Unhappy

41. Kingsley

Kingsley could hear sirens. Everything was silent. Quickly, the three of them went to the top of the staircase.

"POLICE!!! OPEN UP!!!" They yelled. Kingsley's heart was pounding. He felt a horrible shiver go up his spine. This was it. They were dead. "COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP UNWINDS!!!" Everything was silent.
"We have to get downstairs to the kitchen. The door to the backyard is there. If we get there, we can run away." Kanai said.
"But they'll see us!" Kingsley whispered back. He started to panic.

There was no way hey could go out of the windows because they would break their legs and wouldn't be able to run from the cops. They couldn't go downstairs because the stairs led to the front room where there were windows. The only way that would be possible is if they had a diversion, and they didn't have one! This was the end of their lives and the start of their unwinding process. The start of... their divided state.

The whispers in the back of his head began to arise. Quickly, they became more intense, until it turned into screams. Filling Kingsley's head with pain and fear.

His hands became sweaty, as he grabbed onto his head. His breathing became heavy. His thoughts were jumbled, as the black cloud figures grabbed onto him. Keeping him in a constant state of fear and desperation. The screams became louder and louder by the millisecond until-

It went silent, the sound of the door creaking open. Slowly, Kingsley looked to it. His heart sank. It wasn't what he had expected. It was worse.

Irene started opening the front door. Tears started to drip down her face, as she smiled at the two of them. "Go" she mouthed, as she walked out and closed the door.

Kingsley was dragged along by Kanai down the stairs and out the back door. He tried to break free from his grasp, as he did his best to reach the front of the building. Tears flowed down his face, as he desperately headed forward.

He was dragged outside, as Kanai covered his mouth, muffling his screams. He was trapped by his demons. He started to uncontrollably shake, as he tried to remember the happy times. Trying to see any ray of sunshine. But everything he saw in his mind was faded or gruesome.

"Hey, where's Wendy?" Milo asked. Kanai gasped, jumping back up to look in through the door. Kingsley followed, and watched the cops race into the building. He looked devastated, but grabbed Kingsley's hand and started running.

They ran, not for very long though. They raced into the record shop, closing the door and locking it. They all sat down, regaining their breath.

Milo silently stood up, and walked into the back room. Kingsley was left with his thoughts, of fear and pain. And yet everything felt empty.

"Hey, at least we've got each other... right?" Kanai said. Anger filled Kingsley's mind, as he stood up. "As long as we stay together we'll be fine."
"Kanai, stop." Kingsley replied.
"It's gonna be okay. We're friends, we can get out of this together." He responded. He was frustrated.
"Stop, Kanai. I don't know you." He said.
"You don't know me because you lost your memory! But I know for a fact that we're friends, and that nothing could set us apart-"
"KANAI I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND!!! I'M NOT KINGSLEY!!!" He yelled. Everything was silent. Tears started to rush down his eyes.
"If you're not Kingsley, then who are you?" He asked.
"I..." Kingsley paused. "I'm just in the body of him. But that's not who I am." Tears started to fall to the ground. "I'm a guy named Philip Burton. He bullied countless people, assaulted some people, and stole from others. All he wanted was to be treated like a regular person, not like a monster. But even before he did anything like that, no one accepted him. When he met Irene, he finally got his wish. And when he was unwound... he wanted to tell his family he loved them with all his heart. He wanted to change. I'm a girl named Vita Brooks. She was a kind girl, who always wanted to help others. But her father was to hard on her. Putting so many expectations on her to do well, and be perfect. She was so angry at him, that she cheated on her boyfriend. When her father father found out, he was so disappointed in her that he signed the unwind order." Tears formed in a puddle underneath him. "And then... I'm a boy named Kingsley Alvarado. A kid who had a good future ahead of him... but got shot in the head. Now, he's trapped in a mind palace. One with infinite directions, and millions of memories. Trapped with the many other people I don't know... and... died..." He grabbed onto his head, as he fell to the floor. Uncontrollable sobbing followed.

All he could see was the fear that they all faced. Each and every single one being unwound. And as a result... he was here. This sad jumble of scared kids that died a couple of weeks before. Was he even his own person? Or was he just a disgusting amalgamation of unwinds?

"Hey... Kingsley." Kanai said, helping him up. He could see him stuff a piece of paper in his pocket. "No matter what, you're going to be my friend. Kingsley or not. You're someone I care about." He stared at him, seeming a bit at peace with the world. Even though he was still depressed, it helped him cheer up a bit.
"Thanks..." he replied, as he pulled him into a hug. Maybe everything would be okay. But it wasn't. Because in the back of his mind, he still knew that Irene and Wendy were going to be unwound...