All In Her Fantasy

Wake Up

Shiver laughed as she opened the door to Deep Cut's shared appartment. Frye stood behind her, laughing equally as much. Big Man smiled, noticing his friends at the door and greeted them. "Hey, Big Guy!" Frye cheered, "Got the movie ready?" "Ay! (Yep!)" Big Man smiled. Shiver sat down the bags of groceries on the counter of the kitchen and pulled out the bags of unpopped popcorn. She put them in the microwave as Frye walked in to get the drinks out. Big Man was getting the blankets. It was finally Deep Cut's weekly movie night and the three of them were so excited. They were all tired from the most recent Splatfest and so this helped them wind down.

The popcorn and drinks were finished and the cephalings joined their friend in the living room.

The all curled under some blankets and pillows and laughed as they watched the movie they'd chosen.

They never really watched the movies, they just enjoyed each other's company. The time they cherished together.

About an hour and a half into the third movie and Shiver was yawning, almost asleep against the couch. "Shiv, if you need to sleep, go ahead," Frye chuckled. "Wow..." Shiver laughed, "I've never felt this tired before..." "Ay...(Go to sleep if you need to...)" Big Man smiled, picking Shiver up in his flippers. He carried her to her room where Frye followed him. "If you need sleep, Shiv, we'll understand..." Frye smiled, eyes softening, "We'll always love you, Shiv." "Haha, what's with the sap?" Shiver chuckled, "But I love you guys too." "Ay. (Go to sleep, Shiv. We'll be ok.)" Big Man smiled, ushering Frye out of the bedroom as Shiver curled under the sheets to enter a peaceful sleep. "Goodbye, Gummi Shark," she heard Frye whisper as the door shut behind them.

~~~~~~

Shiver woke up to the sounds of beeping and frantic doctors surrounding her. They were swarming her with questions, yelling things to each other and it made the octoling wonder what was going on. What had happened?

"Where am I?" Shiver whispered, eyes darting around the room, "Where are Frye and Big Man?" The nurse beside her looked at her, "Who?" "M-my friends..." Shiver said quietly, watching as the nurse left the room. She was left alone with her thoughts. Where were they? She reached for the remote to the small TV, pressing on to look at the news. There was no Splatcast. Just a lady doing some sort of news report.

"Your parents quit the Splatcast after the accident..." a doctor said as he walked in. Shiver's eyes darted to him as she looked to him for answers, "Accident? I-I...my parents don't do the Splatcast...I mean...I do. I do the Splatcast. ...with Frye and Big Man...as Deep Cut. We just had a Splatfest!" "O-oh...you seem to have forgotten. Only natural since the coma took place soon after we gave you the news..." the doctor sighed, "You seem to have forgotten that Frye and Big Man...they...they died. I'm sorry to announce that everything you did...was in your dream. You didn't do the Splatcast or Splatfests of any sort..." Shiver felt her heart break, her feelings crush down on her, "S-So...those years...th-they were all fake...I-I never...they—NO!" Shiver screamed, refusing to believe this.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Hohojiro..." the doctor replied, "Your family will come in to see you soon." Shiver sniffled.

They knew. That's why they were being so sappy when she was going to sleep. Her sleep was really her waking up.

She turned on her side and forced her eyes shut, trying to will herself to sleep. If she slept, maybe she'd be back in her perfect life.

Her family came in a while later, but she really didn't do much. She didn't eat much when meals were brought to her. It all just hurt so much and she didn't want to hurt anymore.

She'd been perfectly fine in her dream life, unknowingly living an unreal one. She wanted it back. She wished it were real.

She missed them.

She clenched the blanket tighter, shutting her eyelids tighter, "Please...come back to me. I need you."