FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The most emotionally heaviest and darkest chapter I have written so far from this book.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

"Serenity"

ACT 1

(Serenity Resident Evil 4 Music Extended HD)

Charlie Winchester stood in his bathroom, having just closed the door behind him as he closed his eyes, taking a deep, somewhat painful breath. His shoulders felt heavy, and the coldness of the floor tiles felt so unwelcoming under his footpads.

Like a reminder of how the warmth around his life had disappeared slowly during the years and turned into a cold. Slow, agonizing path of the process that had drained the life away from him piece by piece.

Now he felt like there were starting to be no pieces left. His sons were scared of him, hated him. He had shown his true colors and identity in the worst way possible. He had been hit in the face by his fox son, feeling like out of all the injuries, it hurt the most due to what it meant to him.

The bruise on his cheek was already swelling, feeling like it burned.

...

He had lost his way. And soon, he would be placed in a difficult decision. Whether admit to being thrown out back into the Texas Wasteland... Or to die here.

He tried to look for the road in between... But he knew that even if Amir and Robert would testify on their behalf... The damage was already done.

Xavier was dead. Sax. Richard. Tony. Mel. Randal. Eli.

All of the names claimed by one side or the other, but still... Due to his own actions. It didn't matter at this point if all this horror had been caused by his hand alone. The people wanted him gone. The youngling's voice and the vote didn't matter at this moment. The fact that Charlie had them, only fueled the anger of the parents even more. There was going to call for justice without a chance of redemption. He was going to suffer the consequences of his emotional outbursts. If he had planned things through... thought with a clear mind and put aside his hate... This might have not ended up like this. He was self-aware of it more than ever right now.

He might have humiliated Calvin and taught him a lesson he would never forget...

But what did that cost? Love from your children? Their mental health? Young people's opinions about their teacher, once they would slowly start to realize that Charlie had not been so innocent of things after all when the facts would come out?

All this death... For Niles.

A boy that wasn't even his kin. All the way till this moment, he had questioned himself a lot without a clear answer.

"Are you doing this truly for Niles?... Or doing this for yourself?"

Over and over the same question kept repeating itself to him... And he now knew the answer, as harsh at it was, with a clarity.

He had willingly let the anger take control on people who deserved it... because it felt good. He had killed the people he saw as bad... Because it made him feel alive. He had caused a stir and became the center of attention... Because it made it all real...

And he had put aside his safety and his son's emotions...

Because he didn't care anymore.

That... Was the definition of last pieces of the true you fading into the wind like the sands of Texas.

Charlie Winchester was no more. Left was a formel shell of that man, locked behind doors and left to slowly die and disappear from memory. From breathing real air.

He would have the option... To Submit... And welcome himself back to the unknown, not knowing what would wait out there anymore. Was the brotherhood standing? Had his actions caused the slow demise of the order, just like the man had accused him of? The man who led them all and man who Charlie hated the most in this world?

Would he be able to protect his two sons... Knowing that he was not what he used to be anymore? How long till they would survive out there? Days? Week?

... No.

And In here... he would be sentenced to die for things he did, no matter if they were on Niles's behalf. The revenge was not in his authority to commit. There was no way out of it.

And he knew that despite the hate his sons felt for him this moment... they wouldn't just watch if the people demanded Charlie to be shot by Elliot or who knows else. Maybe even Calvin himself. Wouldn't that be ironic? Dying by his hand after all.

Ryan and Dion would definitely do anything to not let that happen. And they would be held down but spared, and they would be given the chance to continue their life as orphans in the vault. People would not be cruel enough to ever harm two children. They were not punishable for their father's crimes.

But yet, it would scar them for the rest of their life.

They had already suffered enough. Losing their only parent would be the last straw for them. They would grow up hateful, untrusting, and holding a grudge to everyone. Even Dion, as kindhearted he was.

And then... There was the worst option. To fight back. To shoot people and try to make them truly know what fear meant. But Charlie knew it would be only a matter of time before the mob would kill him themselves. He could not kill them all... And most of all...

He would never forgive himself for going that route. He would rather die than do it. These people were hateful... But they were not evil. They did not deserve to die. Their children definitely didn't deserve to grow as orphans. What was this all for, if he would go on a rampage and just prove Calvin's point?

To make the students hate and scream in horror as their teacher would reveal himself as a murderous monster that rather took as many people in the grave as he could before he would get killed?

Never. I will never take that route.

The question is... Right at this moment...

What will you choose? What will you let happen? Will you submit... And beg? Beg for the first time in your life to be spared?

The idea felt bizarre. Even in the most dangerous situation of his life, he had never even considered surrender. That was not him. He was fearless and vicious. He would never beg. But... If that person was already dead and long gone from his soul...

Would tomorrow have to be the day to change and... Ask for forgiveness?

To beg that he would be spared, separated from others somewhere deep in the vault, and never to teach again? To never communicate with them again? To be held almost as a prisoner that would be fed daily?

... What an end to Charlie the mighty Winchester.

Clean death sounded a lot better option.

But at this moment, he had to think about his children. It was about time. And also... Too late.

What was there to do anymore? Where would this all end?

....

Charlie slowly gave a grunt as he started to take off his clothes. This might very well be the last shower he would take... So, he had to make it a good one.

Slowly, the dog got out of his vault suit, making it flop onto the cold floor. He slowly started to take out his underwear, letting them drop down and the release of freedom making him exhale slightly.

Slowly, he raised his head up after scooting the clothes away, too tired to even pick them up and fold them.

The tired, broken gaze of the old dog kept staring at his own reflection through the mirror, feeling like he was staring at a ghost of his old self. But the ghost had wounds that would remind him of that life still till death.

His sons had not witnessed their father's bear body over Charlie's cautiousness and avoiding questions.

He looked like a mess.

The dog stood there, his paw slowly traveling on his torso, almost like the touch of each stop gave him memories like flashing lights.

Scars. Bullet wounds. Cuts.

There was only half the fur left around his body than there should have been. The bad thing about getting such deadly wounds was that the fur wouldn't grow back on those spots, despite the medicine and care. And his wounds... Were more than visible.

Looking at his body... It was only a miracle of hell how he had not died already. But Charlie knew that all the gratitude went to medical treatment and stimpaks... A lot of stimpaks. Without them, he would not be standing here.

He might have been named "Wind of Texas" long ago for a reason, but no man was untouchable. It was only people's stories and exaggerations that made the fantasies leave in people's heads.

All he called it was a much simpler word.

Luck.

Along with lots of arrogance and confidence.

The wounds continued all the way down his leg and even to his groin. If he would believe in God, he would have thanked him from the worst lock of getting wounded in his private area. Wearing metal plate where it counts the most beside heart is a smart thing thought by a smart man long ago.

Charlie rubbed his face tiredly, checking at his pip-boy. The time was eleven in the evening. Four hours since his argument with his kids. He had never even intended to go back and talk to him. He didn't dare to. He didn't know how he could fix all this, despite his promises to do so desperately.

There was no fixing this.

You have always been a problem solver... And right now... You can't even solve what you are going to do tomorrow to save your own life.

... Should you even?

The dog slowly started to take off the pip-boy from his wrist, keeping on staring at the mirror at his reflection.

Slowly... Charlie felt his blood pressure rising up, his face turning into a quick grip of anger as he closed his eyes, taking a fast and calculated jab.

"Fuck you." The dog grunted out.

KTSHHH!

the punch broke the mirror in front of his face and shattering the pieces of glass around the sink and onto his feet.

The dog slowly lifted his paw against the back of the inner mirror cabinet, his eyes in small alarm turning to look at his paw.

His already busted knuckles from beating Calvin's and Jonas's face was way in a more unhealthy looking situation.

About two rather noticeable glass shards were stuck into his flash, the slight shock of pain pushing down like a jolt of burning pain.

Yet, there was not much visible pain on the dog's face, even if his paw trembled as a reaction.

Charlie sighed, realizing only now what he had done as the adrenaline was going down.

"Idiot..." He whispered, knowing the sound could have alarmed Dion.

But the bathroom door was locked, so he would have to call for him from the other side respectfully without being able to barge in.

But the most realistic expectation that was most likely true, was that Dion was not going to come and check on the sound even if he heard it. He was just most likely just more scared now.

Why did I have to do that?

The dog tiredly lifted his other paw up, gritting his teeth together as he knew pulling the shards would hurt.

For his luck they had not gone too deep. But enough to leave forever mark.

"NNh.." The dog let out through his teeth, carefully taking out the first shard and wanting briefly punch something again out of the jolt of outcome pain.

He dropped the bloody shard into the sink and turned to right away to get rid of the last one.

The dog grabbed the slightly smaller but wider piece with his fingers, preparing himself again.

"Tsh.." The dog let out as sharp inhale, quickly throwing the last bloody shard into the sink in frustration, panting a bit.

"Shit..." He muttered, taking the nearby white towel from the wall, starting to wrap it around his bleeding paw.

As the dog was wrapping the fabric around fast to slow the bleeding, his eyes traveled in front of him.

And then the gaze hesitantly met with what was inside the cabinet.

A small, grey, metallic tin box.

His eyes kept looking at it.

He knew what it was... And better yet... He knew what was in it.

He gave a brief look at his paw, slowly taking his time to finish up the wrapping and then turning to look at the tin box again.

His mind felt focused. He thought about grabbing the tin, shame hitting his emotions like a wave of resistance.

"No..." He let out with a guilty tone.

Why?... Why would you not?

It's wrong. Not now. Not in the middle of all of this.

"... What would be a more appropriate time?" His inner voice asked like a tempting demon.

This might be your last chance for it... As you still live.

Charlie felt the temptation. It grew and grew more as he kept staring at the tin box.

You want what is inside it. You need it right now.

But my boys...

What about them? What is the worst that can happen?

The door is locked. They do not intend to talk to you. For a reason. You don't deserve their words.

But this... This is something you got for yourself. You want... It.

The dog looked self-disgusted, angered by his own greedy need for the box in his reach.

He wanted to hit himself. To... Even think about the ethical side of this decision.

It's not right.

Neither was what they want to do to you. This... What do you even have to lose anymore?

That question felt more hurtful as it felt true.

The dog moved out his hand slowly and every second doubtingly towards the item.

And he felt his paws grab it.

The dog took his paw back, his grip shaking from uncertainty as he held it.

He gave a deep breath, taking a few steps back from the sink and the shards around his feet. His back collided against the bathroom door, the dog letting his whole body fall down as his back supported him all the way down against the metal.

He sat on the floor now, his face looking tired as it rubbed the tin box, the feeling of guilty still carving his soul up as he opened the box with his healthy fingers.

The box opened up.

And in front of him were three objects.

Two of those items were not his personal possession... Not originally.

They were Amir's... From his clinic.

A syringe of Med- X... And two mentats pills.

These were the same two drugs Charlie had taken from Amir during their encounter about a week ago, as he had been welcoming himself to take what he needed in the middle of the night.

He still had them. He knew always when to find a good place and time... Privacy... To let himself go through something he couldn't get rid of.

That feeling... The combination of these two items.

Before Charlie had entered the vault... He had very rarely taken any drugs at all. Alcohol, time to time... Cigars... Frequently... But anything harder than that? He could count on his fingers how many times and he could barely use all the available fingers.

But after coming here... He became faced with inner demons' lot faster than he thought. Med - X, and mentats became a frequent substance of use. Always behind Amir's back, for about seven years.

Seven damn years.

And these... Well, these were the last ones he would probably ever rob... Or have a chance of using.

That was his line of thought. He wanted them.

He wanted to feel it all over again... As the use, these two objects by itself were not enough to keep Charlie addicted.

No. He needed something more.

And that... Was the third, remaining item in the tin box.

And slowly, his face turned to look at that item, with more emotion than any object in this world left for him besides his personal handgun.

... A holotape.

The holotape was old. Very old and used. It had seen a lot of better days.

Charlie picked up the object in his paw with real delicacy, gazing upon it and his eyelids getting lower as he spoke with an almost broken tone.

"Damnit..."

He slowly let the paw laid down the holotape safely right next to him.

His gaze lingered on it for a while, as he slowly turned his attention back to the tin box.

The drugs were still laying there, waiting for him.

His touch reached the pills first, picking them both up and holding them tightly against eachother.

He kept measuring them with a face of sorrow, knowing it was not too late to turn back yet.

You didn't need to do this.

... You don't.

Think about your sons.

... I'm sorry.

The dog quickly closed his eyes, bringing the pills into his muzzle and his tongue scooping them in, a strong and quiet sound of swallow following after.

He exhaled as he felt the pills go down, his eyelids opening and the dog knowing he had made his decision.

No matter how selfish it was... how much he hated himself for it... How much he knew it was a terrible idea to do... He couldn't resist it.

Not when it was his last chance for it all.

He took out the needle next with a fast grasp from the box, in spike pf frustration instantly swiping the tin box away from the top of his leg.

He cursed quietly as the tin box hit the wall, joining the glass shard pile at the end of his feet.

Now... All he had left to keep in his grip... Was the needle.

The long syringe looked rather intimidating, but the clear liquid inside it kept mesmerizing Charlie with it's calling, almost like he could make out whispers just by looking at it.

The dog took a quick and sharp inhale through his nose, laying the needle briefly on top of his inner thigh.

He reached for the object he had laid on top of his clothes pile, bringing it close and starting to push its buttons.

As he had done the normal start of the machine, bringing it alive with a buzzing sound, he exhaled deeply and clicked a top button on the machine.

It opened the holotape slot through the mechanism.

The slot was open, ready to receive whatever was put into it.

Charlie hesitated... Reveled on his tired self-hate once more... But couldn't anymore stop for too long as he was getting impatient already.

The old dog slowly brought his holotope from next to him, closer to the pip-boy. The eyes that followed the square object cached the writing on the holotape.

"To my loved Charlie #752"

The dog felt his eyes water just by reading the text, sharp inhale letting itself go as a reaction as he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to stay in this moment, just relive it all over again.

Like this tape was something so special to him. Truly special.

The dog couldn't help feeling the emotions break him all over as he closed his eyes, bringing the fingers of his closer. He laid a long and lasting smooch against the text on the holotape, whispering something he could not even hear himself.

With shaky grip, the dog slowly placed the holotape into the open slot, closing the lid quickly.

He felt like he needed a breather just for a moment, sniffing and holding back the tears as he needed to sway quiet, just in case Dion would ever decide to visit his room.

But he started to become less caring and self-aware about his surroundings and situation, as he laid the pip by down carefully next to him, bringing up his shaky fingers and grabbing the syringe once more from his lap.

He closed his eyes, exhaling and squeezing the syringe trigger, letting out a bit of liquid to make sure there was no air bubble.

The dog then quickly and hesitantly brought the end of the needle against his inner arm. He kept it there, gritting his teeth and hitting the back of his head quickly against the metal behind him, grunting and looking at the ceiling, as he knew this was not right.

If... If only...

Just... Let it happen.

It's one last time... And... Then you don't have to... bother yourself about the idea of ever getting more. It's all gone.

And...

Charlie now let out a single tear from his tired eye, sticking the needle in and feeling his eyes widen only briefly from feeling the metal sink into him.

The needle was now in the vein, the dog feeling his heartrate rise...

And as he started to slowly inject the liquid, his expression and his eyes were filled with euphoria. His gaze started to vibrate.

The heart rate started to slow down... And the liquid finished its capacity in the syringe. It was all in his bloodstream now.

The dog quickly took out the needle from his vein, starting to deliriously feel his head and eyes spin around a bit, as the wave of warm and cold shivers traveled his body like ice... mixed with fire.

It was... incredible feeling. He felt every muscle in his body relax like they had been tensing this whole time. His world became painless and effortless. His blood burned... But not in a bad way.

Just... It was something you could not feel but to embrace. You had no choice. It was too strong a substance. And the mentats started to work their way to give their own effort into the mix.

"hhhHhahhh..." The dog let out as relaxed exhale, his body slowly falling right next to shards of glass, the cold floor feeling much more welcoming now.

His body gave small twitches as he bit his tongue, his breathing euphoric and unsteady.

He panted, slowly closing his eyes fully and his eyes peeking to gaze upon his pip-boy.

His shaky, weak finger started to hover towards the pip-boy, aiming to reach for the button on top.

The dog let his finger hover on top of the button, knowing that this would be it.

This was the moment.

All that he had left... And all that gave him life.

He pressed the button... And surrendered as the warm, shivery wave of the Med - X hit him again all over like warm ocean water against the sand.

"Playing an audio log: Seven-five-two. Date of the recording: June, the year 2267."

...

He waited for it...

And he embraced.

"Charlie?"

The moment the voice...

Emily's voice spoke...

Charlie gasped loudly and broke down in tears as they had been on a brink of coming all along.

He couldn't hold it down anymore. The held back emotions all released themselves as his world was now filled with nothing but the relieved joy of the love of his life. Emily Winchester.

Her voice... It was like holding hands to an angel from the depths of darkness and up the clouds.

This... Was the last missing piece that he needed.

Living... reminding memory of her. Her voice real as this room.

...

Emily kept speaking on the recording innocently.

"I always was bad at recording these things... Like... I always just take one and have to figure out what to say-"

"It's okay, I-It's okay, my love... P-please... Just... Talk to me... I'm here." Charlie stuttered, tears falling down his cheeks as the smile slowly spread around his muzzle, the dog shivering all over.

The recording continued to play.

"I know that you don't mind, you just glad to hear from me... I... I hope that Paladin Rex finds you in the field so he can give this to you... Wherever you are right now, fighting for us..."

"H-he found me alright... I... Thank you..." Charlie whimpered, zoning out on Emily's soft voice trying to awkwardly speak on the recording.

"I know that... You are coming back after a week... But I just... Thought about giving this to you. C-Charlie... I can feel him kicking in my belly. Our boy seems so healthy..."

".... Emily..." Charlie gasped, shaking and crying the tears of happiness as Emily spoke about the time she still was waiting for Dion. His son would be born two months later after this recording.

"... I... I can't wait to see how beautiful our son will be... Have you... Still figured out what name he could have?"

"I... I like Dion... That's strong... And unique name...." Charlie whispered, sniffing quietly and continuing to cry.

"... Well, whatever the name is that you choose... I'm just saying, don't joke around like you always do with me. Our son won't be named anything silly-"

"Nono... I ... I promise... You will like Dion..." Charlie chuckled, sniffing loudly and listening on.

"... Charlie... I... I got a bit emotional today because... I still can't forget that one day... When you told that once all this is over... You would one day take me there... And build a home."

"... I remember... I remember, Emily..." Charlie whispered on the bathroom floor.

"... Do you remember that sunset? ... It was a miracle that Elder Simmons let us fly there that day... It must have been the most confusing request ever to demand from the brotherhood... As a prisoner."

"... I was a model prisoner, wasn't I? So much that I was sitting behind those bars for eleven months..." Charlie admitted with a chuckle, smiling wider.

"You are just... Sometimes I wonder if you were even real..."

"... Speak for yourself..." Charlie said lovingly.

"I know that other scribes and Paladin's judge me... They still do not trust you... But... They will see who you really are, Charlie..."

"You are only one that matters... Elder trusts me... Because I am alive..." Charlie whispered.

"... You remember that night we... decided that we want to be parents... You played Bobby Caldwell... And I... You really know good music, you know. I can't get the song out my head..."

"...I... I remember how we danced... I wish I could... I wish to do it again when I come back." Charlie let out with tears of happiness, chuckling a bit.

"... That place you took me... I dream of it still... I... Do you remember how the sunset was? It was...."

".... It was perfect." Charlie whimpered, crying and totally losing himself to the drug, drifting far away into his memories.

Just like that... He fell almost asleep while still feeling more alive than ever.

Away from the horrible place and mess of a situation he was in now...

And into a paradise.

A week ago... Amir asked... If your life was so bad out there... What on earth would you want to remember?

The only good memories he ever had.

Sometimes... Those can shadow even the worst ones.

And this...

Was one of them.

ACT 2

TWENTY YEARS AGO

YEAR 2267, SOUTH OF HOUSTON

(The Last Samurai - A Way of Life)

About three to four miles south from the ruins of Houston city, a place by the times of old-world named "Rosharon stop point.", there was this...

Place by a small pond.

It was in the middle of a small field of beautiful, long grown grass...

The old rusty sign nearby the place had survived the bombs far ago, the faint text still there.

"Sandy point church".

The old construction was gone... But nature... Nature was very much alive... Recovering from the war after all these years. If felt like... The closer you got to the sea... The more beautiful and hopeful the scenery around you looked. Even in the middle of all the hostilities... It still started to look like something it had been around tens of thousands of years ago before any man had stepped in this land.

Like they say... Nature always claims what belongs to it.

The dog and the fox were standing by the small grass hill near the pond, looking at the woods and roads beyond, the sun going down far away.

It was almost burning red... The orange, warm, and calming light were so mesmerizing. As was this place.

This... This looked like a place to be.

The slight wind against the fur, making it bristle... The leaves and the flower dust flew everywhere around them.

The trees and their branches were dancing beautifully, just like that glimmering orange fur of hers, shining bright against the light.

And Charlie standing there, looking at the female he loved, her slowly taking small steps to memorize the details around her in awe. This was something she wanted to remember. Just breathing in the freshest air, feeling like the wind was bringing the scent of the sea all the way to them.

Charlie remembered when he looked down, gazing at the nearby flowers he saw. He had never seen such things during his lifetime all in the same place... The red, purple, and white, velvety colored flowers gusting in the wind. Emily had not noticed Charlie walking away briefly as she was so stunned by the number of trees, grass, and flowers around her.

"... Emily." Charlie had said, slowly running his arms to her waist and gently turning her around.

The puzzled smile came to her face, breaking her from the glamour state and bringing her attention to her husband.

"... I... I saw this... thought you might like it." Charlie said with an awkward chuckle, slowly bringing something from behind his back.

A small rose found its way to Emily's paw, her looking down and staring at it.

"It's... It's so pretty."

"Well, then you two have something common," Charlie said warmly, running his paw on hers and slowly starting to change his expression into something a bit more serious as Emily was blushing from the words.

"... Emily... I... I have something that..."

The brown-furred handsome young husky felt his heart racing as he slowly looked at the love of his life, trying to get the words out. Emily was feeling the rose with her fingertips, wondering what Charlie was on about.

He would always do this... It's somehow funny when you think about it. The greatest soldier Emily had ever known was always a romantic person by the heart, only her witnessing this side of him when no one else ever had. With her, he was so different. She never wanted that to change. From the beginning of their journey together... Charlie was always true and vulnerable to her.

"Look... Damn... I've wanted to show this place to you for months now... Now that you finally see it... Being here with me... "Charlie said, wondering how to put his burning thoughts into words.

"I have something to tell... Well, ask... Tell, do... I-" Charlie huffed, taking a look around him.

No. You don't escape this. This moment... Is perfect. This place is perfect to do it. You know that this moment right here-

"I have something to tell you too, handsome," Emily said, slowly closing her eyes and inhaling the scent of the rose in her paws.

".... O-oh, you do? Well you first then. You are better with words than me anyway and you can hype me up by getting this conversation going since I'm just here trying to figure-"

Emily had slowly put her finger in front of Charlie's muzzle, the brown-furred husky slowly going quiet and looking at his wife with an apologizing look, which was answered with nothing but a loving smile.

Slowly, Emily took Charlie's paw and started to guide it. Slowly and gently his palm was now against her tummy as the young female fox laid her other paw on Charlie's to keep it against her.

"...." Charlie was looking down, then at Emily. Those blue eyes were waiting for him to understand the suggestion until Emily helped him out. She spoke warmly.

"Charlie... I'm carrying a child."

"... W-wait huh-?" Was the only thing Charlie could stutter out, small confusion trying to process what he just heard.

Charlie didn't quite get it. He took at least a few seconds.

The eyes staring at him were full of nothing but love and somewhat proudness.

Slowly, Emily could see the expression coming to a realization, the eyes widening and him looking at down again at her belly and then back at her. He felt something sparking inside him, the small amount of glossiness coming to his eyes as Emily was rubbing his paw.

"You-?" Was the only thing Charlie could let out, Emily letting out a small whisper as she felt the tears coming as well.

"You are going to be a father, Charlie."

At that moment, the brown-furred twenty-six-year-old husky exhaled air quickly, shedding a tear.

"It's going to be a boy," Emily said softly, starting to cry herself as well as she felt Charlie's wrist shaking a bit.

"Hah... A boy? I'm going to have a son? Me?" Charlie asked like he was in a dream right now, a loving smile coming to his face and Emily bringing her paw to his cheek to brush the falling tear away.

"Yes you, funny," Emily said gently, coming in for a hug.

Charlie took Emily in his arms and closed his eyes with her, Charlie brushing his cheek against hers.

"... What did I deserve to find you in this life?" Charlie asked quietly, holding her even more tightly and feeling like he could live at this moment with her forever.

"... Being a model prisoner was a good first step." Emily joked, Charlie, breaking to chuckle from the funny yet fair statement.

"... But was I really?" Charlie asked with an amused tone, inhaling the scent of her fur.

"... I never said you were perfect."

"I had my moments; you have to give that," Charlie said warmly.

Emily slowly started to wipe her face from all the crying, distancing herself just a little bit to see Charlie's face.

For a long minute they stared at each other without saying a word.

They didn't need to. Emily was still holding Charlie's paw against her stomach. But the shaking was gone. Charlie was calming down.

"... Since you are now one of us... You are not going to escape, are you, Charlie Winchester?" Emily asked softly with a smile.

"... I am going to be a father to our child... I'm not going anywhere." Charlie whispered.

"... I believe that." Emily whispered back.

They both leaned in, kissing each other gently as the sun glimmered on the horizon.

The romantic moment shared between the two kept on, Emily finally parting her muzzle from Charlie's, the dog touching noses quietly with her.

He then whispered.

"Maybe I will escape... But only if you escape with me." Charlie said back quietly.

For a moment the female fox studied her husband's eyes, him being clearly somewhat serious.

"... If I'd say yes... Where would we even go?"

Charlie was quiet for a while, giving a warm smile and thinking for a while.

After a moment, he looked next to them at the glimmering pond and the amazing scenery around them. Emily knew what Charlie was thinking without saying, giving gaze at the small house next to them in the middle of this grain field.

"... I think the perfect place Is already where we are." Charlie said, partly serious to the female fox looking back at him.

"Just because it's beautiful doesn't mean it's safe... We literally had to shoot few of ghouls and super mutants on our ride here-"

"Yeeeah I mean, of course I would have made a fence of some kind," Charlie smirked.

"... A fence." The female fox repeated with an amused look.

"All I have to do is paint a sign saying Winchester's property and they are going to turn right back," Charlie smirked with a confident and knowing tone.

"Yeah I bet, cowboy," Emily said with somewhat agreeing tone, running his paw on the collar of Charlie's jacket. His confidence and bad boy aura never failed to have a fuming effect on her.

A moment passed as the handsome brown husky was still looking at her, Emily knowing that he was clearly still serious. She now took a bit more somber smile as she spoke quietly.

"... I wish we could."

"What is stopping us?"

"... You know, Charlie..."

"... Yeah.... yeah, I do." the husky sighed quietly, touching noses together with her.

"... Charlie..."

"Emily," Charlie said back with a loving tone.

"... How did you know about this place? It's...-"

"it's quite something alright. I was here a long time ago. I never forgot it. It's even more green than it was years ago." Charlie said, looking around himself.

"... I love that you brought me here, but... But I still don't understand it."

"Hmm?" Charlie asked with an amused tone.

"... These are the first months you have been part of the Brotherhood... Did you talk to Elder Simmons for days for a request to get here... Why? We are in the middle of a war, Charlie... I just don't understand the meaning of-"

"Sometimes, Emily... The meaning doesn't need to be buried deep. I love you. I wanted to bring you here to see this. To see that there is more out in the world than what you have seen. All you have seen is rubble, steel, blood, and stone... But look around you. There is more to this world than the walls of the Fort of honor."

Emily couldn't really find words to answer, doing as Charlie did and both looking around the peaceful landscape. After a while, Charlie spoke.

"Once the war is over... I want you to come with me. To live here. To forget Houston. To forget fighting. To forget the brotherhood. I want to have a future where our kid... Kids... Can live safely. I want to have a future with you."

"... Charlie... The brotherhood is the safest place for-"

"Emily," Charlie said quietly, his gaze being serious more than ever about what he said.

"... I want it too." Emily said quietly, smiling. Yet they both knew how loyal she was to the order of the brotherhood.

"... Will you think about it?" Charlie asked genuinely, feeling her paw in his.

".... I promise." Emily said.

Charlie smiled now widely, wiping his face and taking her into a hug again.

The hug continued for a long time as the sun glimmered on the blue sky, the wind getting stronger now.

"... By the way, Emily..."

"... Charlie?" Emily hummed, feeling so safe and warm in his arms.

"... You were right."

"What was I right about this time?" She asked with an amused tone.

"... There was a bigger reason I brought you here." Charlie said soothingly.

Emily slowly opened her eyes as Charlie was giving a kiss at her forehead, the female fox sensing the nervousness in his next words.

"I... Okay, here I go..."

Charlie had been thinking this situation through in his head for a long time. It's now or never. She is carrying your child. It is a blessing to you. Now it's your time to give a blessing to her.

"Charlie, what are you up to now? -" Emily asked with the wondering tone, the husky swallowing a bit as he inhaled air.

You got this.

Slowly, the brown-furred young husky kneeled down in front of her, letting go of her paws at the same time.

The exact moment he did, Emily felt like her whole world stopped as she saw Charlie take out something.

Within a few seconds, Charlie had opened a small and dirty case in his paws, revealing a piece of silver.

Small and simple silver ring stood in the box, Charlie looking at her with now the most vulnerable look she had ever seen as she could hardly breathe.

"Emily... Will you marry me?"

"..." The answer didn't come out of the female fox as she was shaking, almost looking like she was having a panic attack. Charlie first was smiling awkwardly, just waiting. Until she got a bit nervous from the silence as Emily was starting to cry.

Just when Charlie was about to speak carefully, Emily squealed with tears coming down her cheeks.

"YES, Charlie!"

Before the husky realized, the hysteric and now from happiness laughing fox had kneeled down to his level, tackling him down against the soft and green grass. She clearly wasn't in a hurry to think about the ring in her finger, when the suggestion and the question were already all that mattered to her.

In the heat of the moment, Charlie closed her eyes with the happiest smile of his life, letting go of the small case and starting to passionately kiss his wife back.

The small crew of brotherhood paladins was watching the situation from afar, Paladin Rex telling his comrades to relax with the weapon aiming even if it was standard order. It was clear that even if Charlie's current action under the eyes of the brotherhood was the most questionable thing they had witnessed; it was clear Charlie would never harm Emily. Rex had grown to know the dog well enough to give his own judgment.

"I don't think Elder Simmons would approve of this." One of the paladins said warily.

"Does it look like to you that he is hurting the scribe? That looked like a formal old-time proposal to me, Willis." Rex claimed without stress.

"... Whatever you say, Rex. We are about to go to war. To his war. The last thing we need is weddings."

"It is our wars just as much as it is his. I doubt that this is going to lead to any formal event of celebration anyway. That, Simmons would not approve. Just relax. What's the situation at the Fort?" The badger asked over his shoulder calmly.

The pilot on the vertibird behind them spoke after listening and talking on a frequency.

"Elder Simmons gave an order just now to travel back into the main base. We have spent already half an hour in the middle of this place, and the hostiles will follow our vertibird for miles in the worst case-"

"Yeah, got it. We are not dumb, Mike. Tell him that we will be traveling back shortly."

"Alright. I'll inform Simmons."

"Copy that... But just give them a few more minutes... For all that she has done for brotherhood... She deserves to have a day off." Rex stated, looking at the two being all over each other in the grass field.

Meanwhile in the field, the two were finally breaking their passionate kiss and looking at eachother with a loving smile.

Emily gave a moment of breath, looking at her "now to be husband", panting and running his paw on her cheek.

"... I love you." Charlie said quietly with an emotional tone.

"... I love you too, Charlie..."

After a while Charlie couldn't help the teasing smirk coming to his muzzle as both were sniffing the air and feeling the strong emotions grip them, Charlie then taking a lightly teasing tone as he spoke.

".... You are taking my family name, right? I am quite proud of it after all-"

"Mm... I bet you are, handsome boy." The fox hummed knowingly and whispered slowly before leaning in.

"And the answer is yes, Charlie. I have feeling that Winchester as a last name makes others take me more seriously than Emily Rosevalley." The female fox giggled; Charlie not able to hold his laughter as well.

"I guess so... It has a certain kick in it. Like... Almost super mutant kick strength, you know?"

"... what a colorful metaphor, Charlie. Very romantic one."

"Okay, how about this?-"

Within a second, Charlie got surprised to squeal out of his wife as he rolled her over against the grass to kiss her again.

That was the perfect moment. The perfect time.

The perfect memory.

ACT 3

The bathroom along with his body was getting colder... The memories still ran like a weak light in the dark. The old husky was covered in sweat as most of the substances in his system were starting to leave.

Yet, Charlie was still having shaken from the pure ecstasy of the memory. His wife had finished her sentence just now on the audio log, Charlie's tired yet still love-filled voice answered back with his tears running against the floor.

"I remember that day... I... We will go back there... Don't worry, Emily... You know that I don't ever lie to you..." The old husky stuttered, trembling from the voice of his wife following right after from the recording.

"You said that... When all this is over... We should go back to that place... I don't know if it's possible, Charlie... I've... I've never farmed vegetables or such... I don't think I've ever read about gardening. Hah. Look at me. Trying to be the wisest scribe here and I don't even know how to grow tomatoes or... Well anything for that matter. It's embarrassing really." Emily said, giving small self-disappointed laugh at that.

"Nonono, haha... Emily... I will teach you... It takes time... But it's easy... There are books for it..." Charlie chuckled, sniffing and not even bothering to wipe his tears as his face was nothing but a mess.

Emily kept on talking calmly...

"Yet I keep dreaming of how it could be... For us. For our two beautiful kits... But... Brotherhood is all I've ever known. I just don't... I don't believe that they just let someone go. This order is a lifetime-"

"I know, I know... I will... I will talk to Simmons... He might let us go..." Charlie spoke quickly by himself, sniffing as he focused on Emily's talking again.

"... I love you, Charlie. I love you so much." Emily started, getting emotional in her tone, making Charlie gasp again.

"I love you too... You are everything to me, honey... I will do right by us, I will... You and the kids are the only things that matter."

"... Maybe... Maybe there is a way for us... I don't know what but... Once all this suffering is over-"

Suddenly, it came out of nowhere.

Some odd sounds started to happen on Charlie's pip-boy, almost like scratching of some kind.

First, Charlie didn't realize it.

For a good five seconds, Charlie was quiet... Until his mind finally somewhat sparked to the moment, realizing his wife should still be talking on the recording, but she wasn't.

"E- Emily?" Charlie stuttered quietly; his voice full of confusion as the bathroom was now so quiet that it was unnerving and filled him with slow and rising anxiety. What had happened?

"Honey?" Charlie asked by himself, slowly climbing to sit up slowly from the cold floor with trembling hands supporting him, his mind buzzing and his body feeling like it was on the ice. His distorted vision took the time to get out of the blur, the old husky rubbing his face and feeling his joints feeling the usual after ache of somewhat.

Like his body was waking out of a coma and his mind from a dream that felt like it lasted a whole day and was more real than the days that had been.

He shook his head for a moment, trying to make sense of his situation, as he had clearly forgotten for a long time where he actually was. The drugs made memories so vivid that he felt like it had been all a reality and this was the dream of some kind.

But it felt unwelcoming. Gray. Soulless. The cold underground home.

With a shaking paw and his stumbling fingers he started to look at his device in his wrist, his mind having to work twice as harder to get back on the planet. He was getting anxiety, clearly knowing that he had probably pressed something accidentally on his screen while zoned out, cutting off the recording in the middle. He needed to get back there. In that mind state and warm, loving memory.

"C-come on, work..." Charlie spoke with a shaky and slightly panicked tone, needing that voice of his loved one back right now to calm him down. Why do you have to be this clumsy? Come on, focus now... Find the recording.

There.

With a trembling finger, Charlie started to adjust the screen so he could press play, the husky shaking his head again almost as a reflex he couldn't control at the moment. He could barely make out the screen.

Audio log: S752 was finally found, Charlie, getting himself together to press it, ready to crawl back on the floor and relax again. He was feeling awful at the moment. He needed that voice right away.

And then... He pressed the recording.

First... There was odd and quick sound, like one of those hailing static sounds that radio did when nothing was found from the frequency.

(Zack Hemsey - The Way instrumental)

Then... It came.

"Error. Audio log file corrupt." The robotic and emotionless voice informed.

Charlie took a slight moment to realize what he had just heard, until his eyes widened from jump scare, his heart rate rising.

"No..." He whispered so quietly it was barely heard.

"Error. Audio log file corrupt." The robotic voice repeated with the same emotionless tone.

Charlie felt his sweaty body get cold shivers, a drop of sweat falling down his forehead, and on top of his paw as he was starting to panic and tap the option to play the recording.

"No... NOnononon!"

"Error. Audio log file corrupt."

"E- Emily! P-please Nononono!" Charlie started to stutter loudly in panic, his eyes getting teary again and his heart pumping like crazy. But this time, far from happiness. This was pure terror.

The husky slowly rose back on his feet, almost falling down as his knees were shaking, the dilated pupils looking at the screen and seeing the error sign blink.

The harsh reality made itself known within few seconds to Charlie as he stared at the screen, tears falling down his cheeks.

The last memory of his wife was gone. The last piece of himself and the outside world was over.

He had nothing.

He would never hear his wife again.

He was trapped alone in the dark.

Emily... She was gone.

He was the only thing left... Alone... And without the feeling of love.

"No... No! NO!" Charlie started to whine with a broken voice, his throat sore and the tears starting to fall down on the floor.

Last try... Last one. Work. Save me. Don't kill what is left of her.

He pressed one more time.

"Error. Audio log file co-"

"FUCK YOU!!!" Charlie screamed in rage and snapped, his eyes turning from panic and sorrow now into something red and dangerous. The same he had a day before when approaching Randal. Only wilder... And a thousand times worse.

Loss of control.

Charlie hit his fist straight through the remaining, left glass mirror of his bathroom cabinet, smashing it pieces, shards of glass flying everywhere, and joining the ones already on the floor.

It didn't have even a small effect of remorse in him.

He was taken over by rage like nothing else.

"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" The husky screamed in hate.

Charlie started hitting repeatedly at the wall of his bathroom, his already glass injured knuckle losing the towel wrap from around it and ripping off from the flesh wounds it had slightly dug in.

Now, both fists were bare, hitting everything he could.

He couldn't even let out anything that resembled words anymore. The loud grunts of howling from the pain and crying at the same time were terrifying.

The husky turned to rip the shower curtains down, ready to kill any soul that would end up in the same space with him.

"FUCK! FUUUUUCK!" The dog let out in agony, screaming with his tears rolling down nonstop like desperate drops of soul.

He kept hitting the walls hard, leaving blood marks all over the walls as some of the wall tiles shattered and fell down on the floor, creating a ton of noise.

He threw the towels all over the place, not even noticing all pieces of shattered glass that he was stepping on in his state, some cutting deep. Blood started to slowly be drawn against the floor tiles.

Yet the slight state of Med- X still in his system made it so that some pain spikes were not even noticed.

Charlie kicked the remaining drugs against the wall, breaking the needle with the impact.

"EMILY! Don't LEAVE ME AGAIN DON'T-!" He screamed like a desperate maniac, howling and crying.

The things he yelled... Were like the screams of a lost soul.

For a good ten seconds, he kept smashing everything. Like the fire that was roaring, he burned everything to the ground until there was nothing left to break.

Absolutely nothing.

One last punch with last strength he could muster from his body, the pain woke him up as he was pretty sure now did real raw damage to his paw.

He didn't whine or cry to from the pain that woke him up... He did it because Emily's voice was forever taken from him.

And then... Came the silence.

The movements of rapid attacks were stopping.

It was almost like his internal battery slowly died out.

The old, sweat covered husky, huffed rapidly, finally stopping the destructive chaos that he had unleashed completely. He just stopped.

His whole face was burning from the tears, the old dog looking down at his paws.

His knuckles were looking brutal. Both fists were covered in blood, the middle finger of his right paw showing a bit of his knuckle bone.

His whole hands were shaking uncontrollably, warm blood dripping on the floor from his fingers as the cuts from the broken mirror had done their part in the mess as well.

And just like that...

Everything just froze around his world.

He was now only in total shock, feeling nothing but emptiness. He was zoning out.

He had no intention to stop the bleeding. His mind couldn't function. He was torn up.

Ever since that vault door closed between him and his wife during that night of sandstorm ten years ago...

He had never felt this hollow and lost.

He had nothing.

Charlie closed his eyes, slowly backing up and feeling his back touch against the cold wall.

He slowly fell down against it, ending up sitting on the floor and holding his trembling hands against his chest.

Emily... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry...

Charlie felt like he could throw up, feeling like his body was just as broken as his mind.

He didn't know what to do. He just wanted everything to stop. He wanted everything to fade away.

The only thing that kept him going all these years... Was her. Her voice and her memories...

"Charlie... Don't..." He could feel his wife say with a sad tone in his head, making Charlie barely peek with his eyes and feeling his mind spinning.

Slowly, Charlie started to look at his pip-boy.

His screen was cracked from the side slightly, as well as having few blood drops on it.

He slowly clicked a button.

The small sound of the mechanism working started to rattle, small audio log player snapping open.

With blood-covered fingers, Charlie took out the holotape.

He read the text on the object; now that being the last reminder, he had of her existence in physical form.

"To my loved Charlie".

Charlie slowly broke down to snivel with his last energy, his bloodshot and tired eyes making out the words.

With shaking grip, his fingers couldn't let go of the object.

For a few seconds, he looked at it, tear falling on it. That holotape was useless to him now.

Everything felt like it.

Until his distorted and shaky, tear covered gaze noticed something on the floor, his attention stuck on it as he kept looking at it for five seconds.

He processed...

And for quick flash... He thought about it.

He actually did.

His eyes stared at the huge shard of broken glass on the floor.

At that moment... The darkest conclusion his mind had ever made started to sound like the embraceable solution.

First time in his life... He felt like that was all he had in all this misery.

A way out.

"... Charlie... Please don't." He could hear his wife beg with a scared tone.

After a while, Charlie could slowly whisper the words as he was zoning out on the shard, his eyes barely staying open anymore.

"I'm just... So tired... I... I need to rest."

The raspy and totally given up voice spoke nothing but sadness, the trembling and bleeding fingers reaching for the object.

First, the shard slipped through his fingers because of the blood, falling down.

Slowly, he tried again. This time he had a solid grip on it.

"Emily..." Charlie said quietly, looking at the shard. He took it slowly to his trembling wrist.

Slowly, he laid it against the most dangerous possible spot, holding it there.

"I tried, Emily..."

I don't know if you are alive... I don't know if you are gone.

I don't know if any of the world out there is even alive... Or if any of it was ever real.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

I just want to rest. I want to breathe. I want out.

I want to go back to that grass field. Back to that place we always wanted to go.

Whether I have to wait for you for years... Or if you already are there waiting for me...

I can't live like this anymore.

I'm sorry. I'm...

I'm tired.

Charlie took a deep breath, mustering the last of his courage to do the most final act in his life. It was his choice. His sons hated him. This way... He would not need to affect their life. Maybe... this was... the only...

The right choice to do for everything.

There was no point in living.

He closed his eyes.

I love you, Emily.

"Forgive me."

And slowly... He started to cut with the piece of glass shard against his wrist.

ACT 4

Dion was circling around his room, filled with anxiety and doubt.

He kept gazing at his door, wondering if he should gather bravery to finally meet up with his father.

The idea of sleep was difficult enough in itself, knowing that his father would most likely not sleep at all.

So how could he either?

But just a few hours ago... He had heard something for sure.

Like something had crashed loudly. Maybe... Glass? It just felt like the high pitched sound of something breaking.

He was sure of it. He was not tired enough to hear things on his own.

But it had been hours, and there had been not a single sound to be heard after that one.

And this whole time, Dion had just been on the edge of making a decision. His father was not someone to beg attention or use an act of breaking something as a call of need. It was very unlikely.

So why did he break something?

Anger was the most obvious answer, but... If he truly was angry, the idea of going to attempt a conversation would be out of this world scary. He did not want to face his father's wrath. If that was indeed the mood he was in.

There was no real telling what was going on. There was a lot of space between them, a whole living room. He didn't even know if Charlie had locked his doors.

So, what should I do?

I... I wish Ryan was here. He would know what to do. But he was most likely sleeping with Niles in his arms right about now, assuming that he was not already captured and held overnight under guard somewhere for violating the rules that were set upon his whole family before the trial would take place.

Just... Just go back to your bed... That is what you should do. Don't bother him... And don't let him bother you.

But... this might be your last day in the vault... You know it can be...

And then... Just as he was about to turn around and forget the idea of going outside his room...

KTSSSHHH

"Wh-what?"

The young husky's ears perked up, hearing the sound much similar from hours before.

He was sure of it. He heard it clear as one could.

The dog now looked startled, and it was nothing compared to the expression he got once he heard it.

Cursing. Loud, aggressive cursing.

And it kept going. He could even make out the words.

It was definitely his father. It had to be.

"J-Jesus..."

Now, Dion's whole fur was bristling out of scare. He was not mentally prepared for this situation, especially without Ryan making him feel safe.

For whatever reason out of multiple possible ones, Charlie had snapped.

And Dion knew that now he definitely couldn't go to sleep. He would feel too scared to do so now.

But now, the idea of going to calm down his father was strongly there. There was a chance that his interference on whatever could be going on would end up bad, or it would make Charlie stop.

The screams got intense. Dion kept hearing them over and over.

And the more scared he got. This was not good. He had to do something.

All he had to remember... Was Ryan's words. You knew they were right and you had to believe in them.

That your father would never hurt you.

You need to put a stop to what is going on in there. Charlie could hurt himself in the worst case.

You have to go.

Dion started sweating, slowly moving towards the door that would lead to the living room area. He pressed the button with a shaky finger.

The door opened... And the living room was pitch black. There was nothing he could see in it.

The sounds that he had heard. They cleared out. They came more vivid, raw, and unfiltered by too many layers of steel in between.

It might have been his father. It definitely sounded like him. Whoever it was, the sound was indeed coming from his dad's room direction... And it was terrible to listen to.

Dion flinched the moment he heard something break again. Very loudly. And the screams followed after.

The young dog tried to press on the light in the room from the panel... But the moment he clicked the buttons... Nothing happened.

"W-why doesn't this?... J-just great..." The dog muttered nervously, tapping the green button.

The light didn't come. Dion got anxiety, hating dark places. He had a fear of places where he couldn't see. One of his many phobias.

You know how to get to his door, just make a run for it. It's just dark, but not so dark you can't see it all the way from here with the light of your own room.

The cursing kept going, the smashing sound of objects breaking continuing, and his father letting out a scream of agony.

"O-oh my god... R-Ryan..." The dog let out with a horrified tone, looking at his father's door from across the room with second thoughts roaring inside him.

He had never heard his father like this.

His voices sounded... They screamed of agony.

You have to go. Right now.

And just as he stepped out of his room, finally entering the dark living room in order to let his room's light guide his way.

And then...

FPMM!

The metal collided behind his back so fast and hard that it made Dion jump in the air briefly from the scare, looking over his shoulder and feeling like he got a heart attack.

(Outlast: Whistleblower OST - 03 CANNIBAL INTRO - Samuel Laflamme)

He started to pant, his confused eyes staring at his door widely in disbelief.

His fur started to feel cold.

Matter of fact... The whole room started to get chilly. He felt it in the bottom of his feet.

What was happening? Why was everything getting cold?!

He quickly took the steps back to the panel, trying to press the light switch on. He tried to open the door of his room from the other panel... But none of it worked.

"Work! Please work, what is wrong with this thing?!" The dog started to stutter in panic, not seeing anything in the absolute darkness.

DIIiiiooooooonnnn

And just like that... The husky's whole body froze, the sizeable terror hitting his face as he heard it.

The voice from before. It was the voice from his dreams.

The same voice that had haunted him earlier days ago before Ryan got into his room to calm him down and asked to use his shower.

"W-WHO IS THERE?!" Dion asked in fear, looking around in the dark and feeling his legs starting to tremble.

Nothing was heard... And he felt the floor getting colder. The sound of something crackling started to be heard as his ear perked up. He quickly turned around to see what it was.

The door of his room was starting to freeze up.

Dion's eyes widened up, looking as the door was starting to look like it was getting covered in ice.

He could see the cracking frost conquer its way on the metallic surface, his father's scream on the background reminding him of what he was here to do.

He should have moved... But he couldn't stop looking at the door, his paw reaching for it.

And as he touched it... It was so cold that it felt like it almost burned his paw.

The dog jumped away from the door, holding his paw with a terrified gaze and feeling his fingertips tingle from the frostbite. He looked around himself, his whole-body shivering.

And the voice from the shadows around him... It called for him again.

DIIIOOOOOON

MMYYYY DIIIIOOOON

"Wh-what?! WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Dion spoke out, now starting to cry in panic and quickly tapping his pip-boy to get some light desperately. It wasn't working at all.

Everything was freezing. He could feel his toes starting to move out of a small pain of cold like the floor wanted to root him by his feet with the coldness.

This... Was different. There was someone... Something... In the same room as him.

A presence. Living and breathing.

WATCHING.

Looking at every move... Yet, he himself saw nothing. He could have used his pip-boy and it's light to guide his way, but it was left in his room on the table.

His father's screams continued, adding more chaos of sounds in the mix along with cracking sound of things getting frozen around the room.

Rrruuuunnniiiing ooouuuut ooof tiiiiiimeeeee

Tiiimeee...

And then... Dion felt the time stopping around him.

He started to actually see in the dark.

He could not explain it... But something... It lighted his way.

Something was hovering right in the middle of the room.

Looking straight at him.

And when the light spoke... it was like claws against ice, gripping Dion's soul with images. Images that would flash before his eyes as the voice spoke.

IT IS YOOOOOUUUU

YOU WHOOO SHALL BEEEE THEEE EEEEND

CAN YOU SEEEEEEE

Dion's eyes were blown open as he felt like his body was going into shock, his fur feeling like it was set on fire.

And he could... He...

He could see.

Living images.

Burning town, gates of rattling steel with heads on spikes... Fading into ash.

Screaming people.

A man in robes, gazing upon three mammals and whispering.

"Found you."

And he could swear... One of the three mammals by a brief gaze... It...

Looked like Jacob.

"Wh-WHAT IS THIS??!! PLEASE, I CAN'T!!!!" Dion cried out, but couldn't look away as he witnessed the events rapidly unravel themselves in front of him.

The next flash was a fox, his back having same back markings as Ryan, slicing someone's throat on a bed, and the person calling out his name.

"RhhhYYhhh..." Was all the dying mammal could muster out with his trembling hand reaching for his killer.

REEEEBOOORRRRnnn

FROM THE ASHES HE SHALL COME

The images of slicing, hacking, and screaming.

And then... Dion saw himself.

Pointing a gun and his eyes crying, the shaking paw aiming the gun barrel at him.

"D-DON'T HURT HIM!!!" The husky saw himself screaming, closing his eyes.

And the barrel of the gun echoed, the image fading and Dion feeling himself cry the whole time in the dark room, his mind not able to handle these images.

They drove him crazy. There was no story to them. They just happened. He witnessed.

AAAAND SOOO SHALL YOOOUUUU

"STOP!!!" DION SCREAMED FROM TOP OF HIS LUNGS.

And something happened.

The visions stopped.

The lights faded from the room...

And It was quiet again.

The shivering dog slowly opened up his eyes, barely able to hold them like that to look around him.

His shivering body felt like it would freeze solid soon.

But as his feet manage to move... he realized he was not frozen on his spot, feeling some unexplainable force held him down and forced him to watch these scary images.

He started to breathe fast in and out, but yet, he felt the presence of the ghost.

It was never gone... And it didn't intend to leave.

IIII KNOOOW YOOOU AAAREEE AFRAAAIIID

BUUUT YOUUU NEEEEDEEED TO SEEEE

SOOO YOUU WOOULLD BELIEEEEVEEE

The sounds made Dion gasp out of crying in fear, quickly backing up against a nearby wall and feeling like something was going to attack him at any moment. Why hadn't it already?

What did this ghost want?

Because it sure as hell didn't want to make him feel safe.

"PLEASE STOP! DON'T HURT ME!" The dog yelled out desperately with his eyes getting watery from the fear, feeling like the whisper had come from behind his shoulder.

This time... No answer... Nothing but cold and dark.

"Please... Please... Please... No more..." The dog whimpered in the dark, crying.

He knew that now he had to make a run for it. He had to reach his father's door right now and escape there for safety... His father's rage was no longer what scared him to most. It was the supernatural things in this room.

The feeling of some shadow monster around him, talking... Being part of every object.

The images still drilled his mind vividly.

He knew that he had seen Ryan and himself.

Or maybe he had not.

There was no telling what was real any longer in this world for him.

Because this was not a dream.

The voice spoke once more, breathing the cold and spreading it as the words came out, the metallic and wooden furniture around the room crackling and freezing.

Iiiifffyoouuudooooon't moooove... Heeee willl dieeeeee... Sssaaaaaveee hiiiimm...

"Wh-who will?!" Dion asked in panic from the ghost.

And this time... He actually got an answer.

The ghost had actually heard him, had to.

YYYouuuurrr faaathheeer

Ffaaaaasteeeeerrr

Heeee wiilll dieeeee

Stoooopp hiiiiimmm

The husky kept paranoidly stepping around the darkness, trying to desperately see the monster who spoke to him, but it just felt like it was toying with him.

It knew that Dion was helpless.

But... Now he had an answer. The monster understood his question.

It had said... His father.

And right as Dion tried to process that...

He could hear his father's real voice.

"EMILY!!!"

The voice was full of pain, his father clearly crying.

He had spoken Dion's mother's name.

And it made Dion look at his father's door, shocked and in disbelief that his father had just spoken the name out loud.

Dion had only a few times in his life heard his father speak it.

And... Never like this.

"D-d-dad?" Dion asked in fear, his knees feeling like they would soon not be able to support him as he felt like fainting.

(Outlast- Chris Walker Sneak Theme (FULL) Revised)

THHHEEEE DOOOOOORRRRR.... RUUUUUUUNNN!

The ghost spoke, this time way more hauntingly and aggressively.

The husky felt his heart race out of control as the frost around his feet started to feel too intense.

He needed to move.

Dion quickly ran to his father's door with fast and panicked steps in the dark, almost hitting his face against it since he couldn't see. All he could do was to trust his instincts. But due to the dark, he couldn't find the panel anywhere quickly. The voice kept speaking to him.

OOOPPPEEEENNN

SAAAAvvvveeee

"STOP! DON'T HURT ME!!" Dion yelled in desperation as the tears of fear rolled down his cheeks, the panicking and wide eyes scanning the room and the floor crackling from the ice, his toes now hurting.

Dion rushed to use his paws to feel the wall next to his father's door in the dark, trying to find the panel to open it. He needed to get out of this room. He felt like the ghost that was present would attack any moment possible at him, as its voice was getting more and more aggressive.

Almost begging.

"PLEASE STOP!!" Dion begged right back as he cried, trying to find the panel. His mind was so numb from the panic of getting out of the room that he couldn't collect himself even for a few seconds to calm down and locate the panel.

Heeeee willl cuuuuutt

The voice spoke hauntingly in the dark.

Dion had no idea what it meant but this time... The haunting voice of the ghost sounded scared.

Just as scared as him.

Why?

The dog closed his eyes as he cried out in horror, slamming his open palm against the panel as he finally had found it.

SHHH!!!

The door opened, the warm light of Charlie's nightstand being still on.

It only slightly gave Dion hope as there was not only pitch black around him anymore. He would finally get out of the room where the ghost was talking behind his shoulder, almost like cold, unexplainable wind pushing his back and trying to get him into his father's room.

And Dion welcomed it, as he felt like he was about to break down on his knees and lose his sanity. That haunting spree of images in his living room had been livelier than his taunting nightmare that had repeated itself.

Because this time, he was awake. This was all real.

Just as he was about to rush into the room, hearing his father cry and yell assumedly in the bathroom since he was nowhere around to be seen, the ghostly voice now spoke with such intense and commanding tone that Dion had ever heard, making chill travel down his spine.

LOOOOOOKKK AT MEEEEEE

The husky felt his crying stop out of nothing but pure terror, his jaw trembling as his scared, widened eyes turned to slowly look back into the room... And then...

He saw it.

A form of shadow... Staring right at him and into his soul.

The figure was nothing but grey smoke in the form of... Almost like... Dion himself. It was...

A monster... Wearing ragged robes and a hood, it's muzzle half torn so bone would show.

His mind couldn't process anything at all. Right now... He was about to lose his mind as he was now sure as one could be... That this monster or whatever it was... Was as real as this room. The ice-cold temperature was still present, the warmth of Charlie's room warming his back and calling him into its safety... Yet, he couldn't move. He could only stare at the shadow in the opposite corner of the room looking at right at him.

And the shadow spoke... It's voice being like shards to the ears.

Iiii caaauuuseeeed aaalll ooof thiiiissss

Myyyy Diiiooooon

Dion was too scared out of his mind to speak as the voice was the most captivating thing to the soul.

Theeyyyy caaaammeee

Toookkk Wiiiiincheeesteeeeer

Aaaaanddd theee laaaand shaaaalll taaaaakeee oneee moooooreeee

Buuuutttt nooooottt thiiiiis soooooon

SAAAAVEEEE HIIIIMM

SAAAVEEE YOOOUR FAAAATHEEEER

HEEEE WILLL CUUUUTTT

DIIIIIOOOOON

The monster in the dark...

It was begging. It was clearly begging from Dion.

It was just as scared as him. Dion could feel it.

But not of him. The words... The ghost was scared of something else than him.

Yet, the dog could not find any comfort on any of that.

He was talking and staring a literal ghost, looking like out of a nightmare.

.... YYYOOUuu... MIIIIGHHT BEEE THEEE LAAAAST HOPE FOOOR UUUSS ALLL...

The monster made Dion scream out as he thought it would attack.

But instead... It just waved it's paw in the air slowly.

WHOOOSH!

The metallic door of his father's room collided down, shutting itself up.

The sound of the locking mechanism came, the hinges of the door now completely shut.

Dion was hyperventilating on the floor of his father's room, staring still at the closed door like the ghost would just break through at any moment.

But yet... It was defiantly one who had closed it without even touching it...

Just like... it had closed Dion's door without...

Dion closed his eyes, crawling on the floor and trying to just not pass out from the rapid breathing like his lungs were not getting enough air.

The only thing that comforted him was the lights in the room. They were warm... Inviting.

And the coldness from the room earlier was fading. It was non existing here.

His feet started to get the blood flow back. Just like his paws.

It was like the monster had never used his presence in this room.

But it was the worst feeling in the world for Dion to finally know... To finally accept what he had feared and hated as a possibility.

He had a mental illness.

He had to.

He had just witnessed living hallucinations. Vivid and real as his nightmares. More so.

He had seen and felt a literal ghost speak to him.

He had felt... A room freeze and burn his skin under the fur.

If that wasn't a sign of crazy... Of truly crazy...

Then he didn't know what else it could have ever been.

He just felt out of breath, wanting to blackout on the floor right next to his father's bed.

His mind was riddled with thousands of questions, all at once. What had happened with his father, was all completely forgotten and irrelevant at this very second... As he felt like he had just witnessed miracles of insanity.

And he didn't want to live with them. His mind... His already fragile mental health... It could not handle a situation like he just did, anymore.

Not even once. It was a miracle itself that he had not ended up dropping onto the floor, drooling and becoming rambling madman for the rest of his life.

What was keeping me together? What was holding me back from just giving up to insanity and asking to be locked up behind doors away from others?

What was... What was the meaning of anything anymore? I am a danger to myself, to others, to-

"I'm just... So tired... I... I need to rest."

And that voice... That voice brought the young husky back from the deep pit of dark thoughts and feelings of lonely misery.

Charlie.

He only now realized as the warmth was starting to truly make him feel safe and focused once again of his surroundings... that his father was not in the same room with him.

He was in the bathroom.

He had heard his father speak softly... With...

Just a voice full of sadness.

The trembling and weak feeling husky slowly started to crawl up from the floor, his paws grabbing his father's blanket as he carefully gazed over the bed at the direction of the bathroom door.

And he whispered cautiously for his father.

"... Dh... Dh-dad?"

There was no answer. Charlie had clearly not heard him.

The dog still kept panting as he started to take support from the bed, pulling himself back up on his feet.

He hesitated. He kept looking at the door, wondering if he should just speak loud and clear. But... he could hear his father talk.

He was repeating Dion's mother's name. Over and over.

And... About being tired.

Whatever the rampage and it's cause had been minutes earlier as Dion had been standing in the most haunting moment of his life in that living room...

That was not Charlie's state anymore. He was not breaking anything up. He was... Sounding just...

Different.

Dion swallowed loudly, taking slow steps towards the door, still giving paranoid gaze over at the living room door and begging with every inch of his soul for the ghost to not return. To not speak wit the creepy and echoing tone of ice.

The dog stopped in front of the bathroom door, seeing from the red light that it was indeed locked as expected. There were no sounds of showier, so Charlie was most likely not there for that purpose. Most likely to avoid the company. But yet, here Dion found himself standing. He was scared of what could wait behind the door...

But compared to what was behind the living room door... It felt the safest potion in the world to be close to his father at this moment.

"Forgive me."

Dion heard his father speak with the most emotionally broken tone he had ever heard in his life, knowing that Charlie was crying, for whatever reason.

Dion took a long, encouraging breath... Closing his eyes...

And speaking.

"Dad?"

...

There was no answer first.

"F-father? I-it's... It's me... A-are you... Are you okay? I-I need to know."

And this time... Trembling and light tone of disbelief spoke from the other side of the door back to him.

"... D-Dion?"

ACT 5

(An End Once and For All - Other Version [HD]

Charlie calm, steady fingers that had just held the glass shard with final confidence...

They had stopped. The glass had cut deep, but not yet reached his wrist veins.

He was not moving it anymore. His head slowly rose up, his drifting, calm and tired mind wondering if he was imagining things.

He had just heard Dion.

Was this a dream?

No... I can... feel the glass burn in my flesh.

"... D-Dion?" The old husky exhaled out like he was just calling out a name by the end of the tunnel that wouldn't answer back.

But yet... The answer came to him... And it didn't come from the end of the tunnel, from his subconsciousness.

No...

It came from behind him as real as the air he breathed heavily.

"I-it's me, dad... A-are you... Are you okay?... I-I was scared a-and I needed to... To see if you..."

"..."

"I heard you... You spoke m-mom's name... I-I heard a lot of rackets... D-did you break something? D-dad, I- I can go away I-if you want b-but I... I need to see that y-you are okay first, and-"

The rest of the words got muffled, as Charlie realized...

That all of this was actually happening.

His eyelids that had just been tired, they blew up open in shock.

His panicked face turned to look at his wrist and the blood trail going down against his fur and dripping onto the floor.

The dog stared for two seconds... And then quickly pulled the glass shard away in shock, throwing it away and starting to breathe rapidly in panic.

"FUCKFUCKFUCK-WHAT THE FUCK DID I TRIED TO JUST DO?!" The dog let out in disbelief mixed with absolute disgust for himself.

And Dion surely heard it from behind the door, even if the dog had spoken to himself in the moment of realization of his actions.

"D-dad? What is going on?" Dion asked scaredly.

The dog stumbled, almost falling onto the floor due to shaking and numb knees, taking support from the door against his back and cursing without a break as he knew the seriousness of what had almost just gone down.

It was like... Dion's voice had pulled him out of warm water, making him live again and wake up from somewhere far... Far from this place and this reality.

I just tried to fucking kill myself!

I tried to cut my wrist with a fucking glass shard and leave my kids all alone in this world.

WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST DO?!?!? I AM FUCKING INSANE!

"SHITSHITSHIT, D-Dion, it's okay! I-I'm... Shit! G-give me a second!!!"

"W-why are you sounding so panicked?! I am the one who is panicking here! What is going on in there?! Can you open this door?!"

"N-no! No-not right now! Dion, just... G-give me a few seconds, that is all I ask!!!" the panicking old dog spoke, his mind trying to work on what to do at this moment.

There were glass shards and blood everywhere! His both paws were bleeding as he had bare-knuckle boxed against the concrete for long minutes! There was a fucking empty Med - X needle in the middle of the glass, along with wall laminate pieces all over, punching marks everywhere.

The bathroom was destroyed by a power of rage, there was no covering any of this or cleaning it in time to make it look less alarming. It was like someone had been killed here.

And Dion was not going to wait forever behind the door, sooner or later he would beg to see what was going on.

And the blood loss that Charlie was himself suffering didn't help. He felt starving, thirsty, weak, and light-headed. His paws were barely functional because of the damage.

His face and eyes hurt because of the crying episode he had been through. He had absolutely no escaping from this situation with any kind of plot or distraction to make up.

No lie to give.

"Shit, oh god, fuck, shit-" The dog cursed in panic, trying to scoot the glass shards away and could barely keep his legs from wobbling, just feeling inner chaos as Dion kept talking.

"D-dad, can you please open this door?" Dion asked beggingly.

Charlie slowly started to stop what he was doing as he was panting, looking at his open hand wound drop blood onto the floor steadily, his knuckles mangled and his whole body feeling like it had ice going through its veins.

He just stared at the mess on the floor, feeling Dion's voice repeatedly ask for him to open the door behind him.

The voice was getting muffled, and slowly he started to come to the realization of what was happening.

He was going to faint soon.

And he knew at this moment that even if he opened this door... he would not be able to function enough to tell Dion what happened.

And he didn't even want to. He couldn't. How would you explain something like this to a...

"Dad! Can you please open this door?!" Dion asked now, starting to actually get panicked as he heard nothing from the bathroom. Not even an answer from his father.

The dog felt like the world was weighing down his shoulders as he slowly bent his knees down as he saw something in the middle of all the glass shards.

His shaking, blood messed fingertips slowly took the object, seeing that it was still intact.

Despite all the chaos he had caused in this room... It was still not broken.

The holotape.

The dog dropped the item back onto the floor on the first attempt, grunting and giving out the sound of desperation as he took it into his grip, the holotape getting smeared in blood.

The old husky slowly raised his head and eyes against the ceiling, the light making him blind momentarily as he felt his mind just spinning like a hurricane, his breathing unsteady and his injuries causing his blood leak all over the floor.

It took almost all the strength that he had in his body to slowly turn around, his body waving around and about to drop down any second now.

Dion's voice was not heard by him anymore due to only whispers of Emily talking to him in some deep, dark corner of his subconscious.

Slowly... The dog moved his finger by guiding instinct towards the button panel... Wishing that he would push the right button before possibly falling down, and it would take so dangerous amount of time for Dion to open the door himself to get in.

Charlie exhaled; his eyes closed as he pressed the button.

"DAD-" Dion was about to let out again until the metal slide up and revealed what was in front of him.

His dad was standing on the doorway without clothes, not able to even keep his eyes open as his head swayed slightly back and forth.

Dion's face fell into absolute shock as he saw his father's both paws being covered in red all around the fur, drops of blood gathering on both sides and the bottom of his feet causing the same smear, having stepped on glass shards all over.

Dion tried to say anything at all, but he was in such a shock of seeing his father at this moment in such a state that he had never expected. He didn't know what to do. He tried to stutter out something but felt himself just go numb.

Charlie slowly opened his eyes for one last time, seeing his son faintly as a blurred mess of brown fur, knowing that he was looking right at him, but he couldn't see the reaction. Part of him felt like it was a blessing to not see it, as he could just imagine.

"... Dhhh... Shnj... Dhiio.."

"DAD!!" Dion screamed in horror, his mind forcing him to cope with what he was witnessing and just too afraid to move.

And then... Charlie whispered quietly to his son, his mind trying to put together last words of meaning to himself, like he was talking to someone far away, wishing he would hear the echo of his words.

"I'm just... So tired... I... I need to rest..."

And right after the words... Dion could see...

His father losing the strength of his fingertips...

And the holotape falling down.

And like grip of dream and reality, it clenched his heart and made him see it perfectly.

The picture, the great déjà vu

Connection of now... And past memory.

His dream. His nightmare. The visions that he saw for weeks before they ended tormenting him.

He had seen this. He had seen this happen.

He had heard his father speak with this voice... With these words...

And drop a square object from his grip and onto the floor.

Dion felt his breathing stop.

He had seen this.

He had predicted it.

He had witnessed an image of what would come, repeated in reality as real as him right under his eyes.

The adrenaline, shock, fear, hallucinations, and everything that had already ripped him apart for the past day had let to this moment.

And it took so much toll on him, that he was about to pass out...

And he would have... if Charlie had not done it first.

"Dhh... Dhh.." Were the last voices the old dog let out, his eyes rolling at the back of his head, his body falling on his knees.

Dion exhaled, by some incredible luck managing to react to what had been expected.

The young husky rushed towards his father, quickly catching his upper body against his in time, as Charlie fainted completely.

"DAD!"

He would have hit his face against the cold floor if Dion had swooped in time.

The young dog gripped his father into caring and protective embrace out of panic, starting to whimper and ramble in panic, feeling his dad rest his head against his shoulder, breathing only faintly as he was knocked out.

"NOONONON PLEASE DON'T DIE; YOU CAN'T DIE!-" Dion started screaming, feeling lost and alone, his father's wounds leaking all over his brown fur.

Dion started to cry in panic, and just as he was about to scream for help from the bottom of his heart.

"DION? ARE YOU AND DAD IN HERE?"

Dion felt his eyes turn at the doorway with the familiar, aggressive, and concerned voice banging the door.

"LOOK, I AM COMING IN WHATEVER ITS GOOD MOMENT OR NOT-!"

Dion was about to yell out of the biggest relief of his life to the person behind the door, until it opened quickly.

WSHHHH!

And just like that, Ryan was standing on the doorway, looking around the room with somewhat concerned and focused expression, most likely having expected to find his brother arguing with his father heatedly.

But when Dion and Ryan's faces met eachother, Ryan's jaw dropped.

The husky's whole body was shivering as he yelled at his brother with his unconscious father in his arms, crying his eyes out.

"GET AMIR HERE!!! YOU HAVE TO GET HIM, RYAN!!! PLEASE!!! RUN!!!"

END