Little Dreams and Hollow Nightmares

Ph3 Ch28: Monster Six

Mono pounded on the elevator doors, hoping they would open. He couldn't lose Six again. The last time someone took her was during his first time in the Pale City, and what happened next, Mono didn't want to happen again. He didn't want to go through that pain again. However, somehow, inside him, he knew what was going to happen. And even though he knew he couldn't prevent it, the best he could do was try.

Finally, he stopped pounding on the door, and jumped onto the lever to summon the elevator. After it opened, Mono and the knight stepped inside. The elevator started moving on its own, taking both of them somewhere no one was supposed to go. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. A magenta light filled the room, along with a very familiar tune. Mono was correct.

Mono took a deep breath, and stepped out of the elevator, into the room of memories he hated remembering. The  knight took his hand. Hollow or not, it was still his friend, and was still there for him. Mono looked at the knight, gathered up every bit of his courage and bravery, and followed the music.

It was a perfect replica. This room was everything Mono still feared. The flesh behind the walls, the looming magenta light, the feeling of hopelessness. The room stole his fears from his fragile mind, and culminated them all together. Mono fought back against the memories trying to crawl into his mind. He couldn't lose hope now. They had all gotten so far. Mono didn't want everything to go to waste. He didn't want to lose the one thing life had refused to give him. Friends.

Mono looked ahead, following the melody that echoed through the doorways. Before he knew it, he reached the door he needed. Mono's hand shook as he reached for the doorknob. He slowly opened the door, and peered inside. A music box sat in the center of the room, surrounded by torn paintings and broken toys. From the shadows behind it, two large arms gently took the music box, holding it close to her chest. Monster Six.

Mono opened his mouth, but his tongue seized up. His throat ran dry. His voice refused to leave. Mono breathed in, and opened his mouth again. Nothing left. He looked at Six in her twisted, monstrous state, cowering in the corner with her music box in her clutches. Mono breathed in again, and this time, nothing refused.

"SIX!" he yelled.

Six's head lifted at the sound of his voice. She looked down, and moved closer to him and the knight.

"SIX!" Mono yelled again.

Six moved closer, slowly loosening her grip on the music box.

"SIX!" Mono yelled one last time.

Six moved to the center of the room, and set the music box down right in front of her. Mono stared at Six for a moment, then remembered what he had to do. He gripped his ladle, and removed it from its strap. He inched closer to the music box, letting go of the knight's hand. He closed his eyes, and raised the ladle into the air.

Then he stopped. He looked at Six. She was just looking at him, watching his movements. Mono looked down at the music box. His mind threw him into the memories of the last time this happened. The battle, the chase, the struggle, the escape,... and the betrayal. Mono looked up at Six. She looked right back at him, fully trusting him with the music box. Mono closed his eyes again. He leaned back with his ladle in his hands, ready to slam it on the music box-

.

..

...

Then he let his arms fall, lowering his ladle.

"I... I can't." Mono looked down at the ground. "I just can't."

There was a long silence as Mono stood there, unable to act.