Wholehearted Half-Souls

Chapter 12: Scars (Part 1)

Susie's brain fills with static, and she jumps backward leaps and bounds until it suddenly stops. The rain hits harshly against the windowpane. Children can be heard running and yelling in the hallway as they pass to their dormitories. 

Susie comes into focus as spiked bracelets cover her arms and muscles. She rises from her bed, quickly forcing the bracelets off. As she rubs her eyes, her eyes pass to the glass on the nightstand. The water within the glass trembles. She shakes her head as noise flows through her corner of the orphanage.

"Don't these brats know that not everyone here can run on lack of sleep like they can? I wish they'd just shut up." Susie smirks. "Maybe I'll make 'em."

Susie rubs her fingers through her hair as she approaches the door. As she walks out of the room, a human wearing a bright white outfit appears before her. Her face is rosy, and her right hand is gently placed on another human's shoulder. This child is slightly shorter than the caretaker, whose face and eyes are covered by their hair. They're wearing a green and yellow shirt, their figure being borderline skeletal. Susie takes a step back and shakes her head." The H is this?"

The human waves her arms and smiles. "Don't worry, Susie- he won't bite. I would like to introduce you to a new friend." The caseworker smiles and gently nudges the second human into the room. "This is Kris. He's about your age, and both of you are among the few teenagers in this orphanage. Maybe you two can confide in each other."

Susie's eyes scan Kris' body. He continues to hang his head, and Susie clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes. "What, you're gonna say nothin'? That's pretty stupid."

Susie folds her arms, and the caseworker shakes her hand. "Tsk tsk, Susie, no need to be rude. You should be nice to him; he's here because his parents were murdered recently."

Susie's mouth widens slightly, and she takes a step back. "Oh?"

The orphanage employee nods slowly. "Well, I should clarify. Perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, but the police suspect that one of the monsters in the State killed his parents. They have a few ruffians lined up as candidates, but no arrests have been made."

Kris' limbs tremble, and his arms shake. The caseworker leaves silently, and Kris begins repeating words under his breath "Die...die..." Kris whispers.

Susie shakes her head and grips his shoulders. "Dude, you're acting weird. Get it together!"

Kris meets Susie, with his gaze shaking. "Sorry...I know I'm being creepy." He shakes his head and wearily extends a hand. "I'll try again; my name is Kris."

Susie straights her posture and gives Kris a fist bump instead of shaking his hand, smirking. "I will tell you one thing, though...this isn't the first time I've been abandoned, Kris. Cross me, betray me, whatever...and I'll eat your face."

Kris stares at her, and his quiet eyes dance awaken, filled with intense energy. "Noted."

Susie's brain plays static again, and the fuzz increases tempo for a few seconds. As the sensation stops, a grainy expanse reveals itself, depicting Kris. "Next time we cross...hope it will be our last...Susan."

Susie punches the ground. The world swirls and grows, nearly imploding. The static mounds and swells, and the noises of the scene become nearly deafening. Suddenly, silence. The brain rebounds. The colors return.

...

The room is quiet. Asriel taps his foot rapidly. Frisk is leaning forward, with his small, subtle eyes glancing into Susie's somewhat uncomfortable posture. "Please explain more, Susie."

Susie crosses her arms authoritatively. "He talked about vengeance a lot and wanted to get back at the one who freed the monsters."

Frisk sighs and twists his thumbs in between each other. "That means that he wants me dead, right?"