Emily Prime munched on popcorn as she watched a superhero TV show. She wiped her hands on her jeans as she slouched onto the sofa. She reached for a bottle of wine and started to chug it, then burped. She grabbed the remote and switched the channel over to a high school soap opera.
The air reeked of Alcohol, burnt clothing, and seasoning. A ceiling fan wobbled overhead, catching the remnants of Elijah's cigarette burning in an ashtray. The carpet was splotched with mud and snow, melting into the dingy brown fabric of the carpet. Emily Prime grabbed a blanket and wrapped herself up like a burrito.
Bottles of wine, candy wrappers, and broken chips littered the coffee table. Emily Prime lifted her feet on the coffee table and chuckled to herself before switching the channel. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Rachel and Sarah enter the reactor. She quickly changed the channel as she heard Elijah open the front door.
"ⱤɄ₦ ł₦₮Ø ₳₦Ɏ ₮ⱤØɄ฿ⱠɆ?" Emily Prime asked as she channel-surfed.
Elijah walked into the kitchen and placed a bag of groceries down. "No, but that's probably due to the weather. They definitely will be back," he replied as he opened the refrigerator and groaned. "You couldn't save me one soda?"
Emily Prime burped. "ɎØɄ ₵₳ⱠⱠł₦₲ ₥Ɇ ₣₳₮?" she asked as she snapped her fingers, materializing a soda in the refrigerator.
"Why did I go all the way to the grocery store if you could just do that?" Elijah asked as he grabbed the soda and took a sniff.
"฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł₴ Ⱡł₣Ɇ ₩ł₮ⱧØɄ₮ Ɇ₣₣ØⱤ₮?"
Elijah cracked open the soda can and then took a sip. "Hrmmm tastes just like the real thing."
Emily Prime nodded as she switched the channel back to a superhero cartoon.
"I used to watch that show as a kid," Elijah said as he put the groceries away. "Galaxy Man was like a hero to me."
"ł ₥Ɇ₮ Ⱨł₥," Emily Prime replied as he watched the Galaxy Man cartoon. "₣ØⱤ₲Ø₮ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ Ʉ₦łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₵₳Ɽ₮ØØ₦ ł₴ ฿₳₴ɆĐ Ø₦, ฿Ʉ₮ ɎɆ₳Ⱨ, ł ₥Ɇ₮ Ⱨł₥."
"You're saying Galaxy Man exists in another universe?"
Emily Prime nodded. "ɎɆ₳Ⱨ, ₮ⱧɆⱤɆ ₳ⱤɆ ₳ⱠⱠ ₮Ɏ₱Ɇ₴ Ø₣ Ʉ₦łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ₴. ₲₳Ⱡ₳ӾɎ ₥₳₦ ⱠłVɆ₴ ł₦ ₳ ₩ØⱤⱠĐ ₩ⱧɆⱤɆ ɆVɆⱤɎØ₦Ɇ Ⱨ₳₴ ₱Ø₩ɆⱤ₴."
"You fought him?"
Emily Prime nodded and grabbed some popcorn. "ⱧɆ ₲Ø₮ ₱ⱤɆ₮₮Ɏ ₴₮ⱤØ₦₲, ₩₳₴ ₱Ʉ₦₵Ⱨł₦₲ ⱧØⱠɆ₴ ł₦ ⱤɆ₳Ⱡł₮Ɏ ₳₦Đ ₴Ⱨł₮, ₳₦Đ ł ₲Ø₮ ₵ɄⱤłØɄ₴ ₳₦Đ ĐɆ₵łĐɆĐ ₮Ø ₴ɆɆ ₩ⱧØ ₵₳Ʉ₴ł₦₲ ₳ⱠⱠ ₮ⱧɆ Ɽ₳₵₭Ɇ₮," she explained as her eyes glowed. "ł ₩₳₴ ฿Ɇł₦₲ ₵łVłⱠ, ₮ɆⱠⱠł₦₲ Ⱨł₥ ₮Ø ₵₳Ⱡ₥ Ⱨł₴ ₴Ⱨł₮ ĐØ₩₦, ฿Ʉ₮ ⱧɆ ĐɆ₵łĐɆĐ ₮Ø ₳₮₮₳₵₭ ₥Ɇ, ₳₦Đ ł Ⱨ₳Đ ₮Ø ₮₳₭Ɇ ₳₩₳Ɏ Ⱨł₴ ₱Ø₩ɆⱤ₴."
"Wait, are you being serious?"
Emily Prime nodded as she ate some popcorn. "ɎɄ₱, ₮ⱧɆ₦ ₮ⱧɆ ⱤɆ₴₮ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ ₴Ʉ₱ɆⱤⱧɆⱤØɆ₴ ₣ØⱤ₥ɆĐ ₳ ₮Ɇ₳₥ ₮Ø ₮ⱤɎ ₮Ø ₮₳₭Ɇ ₥Ɇ ØɄ₮. ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₩₳₴ ₳₦₦ØɎł₦₲."
"You know what the issue is, right?"
Emily Prime tilted her head towards Elijah and shrugged. "₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ ł₣ ł ₭₦Ø₩. ł JɄ₴₮ ₩₳₦₮ɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ₥ ₮Ø ₴₮Ø₱ ₱Ʉ₦₵Ⱨł₦₲ ⱧØⱠɆ₴ ł₦ Đł₥Ɇ₦₴łØ₦₴ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł₮ ⱧɄⱤ₮₴ ₥Ɏ Ɇ₳Ɽ₴."
Elijah shook his head and grabbed his cigarettes. "I am just going to pretend like I understand what you're saying."
Emily Prime formed a thin-lipped smile. "ĐØ₦'₮ ₩ØⱤⱤɎ, ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ₦ɆVɆⱤ ₴Ʉ₱₱Ø₴ɆĐ ₮Ø Ʉ₦ĐɆⱤ₴₮₳₦Đ ł₮," ₴ⱧɆ ฿ɄⱤ₱ɆĐ, ₮ⱧɆ₦ ₲ⱤØ₳₦ɆĐ. "ł Ɇ₦VɎ ɎØɄ ₳ⱠⱠ."
Elijah leaned against the refrigerator and lit his cigarette. "There's nothing to envy about us."
Emily chugged a soda and then burped. "₦Ø, ɎØɄ ₲ɄɎ₴ ₲Ø₮ ł₮ ₥₳ĐɆ. ⱠłVł₦₲ Ⱡł₣Ɇ, ₦Ø₮ ₭₦Ø₩ł₦₲ ⱧØ₩ ₳₦Ɏ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ₩ØⱤ₭₴. ₳฿ⱠɆ ₮Ø ⱠłVɆ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ₮ⱧɆ łⱠⱠɄ₴łØ₦ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ĐØł₦₲ ł₴ ฿Ɏ ɎØɄⱤ ₵ⱧØł₵Ɇ ₳ⱠØ₦Ɇ. ł ĐØ₦'₮ Ⱨ₳VɆ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ⱠɄӾɄⱤɎ."
Elijah nodded as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. "Have you taken a look at yourself, kid? You can do whatever the hell you want."
Emily Prime leaned forward and sighed. "₦Ø... ₦Ø, ł ₵₳₦'₮. ł ₵₳₦'₮ ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ĐØ ₳₦Ɏ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ₳ⱠⱠ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ Ø₣ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł ₳₥."
"I have seen Emily's diary."
"ɎɆ₳Ⱨ, ł ₭₦Ø₩."
"Care to"
"₦Ø."
Elijah sighed. "Kid, you need to take a long look in the mirror. You're trying to live this ordinary life, and it's just not going to happen."
Emily Prime rubbed her face and groaned. "ɎØɄ ₳ⱤɆ ฿Ɇł₦₲ ₳ ⱤɆ₳Ⱡ ₴ØɄⱤ₱Ʉ₴₴ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮ ₦Ø₩. ₱ⱠɆ₳₴Ɇ ⱠɆ₮ ł₮ ₲Ø."
"Excuse me for wondering why I am playing stepdad to someone like you. Like, what is the point of any of this? You should be doing universe shit, not drowning in sorrow in a trailer home watching sitcoms!?"
Emily Prime glanced up at the ceiling and shook her head. "ł ₳₥ ĐØł₦₲ ₮Ⱨł₴ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł ₳₥ ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ⱠØ₦ɆⱠɎ!" She yelled as she stood up and paced around the living room. "ł ₴₮₳Ɽ₮ɆĐ JɄ₴₮ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ɎØɄ...ł ₩₳₴ ⱧɄ₥₳₦, ₴₮łⱠⱠ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ Ⱡł₭Ɇ Ø₦Ɇ, ₳₦Đ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ⱧɄ₥₳₦ ₮Ⱨł₦₲₴. ł ₳Ⱡ₴Ø Ⱨ₳₱₱Ɇ₦ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ ₦ɆӾ₮ ł₦ Ⱡł₦Ɇ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ ₲ØĐ."
Elijah didn't respond as he looked at Emily Prime, throwing the remote at the wall. He crossed his arms as she paced back in forth with wide eyes, nostrils flared as she breathed.
"ł ₩ØɄⱠĐ ₮Ɽ₳ĐɆ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲, ₳ⱠⱠ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₴₮Ʉ₱łĐ ₱Ø₩ɆⱤ, ₮Ø ฿Ɇ JɄ₴₮ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ɎØɄ," Emily Prime explained as she stared wide-eyed at Elijah. "ɎØɄ ⱠłVɆ ł₦ ₳ ⱤɆ₳Ⱡł₮Ɏ ₩ⱧɆⱤɆ ł ₵₳₦ ₦Ø₮ ɆVɆ₦ ₮ⱤɄⱠɎ ฿Ɇ ₥Ɏ₴ɆⱠ₣ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł₮ ₩ØɄⱠĐ ₥Ɇ₦₮₳ⱠⱠɎ ₳₦Đ ₱ⱧɎ₴ł₵₳ⱠⱠɎ ฿ⱤɆ₳₭ ɎØɄ. ₮ⱧɆ ₲₳₱ ł₴ ₮ØØ V₳₴₮, ₳₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ Ʉ₦ĐɆⱤ₴₮₳₦Đł₦₲ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ Ʉ₦łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ'₴ Ⱡ₳₩₴ ł₴ ₮ØØ ₱ⱤØ₣ØɄ₦Đ. ł Ⱨ₳VɆ ₮Ø ⱧłJ₳₵₭ Ɇ₥łⱠɎ'₴ ฿ØĐɎ JɄ₴₮ ₮Ø ₱ⱤɆ₮Ɇ₦Đ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ł ₳₥ ĐɆ₳Ⱡł₦₲ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ₥Ɏ ₮Ɽ₳Ʉ₥₳ ₳₦Đ ₲ⱤłɆ₣."
Emily Prime shook her head, and a tear fell down her cheek. "ł ₳₥ ₴ØⱤⱤɎ...₮Ⱨł₴ ł₴₦'₮... ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ₦Ø₮ Ⱨł₥," she cried as her mulberry eyes faded to a soft green.
Emily's eyes blink slowly as she turns around and looks around the room. "Finally...thought she would never give me back my body," she said as she rubbed her neck and face.
She turned her attention towards the coffee table and the television. Her stomach curdled as she winced and burped. Emily's head throbbed, and she had an uncontrollable urge to drink water. She walked over to the refrigerator, grabbed the bottle of water, and started to chug it.
"Everything is dizzy," Emily chuckled as she rubbed her head and then yawned.
Elijah stared wide-eyed at Emily as he reached for another cigarette.
Emily shrugged and smiled. "So what I miss?"
"A shit show...a cosmic shit show," Elijah replied as he sighed. "Where do you go when she does that?"
"I'm in her world; it's kinda beautiful as it's terrifying," Emily replied. "I have some drawings in my room, I can show you."
"Kid, we need to talk about-"
Emily shook her head. "Not in the mood for lectures. The Beat Destiny celebration is still going on!" Emily said as she walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer.
Elijah sighed and shook his head. "I am going to step out for a bit," he muttered as he walked to the front door. "I need to find Rachel...maybe she can make sense of this."
Elijah exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke as he looked up at the snowfall. His eyes narrowed as the gray and blue clouds glitched in and out. They shifted to vibrant colors of orange, red, and plum. The trees in the forest swayed in the cool breeze with an irregular motion, and snowflakes teleported in the air, changing their intended trajectory.
He thought back to everything he had seen and learned since he arrived in Corwood: the Deja vu, the multiverse, the poems, and subterfuge. Elijah leaned on the door, gazing out to absolutely nothing specific. He inhaled smoke from his cigarette, sighing as he breathed it out. His head turned towards the road as he heard vehicles approaching. He looked up as he heard the hum of a helicopter hovering nearby.
"Oh fuck," Elijah grumbled as he flicked his cigarette into the snow, then reached for his Desert Eagle. "EM, we got a problem!" He yelled as black SUVs started to block off the road.
Elijah ducked and quickly ran back into Emily's trailer as the SUV's windows slowly lowered.
"Get down!" Elijah yelled as he took shelter behind the sofa as bullets smashed through the windows, ricocheting off the coffee table. Shrapnel and wood splinters rip through Elijah's jeans and jackets as a long series of gunfire rips through the flimsy trailer. Emily ducked behind the kitchen counter as she grabbed a frying pan.
Emily muttered incoherently to herself as she dug into the kitchen drawers for anything useful. Her heart raced as her eyes widened as she looked up at the ceiling. She prayed to Emily Prime, begging for her to get her out of this situation. Her arms trembled as she frantically searched for a Gloom pill inside any of the kitchen drawers.
"Em...a little help!?" Elijah replied, then shot his Desert Eagle as he stayed in cover.
"She is not answering!" Emily replied, keeping her head down.
"What the hell do you mean by not answering?!" Elijah yelled as he scurried away from the sofa as a grenade was launched through the window.
A doorbuster smashed the door off its hinges as a SWAT team breached the trailer. Elijah shot as he sprinted towards Emily, taking cover next to her.
"Hands up now!" A SWAT team member ordered as a dozen armed officers swarmed the trailer while a helicopter hovered outside.
Elijah looked over to see Emily's arm on his shoulder. Her green eyes flickered and glowed mulberry once more.
Emily Prime was met with a hail of bullets as she stood up, which vanished as they reached her. A glitchy, mulberry aura slowly manifested around her as she started to chuckle. She threw her hands up and then slammed them down on the kitchen sink.
"ɎØɄ ₲ɄɎ₴ ₳ⱤɆ ฿Ɇ₲ł₦₦ł₦₲ ₮Ø ₱ł₴₴ ₥Ɇ Ø₣₣!" Emily Prime barked as she walked towards the living room as they emptied their magazines at her.
"₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ฿₳Ɽ฿₳Ɽł₳₦₴, ɎØɄ ₳ⱠⱠ ₳ⱤɆ. ₴ɆɆ ₴Ø₥Ɇ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ɎØɄ ĐØ₦'₮ Ⱡł₭Ɇ, Ⱨł₮ ł₮! ĐØɆ₴₦'₮ ₩ØⱤ₭; Ⱨł₮ ł₮ Ⱨ₳ⱤĐɆⱤ ₳₦Đ Ⱨ₳ⱤĐɆⱤ," she growled as she stared into their eyes. "₴Ø₥Ɇ₮ł₥Ɇ₴ ₮Ⱨł₦₲₴ ĐØ₦'₮ ฿ⱤɆ₳₭ ₦Ø ₥₳₮₮ɆⱤ ⱧØ₩ Ⱨ₳ⱤĐ ɎØɄ Ⱨł₮," Emily Prime mocked as she telepathically etched the truth of their existence into their minds.
The Officer's eyes widened as she started to scream and cry, dropping their weapons while rambling incoherently. Some pleaded for their lives, others ran out the window, and some knelt at Emily Prime's knees, begging for forgiveness.
"ĐØ ɎØɄ ₴ɆɆ ₦Ø₩, ₴ØɄⱤ₱Ʉ₴₴?" Emily Prime cried and threw her hands up as she looked back at him.
"₮Ⱨł₴ ł₴ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ Ⱨ₳₱₱Ɇ₦₴ ₩ⱧɆ₦ ₱ɆØ₱ⱠɆ ₣ł₦Đ ØɄ₮ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł ₭₦Ø₩. ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł ₮ⱤɄⱠɎ ₳₥."
Elijah didn't reply as he looked at the cowering agents who knelt at Emily Prime's feet. His heart raced as a swirl of emotions overwhelmed his need to speak. He crossed his arms and looked down at the floor, then back at the trembling agents. He took a deep breath as he forced himself to look Emily Prime in the eyes. His face softened, eyebrows lowered as he tried to think of anything to say.
"ł ĐłĐ₦'₮ Ⱨ₳VɆ ₳ ₣Ʉ₵₭ł₦₲ ₵ⱧØł₵Ɇ, Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ ₣ØⱤ ₥Ɇ. ł ₳₥ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ł ₳₥ ฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ₴ⱧɆ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ ₦Ø₮ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₴ⱧɆ ĐłĐ₦'₮ ₩₳₦₮ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ. ĐØ ɎØɄ ₲Ɇ₮ ł₮ ₦Ø₩, ₴ØɄⱤ₱Ʉ₴₴!" Emily Prime yelled with wet eyes, shoving the cowering agents away from her feet. "ł JɄ₴₮ ₩₳₦₮ ₥Ɏ ₣₳₥łⱠɎ ฿₳₵₭." She cried as she slumped to the ground.