Chapter Nine: Extinguish My Love For You

Water rises to our knees. There seems to be no way out of here. We’re all panicking. All I can feel is regret for ever leaving my home. The fire monster has finally gotten the hint that there’s rising water and is starting to back away, leaving us to drown. The whole place is starting to get colder, and the monster tries to climb up the walls. Suddenly its hand slips and it falls down into the water, shaking the ground and putting itself out as it screams in pain before it fully turns to smoke. The water splashes around soaking us all and shaking the ground so hard the walls shook. I shriek in pain and cover my ears as my cry is overridden by the monster's cry before it perishes. The water continues to rise, but the room starts getting colder and colder.

“What do we do now!?” Potato exclaims.

“There’s a small wall near the giant furnace, maybe we can get to the other side of it!” Manny says with little hope.

“Are you serious right now?” Potato asks.

“As serious as someone can be at the brink of death!” Manny calls over.

“Uh.. Guys..? Why is it getting so cold..? The water is freezing..” Blue says while shivering.

I look over at the pipes. They’re starting to freeze and the water is starting to stop gushing out. I look up at the furnace. All the fire is gone, and the rooms are all darker.

“T-the fire’s gone..” I say while shivering. Our lips are tinted blue from the cold, and I can see my breath in front of me.

“Guys.. W-we need to get out of here before the water freezes..’ Manny says.

We all walk to the wall through the water and get up on it. My pupils being dilated is becoming a good thing since it's gotten so dark. The water starts to freeze over.

“Good thing we weren’t in that..” Blue says while shivering.

“Guys… W-we need to get t-to the furnace..” I say before we begin to walk towards the furnace.

Lies begin to echo through the halls. I have no idea who’s speaking. It sounds like… Manny…?

“You’ve been nothing but unstable and stupid throughout our whole journey. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here..”

I turn around to look at Manny. I have tears in my eye.

“You okay Origami..?” Manny asks.

“Is that all I am to you..? Unstable and stupid..?” I say trying not to cry.

“What are you saying Origami..?” Manny asks questionably.

“Don’t play stupid with me Manny. You think I’m deaf? Maybe next you’ll call me blind if I turn my back for a second.”

“Origami this isn’t funny.. Cut it out..” Manny says with a worried expression.

“No, you cut it out..! I’m not a joke! I don’t want to be just some stupid joke to you!” I yell at him. It feels like it’s tearing my throat open, but I don’t care anymore.

“Haha… I was careless to think you could ever love someone broken like me.. Did you even care about me..? Have you ever cared about anyone..? I bet it would be different if it was Blue or Potato, but no. It’s me. Some random kid you pulled out of a flower core..”

“Origami, what’s going on with you? I don’t understand.” He tries to reach his hand out to me, but I smack it away. Tears run down my face.

“How could you be so cruel, Manny?” I run off crying towards the giant furnace, just to escape from them.

“Hey! Origami! Wait up!” He calls out to me, but I don’t listen. I climb up the furnace and run inside of it. I cough a bunch and wipe the blood off my mouth as I catch my breath. Strangely, there’s no ash inside of this furnace. I see dark but I walk into it to see if anything’s there. I feel so hurt by what Manny said, I want to keep crying. I wipe my eyes and slowly walk forward. I hear something close to me. Something grabs me by the arm as I struggle to get free. I scream my lungs out and try to fight back before I’m pushed to the floor and hit on the head with something hard and heavy. Before I black out I can hear Manny calling for me far away.

“Haha… You’ve always been too slow Origami. Or should I say.. **Jammy**...?”