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Finney sat in the dirty corner that was built up by his last attempt. The dirt underneath him matched the type in that was dug under his nails and scuffed onto his sneakers like paint. The tears slid down his face, not fast enough to reach the ground, but instead gathering at the bottom of his face as he continued curling in on himself. 'This is it,' he thought, 'my last attempt.'
Just as the words fully registered in his head, the familiar sound of the phone blared through the room, cutting through his thoughts just enough to interrupt his breakdown. Finney didn't fully catch up to the sound, his crying too overwhelming for him to even try and answer it, he just let it go on, hoping that it maybe it'd stop so he could die in peace.
The phone continued, Finney swore in got louder by the second, though everything felt like an eternity down in the basement. He weakly rose to his feet as they shook and protested, though he made his way to the old black phone. Finney had already given up, so maybe the ghost on the other side could at least comfort him and reassure him that his death would take too long. He raised his hand to the phone, picking it up with his first coherent word in the last 10 minutes, "Hello?"
A familiar voice came through the other side, "Hey Finn, what's happening?" The voice spoke, revealing himself as Robin. The hold world around Finney did a tilt, the blood through his body suddenly became warmer than normal and he swore his brain started to tingle. "Robin?" Finney spoke as his voice shook so hard that he wasn't sure Robin could actually hear him.
"Hey buddy, don't cry." Robin spoke, making Finney suddenly become hyper aware of the tears that still lingered on his wet face. Causing Finney to go wipe it away and protest that he wasn't.
"Yes you are, I can see you, I've been with you this whole time." Robin bantered back, if you could even call it that.
"A man never leaves his friend behind. My dad didn't leave his buddies behind when he went to 'Nam, that's why he didn't come home; and I'm not coming home either." Robin mumbled through the phone as the static continued to crack.
"We'll be together again soon. I want to go home Robin, I'm tired. I want to be with you." Finney finally choked out after what felt like an eternity, he heard a small and barely audible choked whimper through Robin's side. Finney didn't wanna die, until he realized, he just wants to go home. He's scared, cold, alone, and has spent long enough down there that his body is dirty inside and out.
"I know you do Finn...I know you feel dirty. I can't make you not feel dirty, but please at least try and hold on a little longer. For me?" Robin replied, his voice lacking his usual confidence, though Finney isn't surprised anymore, living through all of this is enough for him not to get surprised by much anymore. He can take it...can't he?
Finney shook his already light head, "I'm sorry Robin, I really can't. I don't wanna let you down, but at least could you wait for me?" He heard a quick and almost invisible sob, though it was gone as quick at it came. Finney heard more rustling and the sound of other voices, 'the other kids,' his brain helpfully remembered him as if he could even forget it.
The familiar voice cracked through static as it rang through Finney's ears, "Finn? I need you to know something before you make any rash decisions.." Robin spoke, making Finney straighten his slumped back, Finney believed that nothing in this moment could make him feel any comfort besides from reassurance on his hopefully non-painful death.
"I love you Finn. And I'll wait for you if you choose to rest."
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He stayed on the phone, Robin stayed as Finney laid on the dirty mattress that once the rest have. He didn't leave even as he heard the choked sobs from Finney as he whispered for god to protect his sister, and to make his father a nicer person. He stayed even as the basement door opened, making him flinched as his shoes clicked against the floor.
Robin stayed with Finney, and didn't think differently of him even as he was beaten. Not even as the axe the older man yielded dug into Finney's shoulder even as he cried out in pain and the same for help. He watched as a knife was plunged into Finney's stomach and past the layers of skin, the organs slightly showing through Al made sure he stayed alive long enough. Robin stared through the ghostly hue of his eyes as Al bent over the begging and pleading younger boy; and kissed his cheek with such hunger he thought he'd eat him.
'I hate him.' Robin thought as Al pulled away before moving his head to the panting and sobbing boy's ear.
"Tell the boys I miss them, Finney." He ended as Finney went limp.
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The last thing Finney saw was tears in Al's eyes, just barely peaking out from his nightmarish mask, before he whispered to him and everything went dark for the final time. Suddenly, he was in a deep black void, though a strange black liquid engulfed him as he desperately tried to understand what was happening; and the liquid filled his lungs in a instant as soon as he opened his mouth to scream. He was drowning.
Finney choked and groaned as the straight awful taste, like sewage water mixed with some homemade meal that made him think of his mom. He became aware of his surroundings and looked up even as the water burned his eyes, seeing a bright light peeking through the layers and layers of water that soaked his clothes. He thrashed his arms, trying to get any amount out momentum to push himself up and towards the light, but the water was cold and his fingers went numb from the low degrees.
'Keep going.' He thought to himself, if you could even call it thinking and more of a command. He pulled at the water and as the rest still sat sitting in his swelling lungs. His hand burst through the surface layer of the water, and he moved it quickly as he tried pulled the rest of his body up and out of the freezing water. But he couldn't, he remembered he didn't know how to swim, and his hand wasn't out of the water, it sunk to his side. As soon as his body became heavy and he started subconsciously sinking into what he hoped was a peaceful death-
A warm hand ripped into the water and grabbed his before ripping him from the water.
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Finn opened his now dry eyes, they immediately warmed up and his pupils widened as they landed on him. "Robin?" He mumbled as he looked around as the vastly empty white space. The hand that pulled him out his escape was the boy that wished he'd seen once again, and that boy smiled a beautiful scene as he pulled Finn father into the void.
"Finn! Thought you forgot; we need to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre! That movie is the best!" Robin spoke, sounding of a soft melody.
And that was all Finn needed to continue forward, into the arms of an angel.
~ Finney Blake, 7:47pm, December 4th, 1978 ~