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“Sunny?”
Basil stared down at the now still boy, blood seemed to be coming from everywhere. Dripping from his face and pouring out from his chest.
“Sunny?”
He knelt down besides him, clutching his shears tighter. His whole body was trembling from adrenaline. He was saving him, right?
“Sunny… you’re okay now, right? I saved you...”
The darkness around him seemed to recede. The eyes watching him seemed to vanish.
“Oh… I understand…”
His breath was shaky as he slowly stood up.
“Ha… I… I had to do it… it was the only way to save you, wasn’t it? The only way to save us? I just… didn’t see it. You understand, right, Sunny? I had to do it.”
Sunny didn’t move. Of course he didn’t. Basil had killed it, the darkness in him. It was the only way. The only way to set them free from that monster.
Right?
The darkness continued to disappear. The ghosts that had been haunting him were gone, as if they’d never been there.
As if… they never really were there.
Basil stood alone in the room, his best friend's blood stained his arms. His best friend who was no longer moving.
His best friend who laid at his feet.
He stumbled back, and collapsed against his wall, slumped defeatedly. Just how different could their lives have gone?
He remembered before that day… the memories they shared. The days in the tree house, just him and Sunny. He’d talk and talk, and Sunny would always listen to him. No matter how much Basil vented or complained, Sunny never seemed to mind. Sunny was always quiet, he was the baby of the friend group after all.
It was everyone's duty to protect him.
His best friend seemed to stare at him from across the room.
Basil squeezed his eyes shut.
He remembered the days they would spend in his garden as kids. Basil would teach Sunny about all the different plants, the different ways they all needed to be cared for. Some needed more water than others, after all. Some were quite easy to overwater. Some bloomed in summer, others in winter. Some required just the right conditions, others were more hardy. He remembered how he would compare flowers to his friends. Himself, a sunflower. Always looking to the sun. Sunny, a white tulip. Modest, comforting, perfect, and his personal favorite. He would never say it, but that was the real reason. Sunny was his favorite person, white tulips were his favorite flower.
Sunny always nodded and listened intently. Basil always knew he was taking in everything that he was saying. It was nice he had a friend, he didn’t have many people that would listen to him. Of course he had the gang, but he didn’t like to burden them too much. Sunny never seemed to mind listening to him ramble on and on. He always had a lot on his mind, it wasn’t uncommon for him to be bullied. But he’d always be okay as long as he had Sunny right there with him.
Besides, he liked to talk to Sunny the most anyway. He was the only person he felt comfortable with.
Basil bit his lip, his chest feeling cold and tight. It was getting harder to breathe. He tasted blood.
He remembered sitting cross-legged on the floor listening to Sunny and Mari play, practicing for the recital. He had been so excited back then. He couldn’t believe his best friend was going to be playing on a real stage! He was so talented. Basil always felt entranced watching him play, though Sunny never seemed to feel the same.
He remembered his friend’s pained expressions, the way he’d cradle his own hands after a day of practice. The flashes of anger in his eyes. How was it so easy for him to ignore back then?
If only Basil had paid more attention. Maybe the fight would have never happened. Maybe Something would’ve never shown up.
He swallowed, starting to feel lightheaded. He coughed as he felt blood slip down his throat.
He remembered those first couple nights without Sunny. He did what he could to save him. Save him from the monster that ruined their lives. He did what he had to do so no one would hate him.
So he wouldn’t lose him. So he could stay with Sunny.
Why would Sunny abandon him? He didn’t understand. They promised to stay together. Even if no one else would ever understand, Basil would! He knew that Sunny would never kill Mari.
Killing is what bad people do.
He slowly opened his eyes, not sure if he was breathing anymore. He looked down at his palm, Sunny’s blood was still wet, clinging to him. The shears, his favorite shears, stained a dark red. He slowly lifted his head to face his best friend.
“It wasn’t Something behind you at all, was it, Sunny?”
Sunny made a mistake. It wasn’t Something behind him. No, the real monster was…
He gagged, and his hands started to shake. Tears were already slipping down his face. It took all he could not to vomit.
Sunny made a mistake. Basil… made a choice.
Basil made the choice to hang Mari. Basil made the choice to kill Sunny.
But that’s okay. He could still fix this, couldn’t he? There was still one more choice he could make.
He got the wrong guy, that’s all. He just… had to get it right this time.
It’s what he deserved, anyway.
Basil lifted the shears yet again, a small smile playing on his bloody lips as they faced him this time. He would end this once and for all.
The door swung open. Of course, someone must have heard the fight.
Hero.
The terror in his eyes only made Basil’s decision easier.
He yelled something, he couldn’t hear it. Kel was there too. And Polly. It didn’t matter. It was too late now.
He swung down.
---
“Sunny?”
The boy snapped his attention back to Basil.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay, Sunny. Are you okay? You’ve been distracted lately.”
Sunny nodded, “I’m okay, sorry.”
The two sat in the treehouse, a deck of cards between them. Basil scooted to sit closer to Sunny. He looked into his eyes, “Are you sure, Sunny? I’ve been worried about you lately.”
Sunny shook his head, “I’ve just been busy.”
Basil gave Sunny a weak smile, and gently grabbed his hand.
“You know, your violin playing has been really great lately.”
He shook his head.
“It almost makes me want to play an instrument!”
Sunny offered a pained smile, “It’s a lot of work.”
“That’s okay! Maybe we could play together one day. Not that I want to take you away from Mari or anything! Nothing like that!”
Sunny shook his head, “No, I’d like that, Basil.”
“But! If I start an instrument, you’ve got to start a garden okay! After the recital how about we both try? I’ll teach you everything I know, you teach me everything you know!”
Basil’s heart jumped at the idea of getting to spend more time with Sunny. It’d been hard to hang out with him ever since they had to start practicing for the recital. He knew it was important, but he missed him a lot. Still, the recital was tomorrow. They’d get to spend plenty of time together after that.
“I already know so much about gardening from you, Basil!””
He sounded happy for the first time in a while.
“Ha… Well, I guess that’s true! But, there’s always more to learn! I’ve got books I could give you!”
The two grew silent, as they often did. Basil didn’t mind, he loved to just share Sunny’s company. It was these brief moments where time seemed to stop. Where if nothing ever happened again, he’d be happy right where he was.
“Sunny! Come on, we’ve got to practice! We’ve waited too long already!”
Basil felt Sunny’s grip tighten around his hand, before he slowly let go. He sighed, and looked back at Basil. Sunny shrugged, and vanished down the ladder.
That was the last time the two would ever visit the treehouse together.
---
Tears streamed down his face, he tried to sob but only ended up choking on his own blood.
The shears tore through his skin effortlessly, but it didn’t hurt. Not one bit.
There was nothing left for him anymore anyway.