast.

His breathing shallow and fast.

As the smoke disappeared the apparition became more clearer.

"N—NO—NO—NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He whined a cry.

Tears overflowed from his eyes.

His heart was crushed and broke into many pieces. A part of him was taken from him making him weaker. He hoped this was just a dream but his knowing won't let him pretend.

The smoke revealed a large man standing and facing in front of them with arms spread out. A large chunk of flesh was burned out of the chest and back, which created a hole were the heart used to be.

The man slowly dropped down the ground with a loud thump.

"NOOOOOO!!!! SAWNEY! NOOOOO!!!!!"

The animatronic laughed.

"His heart was such an appetizer. Guess who's next?! I'll have your brother and friends as the main course. Don't worry I'll save you for dessert."

A hairy ball rolled towards him.

It stopped.

The ball was not a ball.

It was a head.

He can't describe how he feels right now. His heart was mending and breaking over and over. Tears were not stopping from leaving him. The roller coaster was reaching its dead end. He was blacking out. What was the use of it all? He was powerless. He was useless. His mind and soul was slowly deteriorating, slowly turning black and rotten. He was slowly forgetting about Joey's death and slowly forgetting about the head.

The lifeless eyes.

The blank gaze.

He's starting to forget his mother's face.

No one is coming for them. There was no hope. Wrath cannot be stopped. He felt sorry for Wonder. He was all wrong. Wrath's destruction will spread on earth and it was all his fault. He was too weak and inexperienced. He and his brothers were still young after all.

"That's right, lie there and just accept your death!" said Stitches.

He laughed.

The music was getting louder.

Successive low scrunching sounds were getting closer.

Footsteps.

Something sharp and thin was slowly being dragged on the ground.

"Picnic time for teddy bears...The little teddy bears are having a lovely time today...

There were stabbing sounds on the ground.

... See them gaily gad about...they love to play and shout...They never have any cares...La la la la...Ha ha ha ha...

A pair of blazing eyes shone through the smoke.

"I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna getcha! Bwahahahahaha!"

A warm fuzzy paw rubbed Nate's hair.

"You're wrong Nate. You were always right all along. Don't give up now. You've shown us that we are not a lost cause. You've opened up our eyes and showed us that we can trust people again, that we can forgive again. Anger had blinded us for many years. You reminded us of our important memories both happy and sad. Cole, Rowena, Elsa, my friends, my family, they're all gonna stay in our hearts forever. Your soul is one of the most powerful we ever felt. Don't waste it. Plenty of souls still needs your help, both the dead and the living. Everything was not in vain. You helped us. It's now time we help you."

"DON'T YOU DARE INTERVENE! THEY'RE MINE! ALL MINE!"

Stitches jumped out of the dark smoke, holding a large bleeding knife which was pointing and aiming to stab Henry's chest.

Stitches let out a deafening growl.

Someone similar pushed him away from Henry just in time.

The knife fell on the ground.

"HOW DARE YOU! TRAITORS!"

Stitches crawled towards Nate whose mouth was as large as it can go, snapping his sharp teeth as he goes.

He almost bites Nate's face when something pulled him back.

"NOO! NOOO! NOOO!!!"

Stitches stabbed the earth with his claws, trying to pull himself forward, wounding the ground, it was useless the pull was so strong. His outbursts had weakened him.

The pink teddy bear and Madeline the porcelain doll joined in now, pulling Stitches away from Nate.

"NOOOOO!!!! LET ME GO!!! I'LL KILL THEM!!! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!!! MARK MY WORDS NATE: YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS WILL BE CONSUMED BY DARKNESS AND I SHALL BURN AND DESTROY THIS PUTRID EARTH AND RULE OVER ALL THE DESOLATE!!!!"

Gideon appeared from nowhere gleaming in white light. He was holding a cube.

The toys pulled Stitches towards Gideon.

"NOOOO!!! NOOOOO!!!"

Stitches let out his last whining growl.

Nate's vision was blurring.

Darkness swallowed everything.

The day was dim and the rain had been pouring without stop. The sun was nowhere to be seen. The ground was always damp and muddy and puddles of water were appearing everywhere. Some places with clogged drains, due to uncollected trash, caused floods. People were enjoying themselves with hot coco, milk and Chinese noodle soups indoors. Families surround themselves near the fireplace keeping themselves warm. The sleeping pattern had also been altered because of the cold. Making it longer. It had been cold for a week now. It seemed the heavens had lost something warm on earth. It mourned with the losses.

Gideon was waiting by the van sitting inside the passenger seat. He was holding a teddy bear with a bowler hat.

He looked outside the van.

Nate was talking to a 19-year-old girl sobbing at the tombstones of his family.

"They're really proud of you, Joan. I know it's hard to believe but, they really love you."

Nate looked at a man and a woman holding a little girls hand on either side. They were standing behind the tombstones.

They were looking at Joan who were smiling at her.

"What's the point of it all?! What's the point of pursuing my studies in Harvard when I don't have a reason anymore!"

She looked behind the tombstones.

No one was there.

She dropped her black umbrella, stooped down, knelt and rested his hands on her sisters grave.

She whined and cried. Her eyelids appeared inflamed because of constant crying. Her tears overflowed and was not stopping. Her black clothes were now soaking wet.

Nate crouched down and rubbed Joan's back. He shielded both of them from the rain with his umbrella.

"I'm sorry Liza! I should've come home! I should've come to your birthday! I have your gift here! A toy you always wanted! Why didn't you wait for me?! Why?!"

A tear trickled down Nate's eye.

Nate looked at her family.

They all nodded at him at the same time.

Nate stood up.

Joan's Father offered his hand at Nate, which he took willingly.

"Joan, hold my hand." Nate said.

Joan raised his arm but her face was still facing the ground.

Nate grabbed her hand.

"I love you always, my baby girl!"

The voice sounded familiar.

Joan stood up.

Her eyes widened at what she saw.

Her Dad, Mom and little Liza smiled at her.

"We are so proud of you, Joan! Remember we will never leave you. We will always be here with you and guiding you. You're a strong person. We didn't name you after a saint for nothing. I love you, my little Jo!' Her mom said.

"Thank you Big Sis! I really love my present! Please don't cry anymore. You're making me cry in heaven too. Please be happy and I wanna see your cute smile like you always do. Papa Jesus said we'll see each other again someday, so don't be sad anymore. Papa Jesus is really cool and I'm happy whenever I'm with him. He really loves us all. He worries about all of us. I wanna tell you more but we don't have time left. I love you Sis!"

Joan smiled but her tears were not stopping.

Nate, His father, mother and little sister hugged her really tight.

Joan felt them.

They're real and warm.

They're really here.

It's the same happy feeling she felt when they're in a holiday. Eating inside the Burger's Plaza.

Joan didn't want to let go.

"We have to go now, my baby girl! Remember to never give up! We are proud of you!" Joan's father said.

Her father let go of Nate's hand.

In an instant they vanished into the air.

Joan smiled at Nate.

Tears stopped flowing from her eyes.

"Thank you, Nate!" she said.

The gift Joan brought had been unwrapped for some reason and the contents had vanished.

Nate rubbed Joan's back.

Joan's family waved good bye at them.

Nate waved back at them.

They vanished.

Nate placed a black card with white silvery letters written on it on Joan's wet palms.

"If you change your mind. Call us. Remember you're not alone." Said Nate.

He bade good bye to Joan.

He ran to the van.

Gideon opened the door for him and he went inside the van.

Nate was soaking wet.

"Let's go back to Headquarters." Gideon said to the driver.

Nate watched Joan waving her arms at them as the van sped off.

"She's the last one?" asked Gideon handing Nate a white towel.

Nate dried his face and hair up.

"I hope she is."

Gideon started twirling Stitches' swirl of fur. Then he said,

"Evil, like Good, is a permanent object here in this universe. They are constantly fighting for power. It started since time began. They always oppose each other yet; they can't exist without the other. In the chaos of this never-ending battle not everyone can be saved. There will always be casualties and worse, inevitable deaths."

"I know, but, I can't help pretending." Said Nate.

Gideon smiled at Nate.

"Nate, it's perfectly normal to show grief. Sawney is one of my best friends I lost along the way. It pains me to see them go but there's nothing I can do about it."

A tear flowed down Nate's cheek.

"I-I miss him!"

"Me too."

There was a pause as they looked out the window.

The half glimmering face of the sun finally showed itself behind a large cloud.

"You halflings meant the world to him. You're "his feoil oir."

"It means?"

"It means "gold meat" in their local dialect." Answered Gideon.

"Oh." Said Nate with eyes widened.

"It's an idiom, son. It means you're his greatest treasures."

Nate curled his lips.

"Don't call me "son," I'm older than you."

Gideon squinted at Nate.

"Pardon me?! You should have had a clue of how old I' am!" Gideon said.

"Face it boss, people always think you're a kid 'cuz you love playing with toys." Said his driver in a husky voice.

"Shut it, Larson!" Gideon said angrily.

Larson and Nate laughed.