#and ollie would just be like i was built to fight and bleed and die for the throne anyway. i would gladly give you anything

[pyrotechnicdarts]

avoiding school work by drawing my weird little warforged fighter and her wife(cursed sword)

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Olly Olly Oxenfree (part seven, finale)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

———————

so, how goes the good fight?

The climb down the ladder into the bomb shelter was like descending into hell. Looking down at the black abyss at the top was terrifying, but actually going down it was so much worse. The darkness embrace Joan and Cathy with cold, open arms, wrapping them up in its inky tendrils and welcoming them to the nightmarish world that lurked beneath the light.

The bunker was small and smelled stale. There were a few beds, shelves full of food and supplies, a tape player, some lamps, and a blast door at the end of the room. Joan and Cathy made a beeline straight for the door- when Joan had turned on her phone flick on the flashlight app, she had noticed that the time was six in the morning.

One hour left.

On station 95.1 the Radio Wave Lock is activated. However, before the door can be opened, Cathy steps in front of Joan.

“Look-” She said. “Whatever happens on the other side of this door- don’t be stupid. Cut and run, okay? If I turn unto dead weight or start freaking out...”

“No.” Joan said firmly. “No way. I’m not leaving you. I’m wearing you hat, buddy! While I wear the hat, you have to come back! To get it. From me. Because I will keep it and I’ll show everyone how good I look in it and then you’ll never be able to wear it again!”

Cathy laughed softly. “Alright. Alright. Fine.”

She turned to the door-

-and then the tape player nearby sparks to life and began to play a song on the ukulele.

“Okay okay- that is, like, the tenth time I’ve heard that song all night!” Cathy marched over to the tape player. “I’m sorry, but I’m gotta figure this out.”

Joan sighed and trudged over to her just as the tape player sputters to a halt.

“Can you fix it?” Cathy asked. Her eyes were pleading.

Joan sighed again and began to wind it up.

“It-” Cathy’s eyes were now very wide. “It sounds like- it’s her. My mum. In the static. Do you hear her?”

“Kinda...”

“This is- oh my god.” Cathy crouches down on her knees in front of the tape player. Her hands are over her mouth. Tears are gathering in her eyes. “Mama?” She whispered. Then, she looked up at Joan. “C-can you try to tune into it? Maybe it’ll make her clearer.”

Joan really didn’t want to waste anymore time, but she couldn’t turn down Cathy, so she takes out her radio and tunes in.

150

An axe comes down on Joan’s skull. Over and over and over again. And with each swing, each break to her skull, each spew of her blood, Cathy’s figure shifts places all over the room until she’s gone.

Cathy is gone.

And Joan is all alone.

“No! No, Cathy, come back! I need you!” Joan begged.

Nothing.

No answer.

Joan has no choice but to go through the door alone.

She steps out in the cave where it all began. Not-Catalina is sitting on the lake’s shore, cross-legged, smoke whirling around her.

“You know,” She said as Joan staggers out from between two crystals. “We could have left. Whenever she wanted. We weren’t prisoners to the cave.”

“Then why stay?” Joan asked as she approached slowly. “Why not leave? Move on?”

“Because it’s scary, that’s why!!”

The crystals overhead tremble with loud clinking noises, like the treacherous shudder of glass.

“Have you ever stared into nothing, and moved with it, and felt apart with it!” Not-Catalina growled. “It’s worse than when we were wilting away into atoms!” Her voice quieted, shakes slightly. “It’s worse than...dying...the first time.”

“No, of course not,” Joan said. “But you have to!”

“No, we don’t ‘have’ to. We don’t have to do anything. Not anymore.”

The entire cave began to shake. Large cracks split across the ceiling and shards of iridescent crystals come raining down. Joan staggers, feeling sharp streaks of pain all over her body from where the crystal daggers manage to cut into her. Five lodge themselves in her shoulders. Several more get in her back. Dozens of smaller, but still sharp flecks sprinkle her scalp and wash her hair a bright shade of red.

“Whatever you think you can do,” Not-Catalina said. “You can’t.”

The quaking of the cavern gets more intense.

“We can’t go back. We won’t.”

The image of Not-Catalina flickers and disappears.

“Child. Wait your turn.”

Once again, Joan is alone.

She’s bleeding. She’s bleeding a lot and it hurt so badly.

She manages to pull two shards out of her shoulder, but the other three are deep and she doesn’t want to risk damaging herself further.

Above her, the tear that started it all was floating ominously in the air. Within it, a smaller triangle spun slowly in a circle.

With a blood-soaked hand, Joan takes out her radio and tunes in.

120

Several lines stretch from the very top.

123

Those lines get longer and form dozens of other triangles.

128

They form one giant tear.

A flash of light.

Joan is underwater.

And in front of her is a giant submarine.

A submarine that explodes before her very eyes.

The flash renders Joan blind for a moment, but when she can see again she’s in a part of the forest she doesn’t know. It’s raining. Not-Catalina is a few yards away from her, suspended in the air, eyes alight with crimson fury. Behind her, the black figure lurks.

“You’ve come to close the hole, right, girl?”

“That’s right.” Joan growled. “I’ve come to do what Maggie Lee couldn’t do.”

“Well, it didn’t work then, so why would it work now?” Not-Catalina said. “God. You’re so spoiled.”

The entire world blurs. They’re underwater again and the tear can be seen in the distance.

“You don’t even know the cost of things. Closing the hole with your stupid toy will spare your— your friends from our bloom, sure, but it will seal you up in here with it.” Not-Catalina smirked. “You’ll die with us. Again and again.”

Joan is back in the arctic waters, back in the icy abyss, but she has some grounding. Her mind is set.

“If they’re safe, then that’s all that matters.”

“Öñê l姆 ¢håñ¢ê. ¥ðµ Ððñ’† håvê †ð Ðïê.”

A large tear appears a few feet away, glowing an ominous red. Joan walked over to it.

“You can leave, you know.” Not-Catalina said. “Through the gate you opened.”

“ÄñÐ wê kêêþ †hê gïrl. Çå. †å. Lï. ñå.”

Joan looked deep into the gateway- she swore she could see the docks and the ferry approaching and Anne and Kitty and Cathy waiting there. For her.

“So, I’m free to go?” She asked.

“Of course.” Not-Catalina.

“§hê’ll ßê håþþïêr wï†h µ§.”

Joan’s hand slowly raised and she wiped the trail of blood trickling down her face.

“No.”

She turned and walked back up to Not-Catalina and the figure of The Sunken.

“Who do you think I am?”

“Who— who do you think we are?! Do you think we wanted to be thrown away?!”

Joan falters. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Why...why would they do that? If— if you were...”

“They didn’t care, child.” Not-Catalina cut her off. “Sometimes it’s that simple.”

The silence that is left between them all is tense. Thick. Horrifying. It was only then that Joan was noticing the hunched bodies of her friends appearing in her peripheral vision.

“We can feel us...binding.” Not-Catalina said. “You have maybe just a few moments left.”

Joan can feel it, too. Her head is being crushed- actually crushed, she could almost hear the chips of her bone as cracks zigzag across her skull. The blood flowing from her scalp and shoulders and back continue to spew- she feels so dizzy.

She feels so tired.

“We feel terrible, we do, but you have to know why that everyone chose to forget about us.” Not-Catalina said. “Everyone just...shuttered us away...”

“Wait- wait wait!” Raising her voice made Joan’s ears feel like they were about to burst. In fact, she could feel hot blood drizzling down from either opening. “Think about what your relatives would think- what your family would think. Some of them are still alive!”

It seems The Sunken have already thought about that, as they make Not-Catalina said, “They would think us survivors, if they think about us at all.”

Everything was shaking again.

“It won’t hurt...we don’t think...the change.” Not-Catalina said. She laughed. “But we hope the trip was worth it! Seeing the...deprived tourist trap they’ve built upon our carcass. Did you see the gift shop?”

“This whole little community if for you,” Joan said. She can’t hide the desperation in her voice. “They’ve built it all up for you and the soldiers that died!”

“It’s not for us!” Not-Catalina snarled. “We’ve twisted our bodies, screeching two inches from your faces for you to see us!” She settles back slightly. “And you never do.” Her mouth forms into a scowl. “Enjoy the scenery.”

The shaking gets more intense. The vibrations go straight up through her body and she can feel her ribs fracturing inside of her chest. Desperation rises higher and higher as she wracks her melting brain and shoveled up a name she remembered hearing about.

“To the crewman on the UKS Kanaloa named Calvin— don’t do this. Please.” She said. “I know you’re in there, I know you’re a person, I know you’re all people, come on, just— please help me, help my friends. Stop this.”

Everything stops.

“Calvin...” Not-Catalina muttered. “Was our name ever...”

“Çålvïñ?”

In a blink of an eye, in a painless transition, Joan and Not-Catalina are in front of a shack. The loop doesn’t hurt, but the effect is enough to finally burst the blood vessels in Joan’s nose and blood comes gushing out down her face.

“I...almost remember...”

“M¥. ñåmê.”

“You were-” It’s difficult to speak with all her wounds, with her body in a half-broken down state. Her voice sounds nasally with her nose stuffed with blood, but she makes do. “You were people once. All of you. Don’t lose that.”

“It’s- It’s-”

“M¥ ñåmê.”

“Calvin Gilbert.” Not-Catalina murmurs. “It’s- hard to remember certain things. Our faces went awhile ago...and then our names.”

“ñåmê§. Öµr ñåmê§. ßµ† ðµr åñgêr.”

“Our anger is, I’m afraid...all we have left.”

Joan thought for a moment. Then, she looks up into Not-Catalina’s eyes, The Sunken’s eyes, and said, “Then take it with you.”

They stare at each other for a long time. A clot it beginning to form in one of Joan’s nostrils.

“§¢råþ ï†.”

“Keep your nature.” Not-Catalina said. “We’ll keep ours.”

Joan closed her eyes. She clenched her fingers, feeling more and more disconnected from her body as time goes on.

“Maggie had— has— will have— this friend, and you sort of remind us of her.”

“§†råñgê gïrl... ðÐÐ †êmþêrêÐ...”

“Take care,” Not-Catalina said. “With the time you have left, child. And take notice of what you choose to—”

Joan takes out her radio and began to tune in. The tear is nowhere in sight, but she knows it’s still there. She can feel its energy. Not-Catalina falters.

“What are you doing?” Not-Catalina demands.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Joan said. “But I’m not letting you hurt my friends.”

101.1

The edges of the tear flickered into view.

“Oh! You wanna play chicken with the void? Fine.” Not-Catalina growled. “Let’s see how long you can last in the throttle.”

Joan grits her teeth. Her entire body is quaking. Spiderwebs of cracks spread throughout her bones.

“I don’t care what happens to me.” She grunts. Her hands are wracked with tremors and she can barely see the station numbers, but she continues to twist the dial.

111

The tear shrinks, the edges folding in on themselves. The storm rages powerfully.

“Johanne, wake up!” Not-Catalina yelled. “This course of action will only save those morons, not you! Don’t you understand?”

“I know that.” Joan said calmly.

“You don’t even comprehend why this is happening, do you?” Not-Catalina growled. “They sent warships after us! Like we were prey! It’s—” She falters again. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that. And neither is this.”

Joan looked up at Not-Catalina again and narrowed her reddening eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

106.2

The tear began to mend itself shut.

“WAIT!!”

Lights, flashing, static, roaring.

“Jðåñ. Jðåñ.”

Joan is an endless void of black.

“†ïmê. Öµ†. Älðñê. Wê årê åll ðñ †hê §åmê. §ïÐê.”

Tears spill down Joan’s cheeks. She leans back, floating weightlessly in the abyss. She smiled sadly.

“þððr. Gïrl.”

“I did it for my friends and Cathy,” She whispered. She tilts her head back, inhaling shaking and sobbing softly. “All for them. If they’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

“̆ ï§ †hê. RðåÐ. Ö£ †hê mïÐÐlêÐ.”

Joan pulls her knees to her chest, spinning in a slowly circle. Her tears splash down onto the radio she’s holding.

“Wê åll þlå¥. ߥ. †hê §åmê. Ðê§ïgñ.”

She can feel herself bugging out. She looks up in shock.

“What are you...?”

“GððÐ. Lµ¢k. Måkê ï†. L姆.”

————

“‘But soon, I shall be so that I cannot remember any...but the things that never happened.’”

“Yeah, I— I don’t know.”

Joan stirred and groaned softly. She struggles to open her eyes because of the light that immediately stabs into her retinas.

“Ugh...”

“Hey, she’s walking up!”

Cathy is kneeling in front of her. Behind her, the other three stand on the deck of the ferry they’re all on.

“Are...are we in ghost heaven?” Joan slurred out.

“I think that’s just regular heaven, sweetheart.” Catalina said.

Her voice is what really made Joan’s mind register. It was normal.

She blinked hard and the fuzzy black blotches spotting her vision clear up slowly. She sits up on the bench she had been laying on and looks at everyone. No one has glowing red eyes.

“Did we...did we win? Are we okay?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Cathy answered. There’s a small smile on her lips. “Whatever you did in that cave, it worked. We’re going home.”

Joan’s breath caught in her throat. She glanced all around the boat again- Anne’s smile isn’t strained, Kitty’s face isn’t the color of a corpse, Cathy was there with her, Catalina was herself.

They were alive.

“Oh my god...” Joan whispered. “Are we- are we okay? Is it really over?”

“Yeah,” Cathy nodded. “It’s okay. It’s over. We’re safe now.”

They’re safe now.

Tears filled Joan’s eyes and she launched herself into Cathy’s arms. Anne and Kitty join the group hug and Catalina gets pulled in in the process. They all embrace each other tightly, crying. Crying in relief, exhaustion, joy, bliss.

They were free.

“That was- wow.” Anne said after they all pulled away. She laughed and wiped her eyes.

“Are you crying, Reginald?” Catalina teased.

“So are you!”

“I am, and it’s completely ruining my mascara and persona.” Catalina said, wiping away the black-tinged streak rolling down her cheek. “That was insane.”

“We gotta tell people!” Kitty said. “Right? I mean, it’s not like anyone will believe us, but, like...we could go on a freakin’ book tour or something!”

“We encountered real ghosts!” Joan added. “I mean, we don’t have proof, but still!”

“It’ll definitely be quite the story.” Catalina chuckled.

Joan finally stood up and, when she did so, she felt no pounding against her temples. The agonizing migraine that had been infecting her head that entire night was gone. There was no dull static buzzing in the back of her mind.

They really were safe, now.

She was out of that void.

“What happened back there?” Joan asked. “Does anyone know?”

She was no longer bloody, she could breathe properly, and none of her bones felt like they were about to shatter into tiny pieces, so did whatever went down in that storm really happen? Or was it all a hallucination after she tuned into that giant tear in the cave.

“Cathy carried you here.” Kitty said.

“Well, of course I did.” Cathy crosses her arms. “You were unconscious on the beach, so I ran down to get you.”

“What about Catalina?” Joan asked, looking at the older girl.

“I carried her,” Anna said. “But she woke up along the way.”

“What time is it?”

“Seven in the morning.” Cathy answered.

Joan breathes a small, impressed breath.

“Did...” Catalina speaks up. Everyone else turns to her. “Did anyone else experience, like, dreams when they were ‘taken’ during the night?”

“Yeah, a few.” Anne answered.

“Me too.” Kitty nodded.

“Just the one of my mum in the bunker.” Cathy added.

“I had...I had some of Maria.” Joan said. “We were on an accidental trip to the beach.”

“I had my older sister.” Catalina said. “We were fighting over...I don’t even remember. Something Stupid. But I don’t know why that memory would visit”

“Maybe it’s something that’s close to us?” Joan guessed aloud. “I don’t know. It’s over now. That’s all that matters.”

They all nodded.

“Hey, Anne, didn’t you say you lost a book?”

The others looked over at Kitty, who is holding up a book. Anne perks up and snatches it from her excitedly.

“You found it!” She said. “I thought one of the ship guys would have thrown it overboard!”

“Oh, also,” Kitty piped up again. “What were we talking about before Joan woke up?”

“Prom?” Anne said, and the others groaned.

“I think I’m gonna defer my crown this year.” Catalina said.

“Joan, are you gonna go?” Kitty asked.

The girl shrugged. “I don’t know. I might.”

“Yeah, you should come with us!” Catalina turned around to face Joan. The old light she used to have in her eyes, the loving, caring, friendly one, is returning slowly. It bathed Joan in its tender glow. “We can go dress shopping. It’ll be fun!”

Joan blinked, genuinely shocked by the offer, but then she smiled.

“I’d- I’d love to! It sounds great!”

Catalina smiled back. A real smile.

“You can even bring your step sis.” She said, nodding at Cathy, who laughed.

“I’m glad I got your permission to go.” Cathy said.

“Alright, everyone! It’s picture time!” Kitty suddenly exclaimed. She scampered out onto the deck, into the warm morning light bleeding out from the soft grey clouds above. “Come on! Tonight has been noteworthy- we gotta take a picture to commemorate it!”

The others gave in to her pleas and all grouped together.

“Hey, Anne, what is that book, anyway?” Cathy asked as they got into position.

“I actually don’t know,” Anne admitted. “I can hardly make heads or tails of it! Like, look- I’ll open to some random ass page and...’When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not. But soon, I shall be so that I cannot remember any...but the things that never happened.’”

“Yeah, I— I don’t know.” Cathy said.

“Wait-” Joan blinked. “Didn’t you-”

“Cheese!!”

—————

“Dear Diary.....yes I have one now......

Before we left, I told my mum I was spending the night at a friend’s house. When we got back, I didn’t see a reason to change that story. And you know what...I still don’t.

Anne began studying theatre arts in a city nearby after high school. I was worried for awhile- I thought our friendship had been ruined on that island, but she came around pretty quickly. We’re still best friends to this day.

Catalina left to study English literature...she was thinking about dropping out, but she’s sticking with it for now. We talk a lot, actually. It’s nice. She’s scared of the ocean, now. Also she got a dog. If you care.

Cathy was the first to introduce me as her ‘sister’. You know, without the ‘step’ part. It was nice. We’re still really close- she goes to school in town and we see each other all the time.

It’s funny. What happened on the island used to pop into my head every single day. And then every other day. And then a week went by and I realized I hadn’t thought about it at all. I guess...that’s a good thing, I think.

I decided to stay in town and go to college here. I’m studying music and fine arts. It’s practically up the road! And it’s something familiar.

But anyways... What time is it? Oh, yeah- sorry, I gotta run or I’ll miss the ferry! Anne’s dragging me out to Edward’s Island for the yearly beach party thing. And I have to pick up what’s-her-name, Cathy, too. Ugh. I hope she’s not weird or mean or something.

Whatever. I’m sure it’ll be fun. It’s something to do. Right?”

.-- . .-.. -.-. --- -- . / .... --- -- .