Home?

                                    

                                          
"Let's go back there tomorrow. Alright?"
                          
The last words spoken in the hallways of Hometown High that night, the walls illuminated dimly by the setting sun through the windows. Looking down at her partner of the Dark World, and her newfound friend, as he watched her insistence. She gave a small smile, the first real one toward Kris she had given, before pulling her hand back from his shoulder. He didn't respond to her, but that should be expected of him. He's been the quiet type for nearly the whole time. Even still, she couldn't help but notice the small hint of a smile on his face, giving a small nod of approval. It put her at ease just a little, even if his silence was a little aggravating. Without another word, she made her way down the hallway, quickly pushing through the school's front doors before heading off. She practically jogged back to her home, giving the older goat monster in her parked car a wave as she passed.
                          
Her jog slowly moved to a walk, her chest pounding from the previous exhaustion of adventure. Walking down the streets of the town, she was greeted to the Light World by the basic everyday setting: Catty standing in front of stores to gossip to strangers about the daily life of God who knows who, Alphys softly praising her current anime obsession in an alleyway while waiting for her kitten, and Undyne obliviously causing traffic jams off on one side of the road while screaming about how bored she was. Basic daily routine. She just quietly walked along, a few monsters she passed either staring in fear or backing away from her path. Even Catti, who was staring blankly ahead while walking to her job, couldn't help but wince and shuffle to the side as the larger lizard passed by.
                          
Reputation at its finest. 
                          
Hands in pockets, Susie silently went her way downtown. After everything she and Kris had just gone through, the normally obnoxious town was nothing less than a godsend sent to welcome home heroes from a century-long battle to the death. Not that it took that long, but it was still nice to see a world of light once again. Almost like the previous adventure had been unreal. A dream maybe. But it wasn't. Yet no one outside would believe her or Kris. They probably all assumed she hurt Kris. Maybe they would think she told him to tell that story to prevent her from getting into trouble. A fair assumption, but wrong all the same. After everything they had gone through, how could she possibly return to her known world with such an attitude change? She sighed, flicking some of her ragged stray hair from her shoulder. 'Well,' she thought to herself, 'Whatever we just came back from, it'll feel like heaven compared to what hell I'm gonna have to go through.'
                          
Susie dreaded going back to her place. She had a curfew set up by her father, and judging by the sun, she was already fully aware that she was well passed it. She trudged west, moving past the small cemetery to step through the woods. A broken gravel path of twigs and leaves lead her straight to her home. If she could even call it that. A five-minute walk later had finally lead her to her shack. 
                          
A worn-down log cabin with molded rims and cracked windows. Trusses of the roof splintered through here and there, small holes littering the shingles. Terrible for the upcoming weather. The door barely fit in its frame and tended to stick fairly easy every now and then. She stepped up, twisting the nob and ramming her shoulder into the door to pry it open. She stumbled inside, keeping her stance after she stepped up. Closing the door behind her, she just pulled off her jacket and dropped it next to the door in the small pile of boots and old clothes. The floor creaked with her steps, molded wood flooring threatening to give way with each step anyone would take. Wallpaper was coming undone, falling apart at the corners and peeling off in strips. Furniture was either ripped at the seams or splintered apart, depending on what it was made from. The house itself smelled like rotting fish and rancid tomatoes, but it's not like she could do much about it.  
                          
Susie stepped into the living room, taking a deep breath. She turned toward the couch to observe the sick looking beast, holding her hand up for a quick wrist-bound wave while keeping her expression as blank as she could. "Hey, Dad. 'M home."