The rest of the day flew by. Everyone tried to cheer each other up, though nothing worked. They ended up going to bed early. In the morning, at about 8 am, Mark was awoken to people talking downstairs. He quietly went to the top of the stairs to see Tyler, and Ethan, arguing in his kitchen. Who invited them? Mark thought, quietly going down the stairs. When Ethan and Tyler got closer, ready to hit each other, over arguing about who should comfort Mark first, and why the other was here, Mark had enough. He walked into the kitchen, right between the other men, pushing them both down. Startled, both boys fell backwards on their butts. "I'm fine what do you people not understand about leave me alone?" Tyler and Ethan said in sync "Sorry Mark...we were just trying to help" "Well. Your not." Mark said,carefully stepping over the two, and went upstairs quickly. Jack came down as soon as Marks door slammed shut, thank God that Jack took Lilith to gramma's last night. Mark locked his door, sliding down it and hugging his knees to his chest, thinking. Jack went downstairs, and saw Tyler and Ethan on the floor, and asked what happened. They told him, and he sighed. He went upstairs to check on Mark, while in Marks room, he was quickly getting dressed. Jack knocked on Marks door, and tried to open it. Not a sound from his room. He tried again. Nothin. Jack was about fed up with this. "Mark, I know your in there. Let me in." He went and found the key, and when he opened the door, he found Mark wasn't there. Jack quickly looked around the room, everywhere, and when he couldn't find him, he ran downstairs, and told the others. They had to find him, even if he didn't want to be found.
(3rd person, following Mark: )
Mark had escaped through his window, he had to get away. If he stayed, they would have brought up Amy, and the funeral, and he wasn't ready to admit that she was gone, for good. He pulled his hood up, and walked quickly, head down,but enough so that he could see. He walked into the forest, somewhat near his home. He was super stressed, about the funeral, and that Amy was gone, and raising his princess alone. So he snapped at Tyler and Ethan, and he immediately felt terrible for it. He rarely ever snapped at anyone, but when he did, he always felt bad, because that was the type of person he was. Sympathetic, easy to fool. No one understood his pain, no one understood his stress. Jack was in a happy relationship with his girlfriend, Ethan and Tyler were happy together, Wade was married, Bob was married. Mark was a widow. He didn't want to admit it. When he arrived in the forest, he went as deep as he could into the forest. He need time to himself just to think, and release his stress. He sighed, and climbed a tree, the farthest and tallest tree, away from society. He went and sat on the top branch, clung to the base with one arm. He kept his hood on, and got to thinking, and before he knew it, he was letting his tears fall down his face. He sighed quietly, and shifted to wear his back was against the base of the tree, and his knees were in his chest. He stayed quiet though.
(Back at the house:) All three guys, Jack, Ethan, And Tyler, and Chica, we're walking out the door, following chica. They were scared. Chica was scared. Chica had found Marks scent, and it was fresh, so she quickly pulled Jack down the sidewalk, letting the others run after. She entered the forest and followed the scent. She got to Marks tree, and stopped, smelling around. She seemed to have lost the smell, and Jack noticed this. He looked up and saw someone up top, and handed her leash to Tyler, and started climbing up. Mark heard footsteps, and then someone climbing, and buried his face deeper in his knees, trying to be quieter. By now, his face was super red from crying, but he hid under his hood, and behind his knees. He hated himself for letting her go out that night, he blamed himself and only himself. He wished he would have went instead. His mind kept flashing back to that night, after he returned home, he saw how the crash happened. It was on the news. He squeezed his eyes shut, moving his glasses to wipe his face, then felt a hand on his back. It was Jack, on the branch beside him. Jack asked him a question, or at least mark thought he did, but he couldn't answer. And he didn't know why. Then it hit him, like a truck. He was having a panic attack. He couldn't breathe, and Jack had noticed. "Shit." Was all that Jack said, trying to comfort Mark from where he was. He couldn't get on the branch, or it would break, sending them both face first into the ground. He played with Marks hair, and rubbed his back, whispering calming words. Once Mark was calmed down, enough for right now anyway, Jack convinced him to climb down. Jack climbed down first, and as Mark stood, the branch started snapping, right under Mark. He quickly climbed down, and got hit in the head with the branch as it broke, hissing, and climbing completely down. He slid down the base of the tree, once at the bottom, and just layer his head against the tree. He coughed roughly,as Tyler came over. He wouldn't look any of them in the eyes, and when they told him that they should go home, he got up, head throbbing, and walked far ahead of them. He had his hands in his pockets, head down. Jack held chica, and they all gave him space. If he didn't want to talk about it right now, they wouldn't force him. They all know what would happen if they did, and they decided to wait till either the day after the funeral, or the day of the funeral, which was in 2 days. Mark had nothing done. Which made him panic. She needed the best of the best, even if it was a funeral. When they arrived home, chica was let off the leash, and Mark went upstairs, and fell face first on the bed, with the door open. He was planning for her funeral. He didn't hear when someone knocked, and so they came in. It was Tyler. He had sat on the edge of the bed and had tapped Marks ankle, to get his attention. Mark looked at Tyler, and forced a smile onto his face. "Hey" Tyler said quietly. Mark just gave a small wave. "You need anything?" Marl thought for a moment,and shook his head. Tyler nodded, and said"Let me know if you need anything, okay bud?" Now it was Marks turn to nod. Tyler started to get up, but was pulled back down by the small Korean, who had started hugging Tyler, which surprised him, but he hugged Mark back tightly. Mark layed his head on the taller Man's chest in a non-sexual way and mumbled "Thank you all. Your support is much needed in a time like this, and I appreciate it so very much. Even though I don't show it....and sorry." He sighed, and Tyler just rubbed his head. "Don't be sorry Marki. We know how much you appreciate it, and we all know you'd do the same if we were in your shoes. Don't worry your pretty little head okay? This is hard for all of us. Especially you and Lilith, but right now you both need each other the most." He said and he got up, and left. He sat on the floor in the living room, between Jack and Ethan. Mark decided Tyler was right, like always, and he went downstairs, sitting on a step, listening to them talk. They were all worried about Mark, and they had already called Wade and Bob, who were on the way soon. They'd be here for as long as needed, along with Ethan, Tyler, Jack, Momiplier, who was a big help watching Lilith. Mark went back upstairs, and layed back on his bed, just thinking about the future. What will happen? With who? He realized one thing though. He was going to be the best goddamn father he could be, with or without Amy. He had this. He was sure of it, because it was what Any would want him to do. He knew he'd be a amazing dad. Or so he thought......
~1470 words~