“My friend… it's been a while, hasn't it?”
Wilford stared down at the coffin. Half black, half white. Waiting, as if it could respond to him.
He's finally remembered. After years of trying to figure out why this day was one of the few that ate at him every year… he remembered.
“You've been here a long time…” he says. The greenery had started to really take over. Vines had been slowly wrapping around the coffin, drawing it closer into the Earth.
That word felt weird. Friend. Would Annus have considered them friends? If Wil was being honest with himself… he didn't think so. The few times they spoke to each other were nice, yes. But is it enough to be considered friendship?
Hell, Dark was closer to being considered a friend to Annus than he was.
“Heh, you know, the last time we spoke, I figured that you weren't going to do it… I thought it would be a ruse. It's always a ruse around here. It's one big joke. I… I didn't know you had it in you.”
When was the last time an ego died? Septiplier? That was on purpose, and they were more than happy to rid themselves of that monstrosity. When was the last time that an ego had truly… died? Or better yet, when has an ego ever willingly died? Encouraged dying?
All of them wanted to live forever. What many of the egos would give for Wilford and Darks aging. Near nonexistent. What they would give to live forever…
“Do you know how quiet it was? We had to clean up after you, you know. We had to clear out the set for the rest of our shows. And no one said a word.”
Wilford remembers it. How crushed some of the others were. Elliot especially. The E-boy was attached at the hip to Annus. That was the boy's father… the man that gave him the life he has now. The poor kid went weeks having to be comforted. Months maybe. Time was weird.
“We still find some of your shit around here sometimes. I found that horrifying statue you made of that poor woman in a storage closet a few days ago. Seriously, you two couldn't capture her likeness for anything.”
The birds chirp around him. As if they were laughing at his comment. Would Annus have laughed?
Would Annus even want to see him?
“...damnit. Do you know how stupid this feels? Talking to a box, wanting an answer?”
Wilfords hands start to shake. He starts to fidget to try and hold back his tears. It doesn't work.
“Do you know how much we miss you? How much everyone here misses you? How much Elliot misses you? Do you know that we still come out here for you? Do you even care? Did you think for even a second about what would happen?”
It's all stupid questions. Of course Annus thought about it. He had his plans all laid out in advance. A burial spot. A hard drive for Elliot with videos for him. The fucker even gave Dark special permission to his suit collection. Of course he thought about it.
And yet… he hurts. Even after all these years.
“God damnit, Annus…” he says, dropping to his knees. Tears start to fall from his eyes, dropping into the grass.