Anon-Remi

>The alarm clock had been blaring for around nn hour before he finally hit the snooze button. The morning was already in full swing, and he could hear people going about their business outside. But his blinds were drawn shut, and his shitty little apartment was still dark and gloomy.

>He spent another hour prone on the bed before he summoned enough willpower to drag himself off of it. He plodded over to the bathroom, took a quick piss, and made his way out to the kitchenette. He opened up a cabinet, then remembered he'd run out of food two days ago.

>He left the cabinet swinging open and sat down heavily on his ratty couch, flicking on his television. All that was on was the news. Some story of how a family was reunited after some years apart. Their smiling faces felt like they were mocking him.

>His stomach grumbled, and he figured that today was the day. It was as good a day as any.

>He went over to his closet and retrieved his most valuable possession, the Remington 870 his grandfather gave to him before his death. He ran a hand over the beautiful walnut stock, dusting it off a bit.

>"Hey there, Remi," he said to the weapon. He knew it was just an inanimate object, but he figured it was only a matter of time beforenhe forgot that fact, and actual mental illness set in. He decided that he should get it over with before he became a danger to society.

>"Come with me, Remi. I have something for you to take care of..."

>He took his shotgun back over to the couch and left it lying there while he retrieved a 12 gauge slug, a glass of water, and the last of his valium from the medicine cabinet.

>Plopping back down on the couch, he turned the volume on the television as high as it would go, then washed the valium down with the water. He watched the news for a while longer, petting the stock of the shotgun, admiring its stark beauty.

>He felt the valium kick in and he smiled slightly.

>He loaded the slug, pumped the weapon.

>He put the barrel into his mouth.

>He pulled the trigger.

*click*

>Slightly annoyed, he got up, grabbed another slug, and loaded it. Another pump.

*click*

>His annoyance was growing, as he brought the whole box of slugs over. He tried them one after the other.

*click*
*click*
*click*
*click*
*click*

>He started to weep, and he tossed the gun aside. He put his head in his hands and cried and cried.

>He felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders.

"Please don't cry... you don't want to die, trust me..."

>He looked up, his face tear stained and his eyes red. He saw a beautiful young woman sitting next to him, holding him with her skinny arms. She had long light brown hair, the color of the walnut stock, and kind brown eyes.

>"Who... who are you?" he asked, dumbstruck.

"You know who I am. You've been saying my name, after all."

>It took him a few moments, but he put 2 andn2 together. "Remi?" She nodded.

>"Y-you're real?" He didn't quite believe his eyes, and assumed he'd gone off the deep end.

"Yes, I'm real. You're not crazy."

>"I'm talking to my gun and not seeing you as such... I am crazy..."

"No, you're not. I didn't reveal myself to you before because I thought it would overwhelm you, but... you gave me no choice, here..."

>She squeezed him a bit tighter.

"You don't want to die... I don't want you to die... your grandpa told me to look after you, keep you safe... I can't let you do this to yourself..."

>"It doesn't matter, my life is meaningless. I hit the dead end. Better to end it now to spare myself more pain."

"What about me?"

>"Huh? What do you mean?"

"If you kill yourself, what happens to me? Protecting you is my purpose, and if you die... if I fail in that... your life is not meaningless. It means so much to me... you have no idea..."

>He stared into her eyes for several minutes, not speaking. He then burst into tears again, and hugged her tight. She patted his back, her own eyes moistening a bit.

"Shhh... shh... I'll be here for you... always... shh... it's alright..."

>They sat there, holding each other for a long while. He eventually pulled out of the hug and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. She took his hands in her own, and regarded him warmly, with those kind brown eyes of hers. "Thank you," he weakly said, meeting her gaze for a fleeting moment before lowering his eyes.

"No need to thank me... if anything, I should apologize to you. I should have shown myself sooner, before it got this bad... I'm so sorry... but I will make it up to you, I promise."

>He continued to say nothing, and just breathed in and out deeply.

"I won't leave your side. When things are difficult, I'll help you cope from now on. Just, please, don't try to harm yourself again."

>"Alright..."

"Promise me."

>"I promise I won't try it again."

>She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, and he blushed. "Can we just sit here for a while?"

"Of course we can."

>She grabbed the tv remote and turned the volume down.

"For as long as you want, I'll hold you, and you can hold me. And tomorrow, we get you back on your feet."

>She pressed up against him, making him blush more. She was significantly shorter than him, so he closed his eyes and rested chin in top of her head. Soon he fell asleep sitting there on the couch.
>He was worn out and mentally anguished by the experience so sleep came easy. He slept for hours. When he came to, it was dark outside.

>He expected this all to be just some fever dream, but here she was, legs curled up under her body, still wrapped in his embrace. She stirred at his movement.

>"Were you sleeping? Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you..."

"It's alright. I don't need too much sleep anyway."

>She smiled a smile so warm he felt like smiling himself. A true smile, like he hadn't done in years. He recognized the feeling in his heart, a bit of happiness peaking through all the layers of loneliness and self loathing.

>"It's good to know that was all real... that you're real," he said, shaking away the last bit of disbelief. It was a very weird, unusual situation, but at least now he believed in it.

"Come, let's get you to the bed, so you can be bright and fresh for tomorrow. I'll help you find a new job, and you'll pull through."

>They stood up together and she guided him to the bed, as he was feeling weak in his knees. He lay down on his back, and she laid on top of him. In the moonlight filtering through his window blinds, he admired her beauty. Her features were soft and round, her nose was a cute little thing, and her ears were hidden under her thick walnut colored hair. She was a skinny girl, with a bit of a flat chest, but he didn't mind at all.

>"You're very beautiful..." He felt the urge to run his fingers through her hair, and so he did so. She smiled.

"I know, and it's because you've taken such good care of me for all the years you've owned me."
>"So... you were alive for all those years?"

"I was. As far back as I remember, your grandfather owned me. I was mounted on the wall, if you'd remember his house."

>He did remember. Right over the mantelpiece, always there whenever he visited. "Did you show yourself to my grandpa?" She nods her affirmation.

"When he was getting older, and he could no longer take care of himself... I started to take care of him. It's how he stayed independent for so long, so he didn't get put into the old folk's home. Before he passed, and I came into your possession, he made me promise to look after you, and protect you should you ever need it. He loved you very much."

>He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remembering his grandfather. The hunting trips, fishing, teaching of wilderness survival... everything good in his childhood.

"It's not just that, though. It's not just duty to him that makes me care for you."

>"How do you mean?"

"From the moment you hecame my owner, you treated me like the most valuable thing in the world. You cleaned me, maintained me, respected me...depended on me... I fell in love with you, just as I saw that you loved me."

>He did love her. He never realized what she was, but even so he valued the Remington above everything else in his life. And in the end, she was all he had to his name. But she was all he needed.

"Would you say it to me?"

>"I love you, Remi."

"I love you too."