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Description
“Good morning Tony! Are you going to come out to play today?” Looking up at the ticking clock, I waited for a response. I couldn't remember the last time he came down.
‘You're such an idiot Paige! Hes not coming back down.’
‘Of course he is silly. I just have to wait and be there for him when he does!’ Reaching up a shaky hand, your fingers slide against the dusty glass.
“Don’t worry about me Tony, I can wait...but- I still miss you. The puppets are gone, and I’m all alone. So if you could, please come down soon.” Dark ink filled tears blurred numbers on his face. Digging my nails into my forearm, I force a smile.
“I’ll just paint some more...until you wake up.” Kneeling down into the old musky carpet, I collected my brushes.
‘You know hes gone.’
‘Shut up.’ My grip tightened around the brush.
‘The time of his that he loved so much ran out. So now... hes just another clock.’
‘I said shut up!’ Dragging the splayed bristles across the wall, I grind my teeth. The bright red paint smearing on the old, peeling walls. Dropping the brush, I stare once more at the ground. Little pails of my favorite colors were spread across the room.
‘I hate these floors.’ My mouth grew dry.
‘Why do you hate the floors?’ My eyes began to twitch.
‘They’re old and dull...I’m the only one who walks around on them now.’ A tightening, cold feeling spread through my chest. This was feeling I knew all too well, it became more known to me after Tony stopped coming out.
‘Then why don’t you fix them?’ Reaching for my paint pails, I began throwing them, lathering the old, drab carpet with the vivid shades. Mixing them with my hands, running from corner to corner til there wasn’t a single blank spot left. My eyes trailed from the floors to the walls.
‘I hate these walls’ Fingering the peeling paper, I clench my jaw.
‘Why do you hate the walls?’
‘I’m trapped inside them...stuck doing the same thing every single day...’ Pulling at the paper, I slowly begin tearing it away. Throwing the lifeless sheets aside, throwing aside the memories they held.
‘That’s just ridiculous! Why couldn’t I leave?’ Before I knew it I found my hands traveling from wall to wall searching for paper to tear. Until, I returned to the clock.
‘Because I could never leave Tony behind.’
Slowly, falling to the ground, I pulled my knees to my chest. Wiping away my tears, I look back up.
“Please...come back.” I tried to be strong, I knew my tears bothered him. But I couldn’t control the sobs that ripped through my lips. The trembling that shook my body. The tight feeling in my chest that I knew would never go away. My grip tightened around myself, a slight pain erupting in my temples.
‘This is why he left! You stupid, colorless, scrap!’
“No, that’s not-” The pain in my temples rose as my vision grew dark.
‘Why else would he ignore us?! He hates us! Because of you!’
“No! I- I’m sorry! I’m sorry...” Unable to process anymore, the dark shadows in my vision swallowed the room.

“My love, why do you cry? You know I hate to see you this way.” Peering up from my knees, I saw his dark blue face peering down at mine.
“Tony!” Springing up, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Your back!” Pressing my head into his chest, I cried with relief. Feeling his warm hands rub my back and through my hair, I sighed.
“Silly Paige, I was never gone.” Pulling away slightly, I looked up at him confused.
“Paige, If anything...I should be the one to say ‘I’m sorry’. I let my time run out before yours did.” His hands ran up, caressing my cheeks.
“Tony it-” Placing his thumb over my mouth, he silenced me.
“I may be gone. But I’ll always be with you. Right up here with all of your wonderfully creative ideas, and right down here.” His fingers gestured from your head to your chest. Nodding slightly, I felt hot tears come to my eyes. His arms pulling me into his chest I cried.
“T-thank you...for not leaving me.”
“Paige...I love you far too much to leave you.”

Description
“Good morning Tony! Are you going to come out to play today?” Looking up at the ticking clock, I waited for a response. I couldn't remember the last time he came down.
‘You're such an idiot Paige! Hes not coming back down.’
‘Of course he is silly. I just have to wait and be there for him when he does!’ Reaching up a shaky hand, your fingers slide against the dusty glass.
“Don’t worry about me Tony, I can wait...but- I still miss you. The puppets are gone, and I’m all alone. So if you could, please come down soon.” Dark ink filled tears blurred numbers on his face. Digging my nails into my forearm, I force a smile.
“I’ll just paint some more...until you wake up.” Kneeling down into the old musky carpet, I collected my brushes.
‘You know hes gone.’
‘Shut up.’ My grip tightened around the brush.
‘The time of his that he loved so much ran out. So now... hes just another clock.’
‘I said shut up!’ Dragging the splayed bristles across the wall, I grind my teeth. The bright red paint smearing on the old, peeling walls. Dropping the brush, I stare once more at the ground. Little pails of my favorite colors were spread across the room.
‘I hate these floors.’ My mouth grew dry.
‘Why do you hate the floors?’ My eyes began to twitch.
‘They’re old and dull...I’m the only one who walks around on them now.’ A tightening, cold feeling spread through my chest. This was feeling I knew all too well, it became more known to me after Tony stopped coming out.
‘Then why don’t you fix them?’ Reaching for my paint pails, I began throwing them, lathering the old, drab carpet with the vivid shades. Mixing them with my hands, running from corner to corner til there wasn’t a single blank spot left. My eyes trailed from the floors to the walls.
‘I hate these walls’ Fingering the peeling paper, I clench my jaw.
‘Why do you hate the walls?’
‘I’m trapped inside them...stuck doing the same thing every single day...’ Pulling at the paper, I slowly begin tearing it away. Throwing the lifeless sheets aside, throwing aside the memories they held.
‘That’s just ridiculous! Why couldn’t I leave?’ Before I knew it I found my hands traveling from wall to wall searching for paper to tear. Until, I returned to the clock.
‘Because I could never leave Tony behind.’
Slowly, falling to the ground, I pulled my knees to my chest. Wiping away my tears, I look back up.
“Please...come back.” I tried to be strong, I knew my tears bothered him. But I couldn’t control the sobs that ripped through my lips. The trembling that shook my body. The tight feeling in my chest that I knew would never go away. My grip tightened around myself, a slight pain erupting in my temples.
‘This is why he left! You stupid, colorless, scrap!’
“No, that’s not-” The pain in my temples rose as my vision grew dark.
‘Why else would he ignore us?! He hates us! Because of you!’
“No! I- I’m sorry! I’m sorry...” Unable to process anymore, the dark shadows in my vision swallowed the room.

“My love, why do you cry? You know I hate to see you this way.” Peering up from my knees, I saw his dark blue face peering down at mine.
“Tony!” Springing up, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Your back!” Pressing my head into his chest, I cried with relief. Feeling his warm hands rub my back and through my hair, I sighed.
“Silly Paige, I was never gone.” Pulling away slightly, I looked up at him confused.
“Paige, If anything...I should be the one to say ‘I’m sorry’. I let my time run out before yours did.” His hands ran up, caressing my cheeks.
“Tony it-” Placing his thumb over my mouth, he silenced me.
“I may be gone. But I’ll always be with you. Right up here with all of your wonderfully creative ideas, and right down here.” His fingers gestured from your head to your chest. Nodding slightly, I felt hot tears come to my eyes. His arms pulling me into his chest I cried.
“T-thank you...for not leaving me.”
“Paige...I love you far too much to leave you.”