The Thorns On Your Petals
The toons chattered, gathered around the empty stand in the lobby where Dandy would usually be sitting.
Dandy wasn’t in his shop, and no one knew where else he could be.
The radio no longer blared Dandy’s signature classical music.
Poppy asked around, just for the answers to bring even more questions. Her above-ground searching clearly was yielding no avail.
Poppy’s expression grew worried, and she was quick to venture into the elevator.
The humming of the elevator was a nice ambience to have stressing thoughts to. Dandy hadn’t been completely missing from both of his shops since Gardenview had closed down years ago.
Even running from twisteds and extracting couldn’t drag her mind away from her worry.
Floors blow by in a blur, like a fever to cloud the reality of what’s unimportant runs rampant in Poppy’s mind.
She stares at the elevator door, when loud, thumping footsteps grow more and more audible. A music box version of Clair de Lune plays itself on repeat.
Dandy’s favorite song.
Poppy stepped out hesitantly, nervous about finding Dandy in a less-than-desirable state.
Poppy wandered the kitchen slowly, like she was walking on eggshells. She could only wish her heart would slow to the rate of the music.
Poppy turned the wheel on a machine until the light flashed from red to green.
Footsteps pick up, and she can hear pained, erratic growls.
Before Poppy can even turn around fully, she stares it in the face.
A red-eyed, hungry look. Never once a look the true Dandy would give Poppy.
His mouth was stuck, melded into a forced smile, sides heaving like a rabid animal.
Dandy’s claws dug into the floor.
The bright colors and rainbow themes that ridded Dandy’s twisted form told her that Dandy was in there.
But the look, the expression, the action…That was a mind corrupted by Ichor.
Every rose has it’s thorns.
Poppy told herself that when Dandy’s claws gripping onto her felt like a thorn.
She would die here, absolutely.
But she dies with the reassurance that some form of Dandy holds her in her final moments.