#friskswap

[minna39project]

Nyeh--

[bluerosesyn]

Friskswap - A playertale short story

Name the fallen human.

Gennie.

Is this name correct?

Gennie

Yes.

…

I groan as I wake up, my entire body aching as if I fell down a flight of stairs. I feel the glasses on my face, opening my eyes and seeing the world clearly around me. Funny. I don’t remember falling asleep with them on. Actually, I can’t remember what happened before I fell asleep. I look at my hands and see that they are covered in bandages and there is a stick in my lap. I feel my back wet with the dew that was once on the flowers I had slightly crushed with my weight, the bright yellow almost blinding me in the afternoon sun. Although I was still dazed, I did realize enough that I should stop crushing the poor plants. I carefully stepped out of the patch and brushed myself off, straightening my glasses out and looking above me. I gasped as I saw the hole that I found myself in. Welp, guess climbing up is not an option. I stumble over to a wall as I try and recollect what memories I did have. My little brother’s laugh came to mind, the smell of my mother’s cooking, the feeling of my bedsheets as I drifted off to sleep after reading yet another Undertale-inspired comic. I glanced back at the flowers and gave a small apology to them, even though I know that they probably couldn’t feel pain or talk back. I laugh at the thought. A talking flower. Ha. It’s funny that the flowers look like something out of Undertale too.

I look around to see if I can find a way to move forward, now thinking about my family and how I need to get back as soon as I can. The only thing in the room other than the small patch of flowers were torches that lined a hallway with a door as it’s sole destination. I then started to pass the experience off as some lucid dream since I thought about Undertale non-stop lately. Guess the only thing to do is to go along with it. My footsteps echo as I walk the hallway and through the doorway. I then see a single flower under a ray of sunshine from a smaller hole above me. I was about to smile as I entered the room. It reminded me so much of the game that I wanted to play so badly. But I couldn’t spare the money to get it at the time because of having such a tight budget at home and the only way I could experience it was through playthroughs. “Why, hello there.” I said jokingly to the flower, not expecting any answer from this one either.

“Howdy!” the flower exclaimed, a face forming in the floral disc, a comical smile looking up at me. The high pitched voice continued as I backpedal a few steps. “I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower!” it said as it gave me a grin. “You’re new to the Underground, ait’cha?” I gave the flower a small nod, reassuring myself this was just a dream, pushing my glasses up as he continued his speech. I barely paid any attention as my mind raced. I know! When he attacks me, I can prove that this is just a dream. “Catch as many as you can!” I heard it shrill before I see my heart glowing from my chest, seeing the white petals aiming for my heart. I open my arms wide, watching them flutter closer until they touched my heart. A shiver ran down my spine as the realization finally hit me, my body doubling over in agonizing pain and collapsing on the floor. No...This is really happening. This is not a dream. “You idiot, in this world, it is kill or be killed! Who would pass up an opportunity like this? DIE!” it shrieked, laughing as it created a circle of petals around me, watching them come closer and closer, my instinct kicking in as I curled up and closed my eyes waiting for the end. But it never came. I looked up and saw the petals now gone and Flowey being smacked across the floor by a Goat monster. “What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor and innocent youth.” She said as she took a few steps toward the light.

I gasped as I saw the creature now turn to me, giving me a soft smile as she said “Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, Caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place everyday to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come down here in a long time.” I nod at her, my thoughts racing as I was still overcome with shock. I am in a video game that I never truly played before! I space out for a second as she called me again. “Come! I will guide you through the catacombs.” I nod at her again, my throat closing up as panic kept me from speaking. She then exited the room, walking behind her as best I could.

…

I now find myself in a purple colored room with torches every couple of feet, lighting the catacombs pretty well. “Welcome to your new home, little one..” she says with a smile. I then watch as Toriel steps on four of the six gray stone buttons, the archway that was once closed now open. I try to keep my breathing in check, panic finally hitting me as I continued to follow her numbly. I then flick the switches she tells me to pull, hearing the thunk of spikes dipping into the ground. She congratulates me and I follow her again. I start to wonder if I had turned into Frisk or if we had switched places. Everything was exactly the same as in all the walkthroughs that I have ever watched. The switches, the spike floor, even her leaving me in a hallway with only a cell phone that disappeared after being placed in my hands. I was tempted to even stay to see if she would actually come back, but I was too eager to walk around freely.

My first solo encounter with a monster was much different than I expected as the world around me turned black with me and the monster a silhouette of white save for my floating red heart. I flinched as a swarm of bugs few at me, my reflexes covering my face. But the bugs few right through me. I was able to run away and dodge most of the attacks, realizing the rest of my body didn’t matter. Only my red, heart-shaped soul would hurt when hit.. As I explored and encountered monsters, I avoided hurting anything. It was interesting when I encountered my first save point I used. I felt a rush of warmth and determination as I touched it. I found any pain that attacks had on my soul become fainter, as if I was building a resistance to it. By the time I reached Toriel’s house, it felt like only a faint push. She invited me in, leading me by the hand to the room she had given me. “Is something burning…?” She asked before rushing off to tend to her pie and shouting behind her to make myself at home. I gave a small chuckle, deciding to explore the house. After passing by a room under renovations, I finally see myself in the mirror. I gasped a little as I find my face to be how I remembered. I had pale skin, a round face, and short, curly hair parted on the left side. My glasses were thick and black and had square shaped lenses. It fit my face. I had never realized I had a simalar look until now. I explore the house a bit more, the smell of the pie filling my nose. Toriel smiles at me as I wander into the living room. “Would you like to hear a story, my child?” I give a small nod, walking up to her chair and settled myself on her lap. I felt so small. She blushes a little, an even bigger smile on her face as she starts to read the book about snails. Her voice was soft and sweet. I couldn’t help but to drink in every word as the warm fire lulled me to sleep.

When I wake up, I find myself tucked into bed. Looking around at the room, I sit on the bed, sighing as I start to think about what to do next. What happened to me? Is this soul really mine? I then lay back, closing my eyes for a moment as I think back as far as I could. But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember anything after I first fell asleep in my bed. I tried to remember anything past that point, but I couldn’t remember anything.

It was if the rest of my life in that other world has been erased other than fond memories of my mother and little brother along with any experiences with video games. I thought, and thought, and thought. But nothing else remained except for the few patches of old memories along with the handful of new ones I accumulated. It wasn’t much, but I had a reason to go back. To stay determined. As much as I was attached to Toriel’s tenderness, I knew I had to leave the ruins. There was no other way…. I had to...

“Honey, we are late, let’s go”

“Sorry, Mom…”

I slowly stir as I wake up from taking another unexpected nap, stretching my arms out and yawning. I take a quick check of what I remembered and nodded to myself, making quick note to find a notebook when I got the chance. I hop out of bed and see the pie on the floor, picking it up and wondering how I would carry it around before it disappeared like the cell phone. After a bit of playing around with various techniques, saying ‘menu’ worked. The square block hovered in front of me, displaying my name along with my basic stats. I then summon my cell phone again, taking a look at it’s square blockiness before putting it away again. I then waved it away only to resummon it again. It was amusing for some reason. I guess I needed the distraction from what I really didn’t want to do. But as much as I would have loved to live the rest of my life with such a wonderful being, I couldn’t help but to yearn for home, wherever or whenever it was. I know I couldn't leave my family behind.

I am standing in front of Toriel, still reading her book and I can’t find the words to ask her to leave. It was one thing to watch someone say no to her, but it was something entirely different when you say it yourself. I was always shy. I pace around the house a couple of times, thinking on how I would word it. ‘Can I leave here?’ ‘Is there a way out?’ ‘I want to go home?’ After an hour of thinking , I decided on what I would say. I take a deep breath and stood in front of her, waiting for her to notice me. “How do I exit the ruins?” I ask her, seeing the life drain from her eyes. She tries to avoid the question. I kept asking how to leave. I never mention about heading home, though. Just that I wanted to leave. After asking a few more times, she runs from her chair and down into the basement. I follow her, knowing that she would seal us inside indefinitely. I can see her shaking as she tries to shoo me away. We finally reach the door. She looks like she wants to cry. I can feel my own tears forming as her face becomes serious. My soul shines through and the fight begins.

It feels like we had been fighting for hours. I hadn’t moved a single inch as I stare her down. I can feel scratches on my body at this point. I stand my ground as she starts to act aloof. She begs me to go inside. I tell her I can’t. I want to be able to console her, but I know she won’t listen. At last, she finally gives up, gives me a hug, then runs off. I try to run after her, but she is much too fast for me to catch up to her. And with a heavy heart, I leave the ruins, feeling awful.

I push the door open, feeling the cold air hit my face. It makes me shiver. I wrap my arms around myself as I walk down the only pathway and into a forest. Although I remember what happens next,  the long walk was still unnerving. But one thing I do know: I am filled with DETERMINATION.

((I hope you liked this little short story that I have written. I am not the best writer, but I am trying to improve. It was originally in two other parts, but I messed up my posts, so I deleted them and made it into a giant one! I may post other stories that I have written later on if I don’t talk myself out of it. Thank you for reading!))