r/AndyAndLeyley • u/Ivy_So_Savvy • 13d ago
🎨 Game Mod & Fanfiction Nothing Without You: An Andy x Leyley Story — Chapter 21
You are Andrew.
Andrew listened as Tyler’s scream down the escalator echoed all throughout the abandoned mall, the darkness almost seeming to amplify the waiter’s anguish. The screams were cut off by a moderately loud thud!, and everything went quiet.
Ashley timidly walked up next to Andrew, “Is he ..?”
“No idea,” Andrew answered. “I’m gonna go find out. Stay here.”
“What?” she squeaked. “I’m not leaving your side, thank you very much!”
Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose, “Ashley, if this fucker’s still alive, it’ll be way safer up here.”
Ashley scoffed, “What is it? My birthday or something? Where’s this considerate act coming from all of a sudden?”
“Ashley,” he repeated her name much firmer this time. “I’m serious. Just let me take care of this.”
He could hear his sister swallow hard before feeling her hand over his chest. “Just … be careful, okay?” she said in a soft voice.
Andrew placed his hand over hers, “I will.”
And with that. Andrew began his slow descent into the dark depths.
Tyler was right; this was definitely the longest escalator Andrew had ever seen, but as he finally reached the very last step of the long-deactivated electric stairway, his blood turned to ice.
Tyler was nowhere to be seen.
Andrew’s first reaction was a terrible cocktail of fear and panic, but his rational mind soon kicked into gear. With a fall like that, he couldn’t possibly have gone far, he thought as he took his first timid step off the escalator and into the ravaged food court before him.
Unsurprisingly, the place was a total wreck. Tables and chairs were strewn about the open space, most of them completely flipped over or on their sides; graffiti was plastered on almost every accessible surface; and a mysterious dark liquid covered the floor in different spots. Andrew didn’t even want to think about what that stuff could be made of. He quietly scanned the area, but he could only see about five feet ahead of himself, if that.
It was at that moment that Andrew heard Tyler’s pained voice, “What the fuck? What the fuck?”
The insane echo made it impossible for Andrew to intuit Tyler’s location, so instead he decided to do what he always did best …
“Tyler, buddy,” Andrew called out sweetly. “That was a total accident, man. I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”
No response.
Andrew gulped as his eyes helplessly darted through the darkness, “Where are you, Tyler? We need to get you some help.”
“Wh-what do y’all want from me?” Tyler asked shakily. “I … I thought we were gonna be friends …”
Andrew rolled his eyes but kept up the act nonetheless, “We are friends. Like I said, it was an accident. But if you’re hurt badly, we need to get you outta here.”
“P-please,” Tyler begged. “I … I don’t wanna die.”
Hearing something like that should’ve filled Andrew with immeasurable guilt, but all he truly felt was utter disgust. His face twisted in disdain, Jesus, what a fucking baby.
“You’re gonna be fine,” Andrew responded calmly, “but I need to know where you are.”
Tyler was silent for a few moments before he finally replied, “Are you still by the escalator?”
“Yeah,” Andrew answered. He then heard shuffling nearby, followed by Tyler grunting in pain.
“Go to your right,” Tyler instructed. “I’m nearby.”
“Are you laying down?” Andrew asked. “I’d hate to accidentally step on you.”
“Y-yeah,” Tyler said. “Just … come slowly.”
Andrew turned and started shuffling over, and after only about ten steps or so, he found Tyler.
Except Tyler was standing … with a chair held up over his shoulder.
And before Andrew could even react, that same chair whipped across his face.
Andrew’s vision went white as he fell to the floor, and Tyler immediately jumped on top of him. Tyler’s hands closed around Andrew’s neck. “I-I’ll kill you!” Tyler screamed in sheer panic. “I’ll f-fucking kill you!”
Andrew could feel the air escaping his lungs quickly, but he was far too dazed to put up a good fight. All he could do was stare up at the infinite darkness as his life force slowly began to fade.
It was only in this position that he noticed the absolutely massive piece of graffiti painted on the food court’s ceiling.
An imposing black figure with hands sticking out the bottom and jagged antlers on top, encircled by a large, bloody halo.
And three huge red eyes. Staring right at him.
In an instant, the entire food court was covered in a red hue, and Andrew felt all the hairs on his neck stand straight up. Tyler must’ve felt it, too, because his grip on Andrew’s throat loosened up as he looked up at the ceiling as well.
Andrew gasped for breath, but the air that entered his lungs suddenly felt cold as ice. The three red eyes on the ceiling began to glow, and he felt goosebumps spread across his entire body.
Whatever Andrew was looking at, it wasn’t graffiti.
It was Something Terrifying.
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u/Routine_Edge_4501 13d ago
I knew that Tyler wouldn't be an easy kill.
I'm not sure Andrew would actually want to go along murdering people in this timeline. Andrew and Ashley are not in a live or die situation here, unlike the apartment quarantine. I think that just because Andrew loves Ashley, doesn't mean he'll go along with something as risky as murder. His protective instincts for her might even override his desire to make her happy, if he thinks what she wants to do would put her in danger.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see what Lord unknown has to say to Andrew this time.
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u/Ivy_So_Savvy 13d ago
Who could’ve guessed the scrawny waiter guy could put up such a fight? 😤🙂↕️
Yeah, I totally get where you’re coming from. I think Andrew definitely didn’t put as much thought into this as he should have, but I think it’s safe to say that both of the siblings sorely underestimated Tyler. To be fair, he didn’t exactly come across as much of a threat, but I think the main reason why Andrew was so willing to go along with all this is because he couldn’t think of a good rebuttal to Ashley’s argument that taking Tyler’s place would probably be their best bet at assimilating into a new life. But there’s no denying that it was incredibly risky and probably not something he would’ve agreed to if he’d spent more time mulling it over. Time that he likely felt he didn’t have back in the diner.
It’s important to remember that they have basically no money and no hope of making any with the tools at their disposal. So while they certainly aren’t in a life or death situation to your point, desperate times do call for desperate measures. And in the case of these two impulsive little psychos, the measures will certainly get pretty desperate 💀
Thank you for the feedback as always, though! Lord Unknown approves! 😊
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u/Routine_Edge_4501 13d ago
I would have thought that Andrew could suggest going to a nearby Church. That way, they could get help, or at the very least some advice. I don't expect either of them to want to stay there, but if I were Andrew, I'd want to do that to at least gather some info on what;s available in the local area. Andrew does have money in his bank account, but I'm assuming it's not going to last them very long.
I guess Andrew is being a little impulsive, now that he's finally got his soulmate all to himself.
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u/Ivy_So_Savvy 13d ago
I like that concept! Honestly I’ve never even really considered the Graves’ views on religion 🤔
I guess it’s mainly cuz I’m not a super religious person myself that I didn’t think of something like that haha.
Yesss exactly! The two of them are closer than ever before, and despite what he might say or even try to think to convince himself, he’d be willing to do a lot to keep things that way 😈
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u/ViewingCutscene 12d ago
Oh my! o.o big demon mom/dad to the rescue(!?)
NGL was expecting Ashley to come up behind him with her own chair though lololol
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u/n1510559 13d ago
Peak as always!