Chapter Text
It’s been relatively quiet for Raven in echo since the events with Carl, Chase and Jenna. Everything he does feels way too normal in comparison to the weird shit that happened a week ago—Normality has never really existed in echo but it’s all Raven can help but notice.
Everyday, Raven gets out of bed, brushes his teeth, fixes his head fur with hairspray and a dream and heads to work before going home and doing it all again. The sense of routine is embedded into Ravens DNA almost as much as his very species is.
Raven yawns as he stretches, rubbing his eyes groggily. He stumbles towards the bathroom and freshens up before changing out of his pyjamas and putting on a fresh pair of clothes.
The drive to the mall everyday is peaceful, the sun beating down on Raven in the hot desert environment is particularly harsh on his body (especially with him being a husky) but he doesn’t mind, he can manage it. He always does.
Finally, after about 16 minutes, Raven arrives at the mall, it’s practically his second home. He whistles a tune as he makes his way to the ‘game central’ in which he works.
After about an hour of standing alone at the till, Raven mumbles to himself, noise just above a whisper.
“Fuck it’s quiet today…”
After all, nobody had been in the store besides him all day. He can’t really be mad about it, echo isn’t exactly the kind of place that people are itching for games, they’re itching for Coke or some shit.
“Ugh I wish I could see Chase again…I’ve not heard a thing since everything that went down with Carl.”
Raven says, tugging at his ear as his tail swishes slowly behind him.
Before long, Raven’s sensitive nose is almost assaulted with a farmiliar, pungent smell. He sits with his head against the till’s glass counter, cool against his fur as a large shadow looms over him.
He looks up at the figure and that’s when he sees the reason behind the smell, the reality of what it really is sets in. The smell is weed and the person is Carl.
Raven’s ears perk up, tail wagging slightly as he looks up at Carl.
“Oh my god, Carl, hi! Long time no see!”
Raven says excitedly, looking at Carl with the joy of a child with a lollipop and a propeller hat. He’s always been the cheerful type. (Sorry I fucking love this guy he’s so cute)
Carl takes a second to properly register anything Raven has said, he’s stoned out of his mind at 11:34 am.
“Oh uhh hey dude, sorry oh my god I just came by to see if you’re alright man.”
Raven can see that Carl is fully out of his head, I mean, Raven is always doing fine. Even when all the scary bullshit was happening a week ago, Raven has always been on the optimistic side and Raven knows it.
“I mean yeah, I am…Why?”
Raven asks, genuinely confused.
“Well…I don’t know man, just a lot of stuff has happened and well, I’ve spoken to everyone that was involved apart from you and they’ve all had their own stuff to say about the uhh…situation that happened at mine…”
Carl sounds genuinely guilty, like everything that happened was his fault and like he’d tried to pull Raven into it on purpose.
“Well, I’ve got nothing really, I’m just glad we’re actually out of it! How did the others take it?”
Raven‘s cheerful grin stays plastered on as he asks. Carl looks up looking lost in thought.
“Well Chase said that he was a bit distraught seeing me and Jenna like that and how he felt awful for you having to be there to see it aswell…”
“And Jenna??”
“Fine as usual, obviously she was a bit pissed off and she also felt a bit bad that your first impression of her was kinda hijacked by the ghost of her dead relative but apart from that she’s doing good.”
“And…you?”
Raven feels a bit awkward asking him but honestly he’d like to know whether or not Carl is doing okay. I mean, Carl *did* have to take the brunt of the crazy ass nightmare dimension they were all in together.
“I’m uhh…I’m fine too, just dealing with it the best I can right now. Obviously I’m a bit distraught too but I’m sure anyone would be in our situation.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re okay though! I’d feel awful if you were struggling and didn’t tell me.”
Carl smiled at Raven, he can’t help but feel happy around this dog. Raven’s cheerful and optimistic demeanour is infectious.
“Well, Raven I’m gonna head out now, I’m feeling pretty hungry right now.”
“Alright then, thanks for stopping by! See you later, Carl! Stay safe!”
Raven waves at Carl as he slowly shuffles out of the store’s doors.
Honestly, he wishes he could hangout with Carl more. It would be nice to get out for reasons other than work some time.
The rest of the day goes by quite slowly, the brief interaction with Carl was really the only excitable part of the day, sure there were other customers and stuff but nothing really that stood out as fun.
The day turns to night, the temperature of the air only turns slightly cooler than usual but I guess that’s natural for Echo.
The mall always looks different at night, it’s like a complete change of scenery from the normal setting within the building. Closing the store always feels kind of fulfilling, the same way in which completing a game does. Closing is just something that has to play out like a cutscene before Raven gets to go home.
Raven sits in his car, the stars shine in the cool night sky and Raven just stays there for a moment, taking it all in. Why does tonight feel different?
A pounding in Raven’s head grows more and more painful by the second…everything is spinning, everything feels wrong….
Everything feels like he’s back at Carl’s…
Raven clutches his head, the pain is unbearable, so uncomfortable that Raven falls unconscious because of the sheer pain he’s been having to endure. He hits his head on the horn of his steering wheel and it blares loudly into his ears.
When Raven eventually awakens from this pain induced slumber, he’s still clutching his head but the pain is…gone?
The air feels cold, like nothing that’s been felt in echo in years. It’s not freezing but it’s not what he’s used to at all. He looks around, dazed and confused it looks like…
“The mall…?”
He’s correct…kind of. It’s definitely the mall but it’s not, it’s reminiscent of Carl’s house in the nightmare they all went through.
There’s one thing Raven can sense, this is bad.
“Shit not again! Fuck! Okay, no I’m fine, it’s okay…I just need to try and stay calm and find someone, it worked last time I just hope it works again…”
Raven treads lightly, slightly on edge. Last time he was in one of these, you couldn’t let your guard down and now he just doesn’t want to potentially wake something or someone that might hurt him.
Raven walks for what feels like hours, his legs are hurting and he’s out of breath. “Fuck” he thinks “I need to rest…my legs hurt sooooo much” he wanders into what looks like the game central he works at but he knows it isn’t the real thing. The sign outside is faded and broken while the inside looks dusty and abandoned.
Despite the conditions of the store, it’s the only place he can really think to go and the only place that has even looked remotely familiar so far. He lightly treads through the seemingly abandoned store and makes his way to the staff room. He jiggles the door handle but it’s locked, luckily he still has the key to the ACTUAL staff room and much to Raven’s surprise, it actually unlocks.
“Shit this looks almost the exact same…no dust or anything.”
Raven is right, it does look the same. No more dust than usual, same old faulty light that makes everything look liminal and the busted old fridge in the back. The only thing that is wrong in this room is the absence of things such as the counter him and his coworkers would make their lunch on and the water fountain that was always slightly too empty to be used.
“Well…I guess I can stay here for a bit.”
Raven sits at the empty circular table in the corner of the room, sitting on one of three chairs. He sits there, seemingly lost in thought before jumping back up like he’s risen from the dead and slamming his hands on the table enthusiastically.
“Wait, I should check the fridge! Maybe it will be like when Chase made those grilled cheese sandwiches when we were at Carl’s and the food just magically appeared!”
The enthusiasm of the husky is immediately shut down when he opens the fridge door.
It is cold and empty, apart from some leftover Chinese food that looks like it went out of date a century ago.
His expression is one of confusion, like there was supposed to be fresh food in there, like it was an expectation this nightmare realm had to live up to all the time.
“Well uhh what do I do now…” Raven says, staring at the empty fridge while tugging his ear a little. “Oh wait! If I just think of food I’ve had before maybe, just maybe it will work like when Chase thought of making that disgusting grilled cheese!”
He retreats for a moment before turning back to the fridge and reopening it. Upon opening the fridge again he is met with the familiar sight of a dollar store energy drink, appropriately named ‘discount dash’ although the name itself is sort of self deprecating, it gets the job done and honestly Raven can’t complain.
“Woah I haven’t had one of these in ages!”
The husky says excitedly, as if the cheap energy drink is an elixir of health that he’s been longing for.
As he cracks open the can and shuts the fridge door he hears the distinct sound of shuffling upon debris outside the staff room.
Raven’s ears immediately drop and his fur stands on end. His mind is filled with memories of the things that attacked while they were at Carl’s house.
He scampers towards the table desperately, seeking refuge under the table like a kid hiding during a game of hide and seek.
He can’t bring himself to face whatever is outside and it only sounds like it’s getting closer.
He can feel whatever is lurking stepping closer and closer to the staff room door. He hears a slight whooshing sound as he turns around briefly to see the door wide open.
Whatever it is, it’s inside now.
He cowers under the table, hands over his ears as he thinks to himself “Why can’t Carl be here like last time? Surely Chase would be able to save me, even Jenna wouldn’t let this happen to me.”
The threat of imminent harm is frighteningly real to him and he can feel the presence behind him crouching down to look under the table.
A hand is placed on his shoulder and out of fear, he turns around to face it.