Deltarune: Excerpt 17
Noelle’s POV
Noelle!” Dad calls out. “Come and mingle.”
“I will.” I reply. “Azzy just came in right now.”
“Oh good! Did you let him in?”
“Over here.” Asriel says.
“Azzy! Hey!” Dad walks up to hug him. He grins.
“Rudy, so good to see you.” Asriel replies.
I hear the sound of faint footsteps in the far end of the hallway.
Then I see a faint glimpse of blue dyed hair, and a bright red hoodie, but the source of the person with those traits disappears around a corner before I can see who it is.
I sneak around the corner and see Em sitting in one of the spare bedrooms. She has a downcast look on her face.
Then I see…Dess. They have on a red hoodie, but they swiftly remove it to reveal a white button up shirt with a maroon vest.
“Hey, hey…Listen. I know how hard this is Em, but just know I’ll always be here if you need me.” I hear them say softly. “すべてが大丈夫になります。 約束します．Everything will be okay. I promise.”
“You speak Japanese?” Em asks.
“Yeah. Eris taught me.” Dess replies. “Took me a while but having roughly 87% fluency was so worth it.”
“Dess!” I blurt out. “You—-I can’t-“
“Noelle.” They say quietly. “You came back.”
“Yeah. I knew you’d be there.”
“What happened with Mom?” Dess asks.
“Well, I told her about you. You know, ‘Mom, they’ve changed.’” I drop my voice down to mimic Mom’s formal, stern tone. “‘They’? And I said ‘Mom, just shut up, please. Dess changed.’ Then she tried to argue, but I hung up. I’ve been bothered enough today.”
“Sounds like Mom, alright.” Dess replies.
“Can I talk to you in private?” I ask, taking their hand.
“Sure.” Dess says. “Em, wait here.”
She nods.
We walk into a small closet, filled with clothes and boxes. Dess slowly closes the door behind them and flicks on a light in the room where it only holds just the two of us.
We sit in short silence.
Dess’ hand is clasped in mine. The only sound between us is the steady rhythm of their breathing.
Then I close my eyes. Pictures flash through my mind.
An empty corridor.
Mom’s angry expression growing by the minute.
It’s your fault Dess ran away.
They were too scared to stay with you.
Your mother sees no worth in you.
My breath quickens. A numbness creeps up my legs.
No.
This can’t be happening.
Why?
Why now?
And on a night like this, too.
I can’t let this happen.
The nightmare…
It’s coming. That same dream.
No one can save me.
My breath turns to ragged suppressed sobs.
“Noelle?” Dess asks quietly. “Are you okay?”
Okay?
Is that all you're asking?
I hear the sounds from a thousand voices.
A thousand thoughts.
Noelle Holiday, you’re good for nothing.
You’ve failed.
“No!” I scream. “Go away, and leave me alone. You’ve already ruined my life and I’m not letting you get me again! Not me, not Dess!”
Oh but you realize you drove them away?
“NO!!” I scream. “STOP IT! Please!!”
My voice wavers. Then sobs rip out of me.
Dess’ face fades into a worried frown.
Tears stream down my face.
My vision is blurred by tears and anxiety. I close my eyes.
Then I hear a voice. Dess’ voice. Humming clearly in my head.
“You’re panicking again. Worse than what happened last time.” They say softly. “Noelle…do you want to share them with me?”
“You…you can do that?” I gasp, my breath still ragged.
“It’s one of the only two things I learned in the bunker’s dark world that I can do in the light world.” Dess replies. I feel their heart beating. A steady thrum.
“O-okay.” I say.
“Now…show me everything.”